Welcome to the Illinois State Museum

The Illinois State Museum promotes discovery, learning, and an appreciation of Illinois’ natural, cultural, and artistic heritage.  The Museum’s extensive collections and research activities provide the foundation for exhibitions and public programs that tell the story of the land, life, people, and art of Illinois. The Illinois State Museum is headquartered in Springfield with branch facilities throughout the state.  Use the links to the side to find information about current and upcoming exhibits, public programs, and other events at all of the Museum’s sites. Admission is FREE at all Illinois State Museum sites.

There's so much to see

 

Learn about upcoming events and exhibits by visiting the Illinois State Museum System  events and exhibitions pages. In celebration of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial, the Illinois State Museum presents an original exhibition, From Humble Beginnings: Lincoln's Illinois 1830-1861.

Please visit our Teachers and Students page for information on our programs and online resources including lesson plans.

The Audio-Video Barn is full of stories about Illinois agriculture. It contains audio and video recordings of more than 130 oral-history interviews with people involved in agriculture and rural life in Illinois. It was produced by the Illinois State Museum's Oral History of Illinois Agriculture (OHIA) project. The OHIA project is generously supported by a National Leadership Grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).