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Illinois Wesleyan University
- Nightlife

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Illinois Wesleyan University - Nightlife - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.46

Nightlife

B
Where does this grade come from?View all Nightlife rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

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Quick Stats

Primary Areas with Nightlife
  • Campus of Illinois State University
  • Downtown Bloomington
Student Favorites
  • Fat Jack’s
  • Illinois Brewing Company
Other Places to Check Out Maguire’s Pub & Restaurant
Favorite Drinking Games
  • Baseball
  • Beer Pong
  • Drinking “Insert Favorite Movie or TV Show Here”
  • Flip Cup
  • Screw the Dealer
Useful Resources for Nightlife The GO! insert of Thursday’s local newspaper

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

The nightlife on campus is dominated by parties with Greek-affiliation, and for good reason. On a campus this size, the only practical place to have large groups of thirsty people party is in the basement or general vicinity of a fraternity. TKE throws the occasional themed party, and those are always the most fun. Black-light parties, foam parties, and toga parties are the most popular. You’ll be well aware of frat parties from the chalked announcements letting you know they’re having another “non-alcoholic event.” Other gatherings on campus are arranged by word of mouth and are usually smaller groups of friends hanging out. You can meet pretty cool people in small get-togethers. Off campus, parties are bigger, wilder, and you are entirely at the whim of the Normal police. ISU has tenfold the number of parties Wesleyan has on any given weekend, and frats host only a fraction of the parties. While the accessible beverages, women, and general debauchery is greatly increased at ISU, the risk of getting a drinking ticket is almost inevitable. An undercover Normal police officer will walk right up to you, engage in a fulfilling conversation, and then slap cuffs. You won’t see it coming. Of course, upperclassmen don’t have this problem , but the bars in Downtown Bloomington offer refuge to thirsty souls in need of a drink. The bars attract different crowds, so you’ve got to check them out before frequenting any of them. They are as expensive as anywhere else, but Bloomington bartenders make stronger drinks than you get in Chicago.

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Illinois Wesleyan Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Nightlife at Illinois Wesleyan University

mkrieger

'14

English

3.1
B-

Parties on Campus

Parties on IWU's campus aren't that bad. There are six fraternities on campus, plus their off-campus houses, so there are many places to go. The parties are usually a lot of fun, even if you're like me and don't drink alcohol. Illinois State University is also about five minutes away, so you can always find parties going on there.

Nov 29, 2011

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Nightlife at Illinois Wesleyan University

aroberts23

'13

Sociology

2.7
C+

A Greek Life

Most of the parties are for those involved in greek life. While everyone is welcomed to go unless you have connections you don't know what is going on where. If you do have the connections though there is a wide selection of parties to go to.

Jan 06, 2011

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Nightlife at Illinois Wesleyan University

rrhody

'11

Music Teacher Education

2.7
C+

Nightlife

parties are mostly for greek life people, date rape, bars are not very safe, underage drinking, no transportation

Aug 10, 2010

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Page 1 of 5

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the off-campus bar and club scene on the following topics

What is the party scene like on campus?

What’s the best way to get to the popular nightlife spots?

Facts

Club Crawler

There are no clubs, per se, in Bloomington. Plenty of bars host dance nights, which are usually hip-hop oriented. Techno gets minimal play at the bars in Bloomington.

Closing Time

1 a.m. on weeknights

2 a.m. on weekends

Cheapest Place to Get a Drink

Any bar on ladies’ night

Organization Parties

Academic departments host colloquiums and holiday events, but these hardly qualify as parties. The best organized party of the year is the Mariachi Dance hosted by the Latino Student Organization. Also popular is the notorious Transvestite’s Ball, which is a fashion show and dance all to the tune of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Bar ListingsWhat's This?

Mugsy’s Pub

Mugsy’s is a really popular place among Illinois Wesleyan students. The closest bar to campus, students congregate for a drink or a bite to eat almost every day of the week. Tuesday night specials on wings are a big draw, as are the decently-priced pitchers. Although a popular attraction, most people only hang around for a while before venturing downtown.

1310 N. Main St.

Bloomington

(309) 827-2628

Rhino’s

Rhino’s is one of the more established bars in downtown Bloomington, drawing regular patrons and locals as well as groups of students. Salsa night is a huge draw, with great music, drink specials, and an especially diverse and talented crowd. Rhino’s is the place to go if you want to get away from the usual bar scene and meet some people you might not otherwise.

602 N. Main St.

Downtown Bloomington

(309) 829-5926

Rosie’s Pub

Rosie’s is a low-key, quieter place to chill, but is filled to capacity most nights on the weekend. The kitchen offers amazing meals served in the adjoining restaurant or right at the bar. Daily drink specials aren’t exactly cheap, but every drink is made by some of the most professional bartenders in the area. Don’t be surprised if you run into a couple local celebrities mingling among the young professionals and students.  

106 E. Front St.

Downtown Bloomington

(309) 827-7019

Elroy’s

Elroy’s is a large sports bar with an open two-story layout, big-screen TVs, and projection screens all around. Booths and tables in every direction surround a large bar in the middle. A loft area is great for groups of friends to congregate, undisturbed by the other patrons. The food is decent, and pitchers are cheap. An outdoor beer garden is especially enjoyable as the weather turns warmer.

513 N. Main St.

Downtown Bloomington

(309) 821-9222

Fat Jack’s

Fat Jack’s is an ever-popular draw among both the younger and older crowds, the latter dispersing right around the time the former arrive. Boasting the most square feet of any downtown facility, Fat Jack’s has three bars, a dance floor, a lounge with couches and tables, a stage near the main entrance, and a billiards room in back. The only drawback is that the bar is almost always impossibly crowded. If you don’t mind squeezing between friends to wait for a drink, Fat Jack’s is the place for you.

511 N. Main St.

Downtown Bloomington

(309) 821-9222

Illinois Brewing Company

The Illinois Brewing Company has long been a staple of downtown Bloomington among locals and students alike. The spacious pub has a lounge with billiards and darts, a huge wraparound bar, and a lofted stage in the back. IBC regularly hosts a wide variety of music, with everything from rock to country to the sometimes unclassifiable. The crowd is best on show nights when everyone is excited and lively but can otherwise be dominated by groups of locals.

102 N. Center St. Ste. 111

Downtown Bloomington

What to Do if You're Not 21What's This?

Reality Bites regularly hosts shows at which alcohol is served, but you needn’t be 21 to get in. The Coffeehouse is a vegetarian deli in downtown Normal that hosts local rock shows, poetry readings, and small-scale plays.

Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at IWU

Name: Diego Báez

Major: English Writing

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