Illinois State Museum On Its Way To Recovery

The Illinois State Museum (ISM) system is slowly reopening across Illinois after last year’s state budget crisis forced the galleries and centers to unexpectedly shutter.
The ISM was founded in 1877 and had its first location in the Illinois State Capitol building in Springfield. It originated as an institution of natural history, geology, and biology. Its headquarters remain in the state capital, though it has since expanded throughout Illinois.

Illinois House of Representatives Chamber at the State Capitol

Five locations once comprised the ISM system – Chicago, Springfield, Lockport, Dickson Mounds, and Rend Lake. Governor Bruce Rauner ordered the Department of Natural Resources to begin closing these cultural centers during the 2015 state budget impasse.

In early July 2016, Springfield and Dickson Mounds reopened, or more specifically, the Illinois State Museum and the Research and Collections Center in Springfield and the Dickson Mounds Museum near Lewistown. The main ISM campus in Springfield now charges a $5 admission fee for all adults 18 and over, though the others remain free of charge as they were before the closings.

But according to the Chicago Tribune, another location rejoined the list of active sites on September 24th when the Lockport Gallery opened its doors once again. Their first exhibit pokes fun at the situation by simply being titled Open. The city of Lockport pitched in to split the cost of the building’s $24,000 annual rent, which was a major reason for its rapid reopening.

According to its official ISM website, the gallery highlights ‘changing exhibitions of art created by past and contemporary Illinois artists and artisans. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, quilts, and other decorative and ethnographic arts are showcased in rotating, theme-based exhibitions augmented by interpretive materials.’

The Lockport Gallery is now open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m.-5 p.m., with free parking and admission.

The Rend Lake location, which housed the Southern Illinois Art and Artisans Center, will likely not reopen due to its previous poor attendance in comparison with the other museums. However, the Chicago Gallery location in the Thompson Center is said to be returning to a different building before the end of 2016.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.