Discover a hidden treasure, world-class and free
Not to be missed during a visit to Springfield is the Illinois State Museum, just a few blocks west of downtown in the State Capitol complex. People of all ages will enjoy this free museum, which has been called “world-class” and “a gem in its own right.” It tells the story of the land, life, people and art of Illinois through engaging, interactive natural history displays, life-sized dioramas bringing Illinois’ rich American Indian heritage to life, a new hands-on children’s area and much more. Families with young children will not want to miss the museum’s popular Super Saturday series, held on the second Saturday of each month, and the new Story Time program, offered on the second Monday of each month. For more information: www.museum.state.il.us/events.
Changes is not just a learning experience, it’s an adventure!
You might not know that Illinois was once located south of the equator. Or, that it was once a tropical sea teeming with marine life. By traveling through time in the Changes exhibition, you will see what Illinois was like millions of years ago. You will glimpse an era when intriguing species once inhabited Illinois – sharks, giant dragonflies, Jefferson’s ground sloth, the American mastodont and short-faced bears. You will learn what the land was like when discovered by the first European explorers. Engaging hands-on interactive displays, audio and video effects, life-sized dioramas and thousands of real fossils make Illinois’ amazing natural history come alive.
Family fun in the Play Museum
Families with young children will enjoy the Mary Ann MacLean Play Museum, where children can learn through play what it is like to work at a museum. The interactive, family-friendly Play Museum is a children’s museum within the museum. Designed for children ages 3-10, visitors can excavate mastodont bones, load a jeep for an expedition, crawl through a cave, examine objects up close with a videomicroscope, touch animal skulls, frame and display art and much more.
Play Museum hours: Mon. – Sat. 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sun. 1 – 5 p.m.
Explore 300 years of family life in At Home in the Heartland
In At Home in the Heartland you can immerse yourself in the dramatic changes in household life over the past 300 years and listen to the stories of real people who lived in Illinois from the time of early settlement to the modern era. Furnishings and other domestic objects from the museum’s extensive collections present a picture of the lives of Illinois residents from the 18th century to today.
Learn about Peoples of the Past
Authentic artifacts and the life-sized dioramas in the Peoples of the Past exhibit reveal the dramatic changes in American Indian cultures from thousands of years ago to the 19th century.
Special exhibition: Civil War Quilters: Loyal Hearts of Illinois
Civil War Quilters: Loyal Hearts of Illinois, through Sept. 8, 2013, presents a fresh look at the Civil War by sharing the compelling stories of Illinois women who rigorously supported their fathers, husbands, brothers, sons and friends from the home front.
This exciting new exhibition features 20 stunning Civil War-era quilts, each with its own unique history. In addition to the quilts, a wide variety of objects tell the story of women’s work for the war. They include agricultural equipment, household furnishings, memory pieces and a national flag carried by the 33rd Illinois Infantry Regiment of Bloomington. Also featured are rarely seen period objects such as military uniforms, weapons, a regimental drum and a portable desk used in the war.
See the spectacular Morton D. Barker Paperweight Collection 
View stunning examples of paperweights from renowned glass factories in France, England, Bohemia, and the United States.
The Illinois State Museum Store - unique gifts Made in Illinois
The Illinois State Museum Store is the place to shop for gifts made by Illinois’ finest artisans. The Museum Store features one-of-a-kind jewelry, art glass, hand-turned wood, pottery, fiber, woven baskets and much more, created by juried artisans throughout the state. The store also has a wide selection of educational toys and souvenirs.
Location and hours – and it’s FREE
The Illinois State Museum is located at 502 S. Spring Street on the corner of Spring and Edwards Streets, just south of the Capitol Building in the State Capitol Complex. Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. noon-5 pm. Closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is free. Free parking is available in the Visitors Center lot one block west of the museum on Edwards Street. For more information: 217-782-7386, Illinois State Museum on Facebook, or www.museum.state.il.us.
