Exhibitions

The Illinois State Museum's extensive collections can be seen in both permanent and rotating exhibitions. Permanent exhibitions are always available, while rotating exhibitions change every few months.

Rotating Exhibits

New & Noteworthy!

Photograph of exhibit case including albums, pictures, and hall monitor jacket.

Second Floor Corridor

New to the second floor corridor: a hall monitor jacket and two CD albums from Sylvia Fedrick of Chicago, representing Sylvia’s journey from the “Most Talented” member of her senior class at Lindblom Technical High School to a Black Essence Award-winning recording artist.

The Illinois State Museum’s collections are always in development as new things are added and as we learn more about what we have. New and noteworthy objects are often featured in the lobby and/or on the second floor corridor. Keep checking back at the ISM to see what’s new!

Our Storytellers: Pokagon Potawatomi Black Ash Baskets

Six black ash baskets sitting horizontally on a green display shelf. An exhibit label is on the back wall.

Open through May 25, 2026

Our Storytellers: Pokagon Potawatomi Black Ash Baskets
Second Floor Corridor Gallery

Our Storytellers: Pokagon Potawatomi Black Ash Baskets explores the artistry, tradition and the importance of basketmaking among the Pokagon band of the Potawatomi people. For the Pokagon Potawatomi, these baskets are regarded with the utmost honor, treated as living members of the community. However, over the past century, the practice of basket weaving has been threatened; first by the enforcement of oppressive government regulations and now by the ecological threat presented by the Emerald Ash Borer. This exhibit tells a story of survival and resilience of the Pokagon Potawatomi. Our Storytellers was organized by the baskets’ caretaker Dr. John Low, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and the Field Museum of Natural History.

Indigenous Beadwork of the Great Lakes

Open through June 8, 2026

Indigenous Beadwork of the Great Lakes

Second Floor Gallery

Indigenous Beadwork of the Great Lakes features stunning examples of beadwork created by Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) artists from the turn of the 20th century. The exhibition explores beadwork as a form of resiliency and a method for expressing and maintaining one’s identity. Due to their delicate nature, this is the first time in many years these beaded textiles are on display.

Miles of Memories: Stories of Route 66

Globe on top of a Polly Gas fuel pump with a green parrot in the center.

Opening May 23, 2026

Second Floor

Miles of Memories brings to life the experience of living, working, and traveling along U.S. Route 66 in celebration of the highway's centennial anniversary. The exhibit incorporates the museum’s Route 66 Oral History Project, a collection of 100 interviews with people who experienced the road when it served as the primary route between Chicago and Los Angeles.

America's Elephant

Opened February 17, 2026

First Floor Hot Science Gallery

America's Elephant presents the curious history of our country's first fossil: the American mastodon. This new exhibit explores when the first mastodon fossils were found, how the remains of an unknown animal came to be understood as our country grew, and how the Illinois State Museum has been a leader in the science of mastodons.

This exhibit encourages visitors to think about fossils in new ways. Fans of the natural sciences and of United States history are both sure to find something surprising in our newest Hot Science exhibit.

i feel: exploring emotion through art

Open through Spring 2026

Art is personal. Art is inspiring. Art can bring to the surface a variety of different feelings. But sometimes, we feel like art isn’t “for us” if we aren’t experts. However, everyone can look at, critique, and connect with art, even if it is just how the art makes us feel. I Feel ____. an interactive exhibit curated specifically for children and youth to engage with, returns to ISM with brand new art. This installation encourages young visitors to share their opinions on how the artwork makes them feel. Guests can spend time taking in each piece before voting on what feeling the art evokes. While the exhibit is built as an entry point for children into the art world, the installation is open to visitors of all ages.

Permanent Exhibits