You shouldn’t miss the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, just a few blocks west of downtown in the State Capitol complex. People ages 1 to 101 will enjoy this free museum, which has been called “a world-class museum” and “a gem in its own right.”

The Illinois State Museum tells the story of the land, life, people and art of Illinois through engaging, interactive natural history exhibits; a special exhibition celebrating the Lincoln Bicentennial – From Humble Beginnings: Lincoln’s Illinois 1830 – 1861; life-sized dioramas bringing Illinois’ rich Native American heritage to life; a hands-on children’s discovery room, and much more. Did you know that Illinois was once located south of the equator? Or that Illinois was once a tropical sea teeming with marine life? Ever wonder what life was like in Illinois mil lions

of years ago? You can travel through time in the “Changes” exhibition, from the beginning of life on earth, to an era when American mastodonts roamed Illinois, to the days of the first European explorers.

“Changes” is not just a learning experience; it’s an adventure through 500 million years of environmental change in Illinois. Experience engaging hands-on interactive displays, audio and video effects, life-size dioramas, thousands of authentic fossils, and more. See the intriguing species that once inhabited Illinois, such as sharks, the giant dragonfly and giant millipede, Jefferson’s ground sloth, American mastodont and giant shortfaced bear. To celebrate the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial, the Illinois State Museum premiers an original exhibition, “From Humble Beginnings, Lincoln’s Illinois

1830 – 1861,” exploring all aspects of the state that Lincoln called home between 1830 and 1861. Peek into the world in which Abraham Lincoln lived.

On display through Jan. 10, 2010, “Lincoln’s Illinois” presents a captivating perspective of the Lincoln era through the objects and stories of the people who lived here. Featured are historical maps, artifacts, household furnishings, a rare John Deere plow, the traveling desk of Methodist circuit rider Peter Cartwright, rifles and pistols, artifacts from New Philadelphia and other archaeological sites, animal mounts and many other objects that demonstrate the dynamic changes that helped transform Illinois from a frontier region to a powerful state.

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 sto ries

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 18 th century to today. Authentic artifacts and the life-size dioramas in the “Peoples of the Past” exhibition reveal the dramatic changes in Native American cultures from thousands of years ago to the nineteenth century.

Families with young children will enjoy “A Place for Discovery,” a hands-on children’s gallery where kids can be kids with lots of things to touch and do. Children of all ages can investigate and discover the mysteries of art and nature.

Changing art exhibitions showcase the best of Illinois art. On exhibit this spring is “The Leaf and the Page.” If you love nature and the world of