Bergner’s department store is definitely an iconic Peoria department store and memory for a lot of us that grew up in Peoria.
Below are photos from the downtown Bergner’s, the Sheridan Village location, the Skandia restaurant that was on the top floor of the Sheridan Village location and finally the demolished Bergner’s.
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BERGNER’S IN DOWNTOWN PEORIA
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Here’s some photos of the original Bergner’s which was located in downtown Peoria.
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BERGNER’S IN SHERIDAN VILLAGE
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The Peoria Journal Star had a special newspaper section announcing the opening of the Bergner’s in Sheridan Village back in the ‘60’s.
Black and white photos of Bergner’s in Sheridan Village back when it first opened.
Here’s some color photos of Bergner’s in Sheridan Village.
Note that the logo changed sometime in the ‘80s.
The top photo is the original floor plan for the Sheridan Village Bergner’s and below is the legendary Talking Christmas Tree that Bergner’s featured in the holiday season back in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s.
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THE SKANDIA RESTAURANT/ASSOCIATES LOUNGE
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A lot of people remember the old Skandia restaurant which was located on the second floor of Bergners. I learned that it had been turned into an employee lounge and lunch room and got permission to take pictures of it before it got torn down.
Here’s some photos of the lounge I took back in 2018, shortly before the entire building was torn down. They’re probably some of the last photos taken of the place.
You can see the whole post and other photos by clicking on this link.
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Store Closing!
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In January of 2018, it was announced that Bergner’s in Sheridan Village was going to close.
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TEARING IT DOWN
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Here’s some photos I took of it being torn down.
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DEMOLISHED
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There’s the hole in Sheridan Village that used to be Bergner’s department store.
It was totally demolished in 2020, two years after the announcement that it was closing.
Five years later in 2025, the hole is still there and I’m wondering if it’ll ever be replaced with anything.
Maybe it’s best just to leave it like this and let the place live on in our memories and on the internet.
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BERGNER’S DEPARTMENT STORE
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Bergner’s Department Store…now a part of Peoria’s past. Thanks for the memories!
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Related Posts: Meanwhile, Back In Peoria’s Past: Sandy’s Drive-In, The Rialto Theater and Sky Harbor.