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Exhibitions

Visitors to Dickson Mounds Museum's more than 15,000 square feet of exhibits discover many different ways of interpreting the past, including innovative displays of artifacts, arts, and archaeology; exciting hands-on activities; and multi-media presentations.

Rotating Exhibits
A watercolor by Peggy McNamara, in which there are brightly colored grasses in various shades of pink, yellows, blues, reds, and greens. Among the grass is a branch with a bird’s nest, in which a cardinal is perched. There are other birds such as blackbirds.

In Flight

Open through May of 2026 In Flight features the watercolors of artist Peggy Macnamara. The exhibition focuses on one of her favorite subjects—birds—especially those found in central Illinois. These artworks support the museum’s mission to help people understand and connect with the environment in our region.

 

Permanent Exhibits
A snapshot of the third floor river gallery, that demonstrates panels with the words hunting/gathering and farming. The panels have pictures of foods such as squash, carrots, tree nuts with informative panels.

The River Valley Gallery

Explore the character of the Illinois River and trace the interaction between the river and the people who lived along it from the end of the Ice Age to the present day.

The entryway of the people of the valley exhibit at dickson mounds. It shows a panel that talks about the pre-contact history of Indigenous peoples in the area, as well as the famous J-case, which showcases Indigenous artifacts over the course of centuries. This is laid within the backdrop of artistic renderings of Indigenous People of the area in a backdrop of the Illinois River Valley.

People of the Valley

People of the Valley portrays a sequence of Indigenous cultures through time via artifacts, murals, photographs, and exciting hands-on exhibits.

The entryway into the discovery center, with a bright banner that states "the discover center" with handprints to represent rock imagery of pre-contact Indigenous Peoples. Within the doorway are cabinets with books, kids tables for interactions, taxidermy animals such as a stag and bobcat, and posters of various Illinois mammals, birds, and mussels.

The Discovery Center

A learning place with hands-on activities for visitors of all ages.

An image of the cross-shaped excavation at Eveland village. It shows a excavated pit in a cross shape, with two archaeologists excavating the site with their measuring tools.

Eveland Village

The excavated remains of three early Indigenous buildings are preserved for viewing during the warmer months. The structures are a round building, a cross-shaped building, and a large rectangular building.

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ISM-Dickson Mounds

10956 North Dickson Mounds Road
Lewistown, IL 61542
(309) 547-3721


Tue - Sat:  9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Closed: New Year's Day,
Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day

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