Illinois State Museum
502 S. Spring St., Springfield, IL 62706
Galleries
Discover Illinois’ natural and cultural heritage, experience exhibits showcasing Illinois art, or visit the Play Museum–a hands-on area where kids learn through play.
The Illinois State Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and interpretation of the natural history, anthropology, history, and art of Illinois. Explore three floors of exhibits that display a vast array of items drawn from the Museum's collections of over 13.5 million artifacts including skeletal specimens of the Mastodon, and the giant Jefferson's Ground Sloth. Interactive elements, thrilling audio and video effects, life-sized dioramas and thousands of authentic fossils and specimens illustrate the processes that shaped and continue to transform Illinois' diverse environments. Learn about how native peoples and frontier Americans lived on the prairie of Illinois, and examine the works of great Illinois artists.
What's happening nearby...

Springfield Juneteenth Celebration
Springfield, IL • Jun 12 – Jun 19 @ 6PM
Springfield celebrates Juneteenth with several days of events
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Springfield Lucky Horseshoes Baseball
Robin Roberts Stadium • May 27 – Jul 30 @ 6:30PM
Catch all the excitement of the 2025 Springfield Lucky Horseshoes' baseball season
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Levitt Amp Music Series in Downtown Springfield
The Y Block-Downtown Springfield • May 29 – Jul 31 @ 6PM
The Levitt Amp Concert Series is back for 2025 in downtown Springfield
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SAA Collective
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Featuring the fine art of over 80 of our talented local artist members, the SAA Collective holds regular rotating exhibitions at the H. D. Smith Gallery…
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