Illinois State Museum

Illinois State Museum
A view inside the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, Ill., on Sept. 3, 2015. (Photo by Todd DeFeo/The DeFeo Groupe)

Overview

The Illinois State Museum in Springfield, Illinois, is the state’s official museum of natural history. Founded in 1877, the museum was originally located inside the sixth Illinois State Capitol but moved as the state government expanded. Between 1961 and 1963, the state built the museum’s current building, the first purpose-built state museum. Exhibits include local fossils, dioramas of Native American life, a collection of glass paperweights and archaeological and ethnographic artifacts.

Quick Facts

Status
Existing
Locality or neighborhood
Springfield
State or province
Illinois
Address
502 S Spring St., Springfield, IL 62706
Postal code
62706

Visitor Information

About Sightseers’ Delight 994 Articles
Sightseers’ Delight started publishing in June 2016. The site, published by The DeFeo Groupe, collects and curates content about places where historical events large and small happened. The site builds off the legacy of The Travel Trolley, which launched in June 2009. The site aimed to be a virtual version of the trolley tours offered in so many cities.