About Us

Barnacopia is the dream come true for Gary and Judy Bocker of Polo, IL.

Gary and Judy wanted to show their grandchildren how farming used to be and how they grew up. Gary wanted them to understand farming and agricultural history before it became high-tech.

So, they started building the peg-built structure in November of 2011. The building features three levels of unique antique tractors, classic cars, and more. The 1953 Ford on the 2nd level is the first car Gary drove at 12 years old – pre-license era!

Gary and Judy officially opened the barn to host their grandson’s wedding reception in 2013. MANY people immediately showed interest in using the barn for their weddings and events! While Gary and Judy didn’t originally intend for it to become a popular wedding and event venue, it just so happened to become one!

In the spring of 2020, we leased the barn to Sauk Valley Events. We look forward to them continuing the Barnacopia tradition of hosting gorgeous weddings, receptions and special events. While Gary and Judy are sadly no longer with us, we hope we can continue their legacy and bring joy to everyone who visits Barnacopia!

More about the construction of Barnacopia...

Barnacopia is an old-style mortise and tenon timber-frame barn. Wooden pegs are used to hold the beams together just as they would have been used in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One of the many highlights of Barnacopia is the John Deere 620 tractor that rotates in the cupola. The tractor was mounted on the turntable in the shop and then the whole assembly was set into the cupola by a crane.

The main floor of Barnacopia has the look and feel of a wooden haymow floor. However, it’s actually stamped concrete. There is a passenger elevator servicing all three floors of the barn, but the elevator shaft is disguised to maintain the look and feel of a barn!

The second floor of Barnacopia has a “drive-in” movie theater with many classic cars on display! There is actually an overhead garage door on the second floor, and all vehicles were set in on a lift!

We greatly enjoyed our time as a museum, but we are unfortunately no longer open to the public for tours. We hope you will be able to host an event with us or attend an event at Barnacopia to be surrounded by the farming history.