When you think about the small towns in our area, the first word that likely comes to mind is farming. However, we know that all small towns have their own gems that distinguish them aside from farming. Atlanta has The Bunyon Giant, Danvers has Danvers Days, but what about Hopedale? Well, Hopedale has the Willis Snowmobile Museum. The Willis Snowmobile Museum began with a small collection of snowmobiles and has grown rapidly since. They have about 150 on display at all times, but more than double that amount in their total collection. Willis Snowmobile Museum is located in a refurbished general store in downtown Hopedale, IL. Two generations of the Willis family have been involved with the museum. Russel Willis and his three sons, Danny, Darrin, and Donny, find the snowmobiles for the collection and take care of the museum. The family keeps the snowmobile museum as a hobby and passion of theirs, more than just running it like a business.

When you take a trip to the museum to see the snowmobiles and talk with the Willis family, you will learn more about snowmobiles/sleds than you could ever imagine. The creator of a popular YouTube channel “At Your Leisure” took a trip to the Willis Snowmobile Museum and published a great video about the museum. The video gives viewers a look into what you might find at the museum, shows discussions with both generations of Willis’, and will give you a glimpse into information you might learn if you take a visit. When snowmobiles first became popular, there was no consensus on what a snowmobile should look like. So, you will find lots of unique machines that have many different qualities. The video can be found on the “At Your Leisure” YouTube Channel, and is named “Willis Snowmobile Museum 2020”.

To visit Willis Snowmobile Museum, reach out to (309) 241-6530. Visits are by appointment only. The museum also has a Facebook page named “Willis Snowmobile Museum”.