Boomland

Great gift shop — seriously souvenir central. I even bought a scratcher and won $ 15 bucks. Got some black walnut syrup for my dad. Have gifts for every age group and foodies alike. There are good food options there too, and a McDonalds nearby also.

Every since I first came to BOOMLAND, it has been a favorite place to visit. I can be two hours behind on a road trip and I will still stop by.
First things first– this place isn’t just fireworks! They have an array of things to distract you from getting back on i55: ice cream, hot sauces, snacks, clothing, cheap jewelry, knives, pickled vegetables & fruits, jams and so many other random items.
The «firework store» and the «general store» do not connect. You must choose which one to visit (I vote the firework emporium) first.
There are SO many fireworks to choose from! The place seems a bit under-​staffed (but hey, what do I know?) so finding a sales associate might be hard if they’re already helping another customer.
The prices are great, the selection is abundant and they serve jam & hot sauces. What more could one ask for?

Every year my brother in law picks up the fireworks for his community to shoot off for the Fourth of July. When I come home from Hawaii we also stop in to shoot fireworks with the family. Boomland is a large store with quite the selection. It does look like there is a lot of wasted space. There could be a ton more inventory. They do not get a ton of customers in the off months. Today it took a few minutes for the cashier to notice we needed to check out.

Boomland is such a fun place to get lost in the shopping zone. They have tons of unique items. Prices are reasonable. Whether you are looking for jewelry, t shirts, gadgets, toys, or fantastic and unusual food items (pickled quail eggs, what?), this place will not disappoint.
And if you are in the mood for hot dogs, chili or something along those lines, belly up to the food bar.
If you haven’t been to a Boomland, I totally recommend you give it a try!

Stopped here on a recent road trip twice. Going and on the return trip. This is a huge complex — convenience store — fuel stop and McDonald’s. The restrooms were impeccably clean. The woman working and mopping the floors had a smile on her face and was engaging to speak to and she had a smile on her face. Getting service at the McDonald’s was quick and consistent. What I found most entertaining and interesting was the group of community woman playing BINGO in the McDonald’s at 9:30 in the morning on a Thursday. Definitely not seen everyday.
As for Boomland, it had a huge selection of items. On my second trip I picked up the last package of Dolly Madison crumb covered mini donuts. The clerks working the counter give the experience a local flavor. If you are into regional trinkets — you could get yourself a coffee mug or thimble or other touristy gift. Also it’s a place to buy fireworks.
I enjoyed my two stops at Boomland, for its clean restrooms, ease of purchasing fuel, and road trip food. I will be putting this place on my I-​55 places to stop map.

I don’t know what happened in Boomland, but something is not as right as it used to be. On a cross country road trip a few years ago, I drove through Boomland and found it to be a nice diverse land, with yes Fireworks, and odd cheap gifts, a shelves and shelves stocked with weird road snacks, «gourmet» foods, and lotto tickets.
I passed through this past holiday and Boomland has really slipped. The shelves were barren, the magnet wall was barely magnetic, and they didn’t even have all the years in the those country almanac booklets. The gits were all either cheap but not inexpensive plastic figurines of Native American Scnenery or Black Mammie Cooks, and weird 3D Obama posters. All the irony and fun of Boomland has now left, probably for Love’s. They need a new major!