Exhibitions
The Illinois State Museum's extensive collections can be seen in both permanent and temporary exhibitions. Permanent exhibitions are always available, while temporary exhibitions rotate every few months.
Listen to the stories of real people who lived in Illinois. Immerse yourself in the dramatic changes in household life over the past 300 years.
At Changes visitors will see, hear, and touch Illinois’ natural history through engaging hands-on interactive displays, audio and video effects, thousands of authentic fossils, and more. Marvel at all the strange and intriguing species that once inhabited Illinois through a multitude of life-size dioramas.
The Play Museum is a free children's area at the Illinois State Museum-Springfield. Load a jeep; crawl through a cave; dig for fossils; put together a baby mastodont puzzle; frame art; explore collections of fossils, insects, artifacts; and toys; and play museum!
Finding a Voice in a World Made for Men
Illinois State Museum Second Floor Gallery
This exhibition amplifies the voices of formidable women, queer, and non-binary people who have found ways to get a word in edgewise in a male-centric society. The Museum celebrates the voices and achievements of those Illinoisans who would not be silent.
First Floor Hot Science Gallery
A warming planet impacts nature, society, and individuals in ways that might surprise you. The Illinois State Museum's new exhibit Climate Change in Your Backyard will present examples of how climate change is shaping Illinoisan lives in the heartland.
Illinois State Museum Second Floor Gallery
The Illinois State Museum presents its second annual Juneteenth art exhibition, NOIR II: The Migration, in collaboration with Springfield's Juneteenth, Inc., and national artists and co-curators, Korbin "Kas" King and Michelle "Micki" Smith. NOIR II: The Migration is an exhibition of Black art by people of color depicting the migration of Black Americans. It tells the story visually, provoking viewers to think and talk about what freedom looks like for people of color in the United States.
