Illinois State Museum

10/02/2026

Our annual Ofrendas exhibit will open tomorrow on 10/3 to celebrate Day of the Dead. Big thank you to Hispanic WOMEN of Springfield who helped curate this exhibit!

10/02/2026

Mudpuppy salamanders live in large rivers and cold lakes. The feathery, red gills on the sides of their neck behind their head let them breathe underwater. They also have lungs and can breathe at the surface of the water too. Mudpuppies hang out under submerged logs and rocks during the day. At night, they come out to look for food. They eat small aquatic animals by sucking them into their mouth. The species is threatened in Illinois due to changes and loss of their habitat.

photo credited to Andrew Hoffman

09/30/2026

We are excited to welcome Allison Lacher as the Director of Interpretation at the Illinois State Museum!

Allison, a celebrated visual artist, comes to us from University of Illinois Springfield where she was faculty in the Department of Art, Music, and Theatre and served as Director of the Visual Arts Gallery on campus. Allison’s research focuses on contemporary art and site-responsive exhibitions. Please join us in welcoming her to the team!

09/30/2026

Check out the the new area at Illinois State Museum-Dickson Mounds Museum!

Updates Ahead!

Thanks to the generosity of the Illinois State Museum and Morton Community Foundation, we are doing a three phased renovation of our children’s area! The new children’s area will consist of three distinct spaces for kids of all ages to learn and play. This includes: A literacy center, sensory room, and new main children’s center with learning stations. As with all good things, we have a bit of work ahead of us, so today the main discovery center area will be closed while we work on renovations. It will reopen tomorrow October 1st, 2026. In the meantime, stop by and check out our in progress literacy center! Stocked full of books and bean bags, this is a great space to cozy up and spend some time at the museum on a rainy day.

Stay tuned for more updates as renovations continue!

09/23/2026

09/22/2026

This Día de los Mu***os, the Illinois State Museum invites you to help us celebrate and remember the people who remain a part of our lives, even after they are gone.

Share a photo of a loved one who has passed away to be included in our Community Remembrance Slideshow, a new ISM tradition honoring the memories that connect our community.

To participate, email your photo to [email protected], as well as a filled out Photo Release Form. Participants must be 18 or older.

See the slideshow and our Ofrenda exhibit at the Hispanic Heritage Festival on October 3 and Día de los Mu***os celebration on November 1.

Photo release form can be found here:https://www.illinoisstatemuseum.org/content/dam/soi/en/web/ism/all-ism-sites-assets/documents/Adult%20Image%20Waiver%202026.pdf

09/18/2026

Now open in our Prairie Gallery at the ISM: I Am Not a Costume. This exhibit features the childrens book written by Indigenous author Maria DesJarlait and illustrated by Regina Alice Wilman

09/17/2026

It's Hispanic Heritage Month! To celebrate, join us and our partners at the Hispanic Women of Springfield at the Hispanic Heritage Festival on October 3rd from 10 am to 3pm.