Hieronymus Mueller Museum

06/18/2026

Hieronymus Mueller Museum is closed today and tomorrow for staff meetings and Juneteenth. We will reopen on Saturday, June 20th.

06/06/2026

When we write descriptions for historical images, sometimes we are lucky and the names and event are written on the back. Often, they are blank, and we have to search for the information. This can look like a matching game, comparing photos with images used for articles in the Mueller Record.

Recently, we tried to identify a photo and, much to our amusement, we discovered a niche genre of photo found in the Mueller Record: "three men look at fire hydrants." (We had to limit ourselves to just 10 examples.)

The photo was eventually found with the identifying information in the Mueller Record. If this kind of matching game sounds fun to you, message us about volunteer opportunities!

05/29/2026

We had a great time at this year's Annual Mueller Retiree and Volunteer Luncheon! Thank you to Mueller Water Products for co-sponsoring the event along with the Hieronymus Mueller Family Foundation!

Presentations were given by Riley Kerestes, Mueller Water Products Decatur Plant Manager, and Katherine, Museum Director. MWP held a raffle for prizes, as well.

If you are a Mueller Co. retiree and did not receive a paper invitation to the luncheon, contact the museum to join the mailing list at [email protected].

05/28/2026

Hieronymus Mueller Museum is closed today, Thursday, May 28th to host the Annual Retiree and Volunteer Luncheon. Normal hours resume 1-4pm on Friday.

05/01/2026

Hello, Mueller Retirees!

The annual luncheon is Thursday, May 28th, 2026. RSVP required by May 21st!

You can RSVP by leaving a voicemail at 217-423-6161 or messaging us here. Please tell us your name and number of guests attending.

Hieronymus Mueller Museum and Mueller Water Products are proudly co-sponsoring this event, and we look forward to seeing you all there!

04/21/2026

Like many of you, we followed yesterday’s news of the fire at the Henry Mueller home (405 West William Street) with great sadness. We are very grateful to the Decatur Fire Department - Illinois for their incredible work, for no injuries, and the safety of the Governor Oglesby Mansion.

The Mueller home has been a fixture in Decatur since its completion in 1908. Henry Mueller commissioned the building for himself, his wife Ora, and their daughters Lenore and Henrietta. The house was clearly a dream home of Ora Mueller’s. She worked directly with the Mandel Brothers of Chicago on the interior design, murals, and furnishings throughout the residence. Everything in the home’s design reflected the individuals residing in it – from German nursery rhymes murals in Henrietta’s room to the family initials across the threshold.

Henry Mueller unexpectedly passed in 1910, and Ora Mueller retained residency there with their only surviving daughter, Lenore, until Ora’s death in February 1940. The home then passed to her sister and daughter. After the sister’s passing, the home was sold out of the family in 1965.

Mark Staley, who represents the Henry Mueller branch on the Hieronymus Mueller Museum Board of Directors says, “I was sadden when I heard about the fire at the Mueller home. I had been in that house a couple times throughout the years and it was beautiful; it was like taking a step back in time. My Grandmother grew up in that house, so to see that house damaged by fire like that was heartbreaking.”

We will cover more history of the home in our upcoming edition of the Hieronymus Mueller Museum newsletter. For now, we hope you enjoy these professional photographs that appeared in the 13 September 1908 edition of the Decatur Daily Herald, courtesy of The Staley Museum.

04/11/2026

Mueller Company 100 years ago!

These images come from a group of negatives we've recently been able to digitize. It was exciting to see some new-to-us images!

03/21/2026

Happy Spring! The spring newsletter is out! Inside, you can read about one of the most popular items in the gallery: the 1957 interactive "Watertown, USA" diorama - which you can see in-person Tuesdays-Saturdays from 1-4pm.

You can subscribe to this quarterly newsletter by messaging us your mailing address: your choice of postal or email. We have a few copies of this spring issue left at the museum, so we can still drop one in the mail to you.

02/14/2026

Be sure to check out Kathy Locke's fantastic images of #4 Millikin Place (the former home of Adolph Mueller) in Decatur Magazine's newest issue!

Kathy Locke is one of those photographers who is able to capture the essence of a story and draw you in to learn more. From documenting conditions in Decatur during the pandemic to portraits of local characters, she’s been a valuable contributor to Decatur Magazine for over fifteen years, including this image from her photo shoot focusing on the art and design talents of architect Marion Mahony at #4 Millikin Place. Story by Zach Shields. Read more at the link in comments.

02/07/2026

In November, we showed you the process of creating a storage tray for the Mueller vases. Recently, our intern finished the project, and now all of the museum's vases will rest safely until their next display!

Each tray is custom-made using archival-quality materials. It begins with cutting and folding "blue board" cardboard into the base tray. The tray is filled with foam for structure, with a cavity cut out for the artifact. The cavity is layered with polyester filling that provides a flexible, even support for the artifact. The cavity is then lined with Tyvek to hold the filling in place and prevent rubbing against the artifact. The completed tray is then stored in our archival cabinets.

Big thank you to our intern, Ray, for completing this important project!