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​A new exhibit featuring the history of the Jacksonville Developmental Center will officially open to the public on Saturday, April 6 at the Jacksonville Area Museum in downtown Jacksonville. 

​The state-operated Jacksonville Developmental Center opened as the Illinois State Hospital and Asylum for the Insane in 1851 and for more than a century was one of the city’s largest employers. The facility was literally a small city with all of the buildings and services required to care for the thousands of people who received treatment there. It was renamed several times through the years, including as the Jacksonville State Hospital in 1910, before being finally named the Jacksonville Developmental Center in the 1980s. More than 400 people were employed there when the facility closed due to state budget cuts in 2012.   

​“The Jacksonville Developmental Center is one of those institutions that is synonymous with the history of our community,” said Jacksonville Area Museum Board Chairman Allan Worrell. “We hope visitors will come to learn, or re-learn, the story of this iconic facility.”

​The exhibit includes illustrations, photographs and artifacts and follows the history of the Developmental Center from the time it was officially authorized in 1847 through the next century and a half. The exhibit gives an unvarnished look at the institution, including its treatment of residents through the decades. Companion oral histories available on the museum website podcast page, www.jacksonvilleareamuseum.org/podcasts, feature interviews with former Developmental Center employees who describe their experiences there.  

​A special preview of the Jacksonville Developmental Center exhibit for museum members only will be offered on Friday evening, April 5.​

​The Jacksonville Area Museum uses original artifacts, storytelling exhibits and the building itself, as well as items from the MacMurray College Foundation and Alumni Association collection, to show people of all ages and backgrounds why the Jacksonville community has been and continues to be one of a kind. The museum is located in the old Post Office building at 301 E. State Street, and its regular schedule is Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. There is no admission fee but a donation of $5 is suggested to keep the museum operating. 

​The museum will begin construction this summer on a major expansion project that will greatly increase its exhibit space and offer an even more innovative and engaging visitor experience. The expansion is possible thanks to generous donations to the Jacksonville Area Museum Foundation, the museum’s private, 501-c-3 fundraising organization.

The Museum will be closed temporarily from March 3 – March 16, 2024 for maintenance.
The museum will reoepen on March 17, 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience, and plan to see you soon at the museum!

The talents of area LEGO enthusiasts will once again be on display when the “Building with Brick – The Art of LEGO” exhibit opens Saturday, December 2 at the Jacksonville Area Museum. The exhibit will run through the end of February, 2024.

The exhibit includes a three-foot replica of the ill-fated Titanic, the amazing Concord supersonic airliner in flight, an operational typewriter made of LEGOs, a haunted hotel with an operational elevator that drops, and many more remarkable builds.

This second annual exhibit features original and LEGO kit creations from all ages and skill levels, and the public is encouraged to vote one time per visit through February for their favorite entries.

Prizes based on public voting will be awarded in five categories: Best Build from a Kit (all ages); Best Original Build – Adult (ages 13+); Best Kids Original Build (children ages 8-12); Best Kids Original Build (children ages 0-7); and Best Build Highlighting Jacksonville Area History (all ages).

The museum is also welcoming the return of last year’s customized three-by-five-foot Hogwarts School from the Harry Potter movie series. This extraordinary build is a combination of available kits and customized additions, making the final layout many times larger than the original LEGO kit.

“Building with Brick – The Art of LEGO” may be viewed during the museum’s regular hours of operation which are Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. The museum is closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Got your tickets?!!? Time is running out!

The Jacksonville Area Museum’s “Night at the Museum: Living Wax Legends,” featuring special first-person portrayals of historic local residents and a sneak preview of the museum’s exciting new phase of development, will return for a final time on Wednesday, November 15.

The first “Night at the Museum,” offered for Museum members only, received rave reviews from the nearly 150 people who attended the event on November 8. “Night at the Museum” is presented by the Jacksonville Area Museum Foundation in coordination with the Jacksonville Area Museum. This new event is kicking off the next phase of fundraising for the expansion of the museum.

Tickets for the November 15 public event are limited and can be purchased at the museum, at both Farmers State Bank locations, and at the Jacksonville Convention and Visitors Bureau. The cost is $20 per person. If any tickets remain by November 15, they can be purchased at the door the night of the event.

“Night at the Museum: Living Wax Legends” doors open at 4 p.m. November 8 with tours beginning at 4:20 p.m. and the final tour departing at 7 p.m. Three groups will depart each hour on a 45-minute tour around the museum in which seven of the area’s “Living Wax Legends” being portrayed by local actors will come to life and share their individual stories. These Legends include African American postal carrier Eugene Hayden, Hollywood composer Frank Skinner, professional deaf baseball star Luther “Dummy” Taylor, Morgan County pioneer and midwife Catherine Kendall “Mother” Carson, artist Nellie Knopf, globe-trotting journalist William Walton, and a young Capitol Records employee who attended the 1965 “Lettermen” concert in town.

Artifacts from the museum’s collection that have never before been publicly displayed will be on exhibit. A model of the museum’s planned expansion will also be on display so attendees can get an idea of the growth ahead for Jacksonville’s newest cultural experience.

Visit jacksonvilleareamuseum.org or connect with the Jacksonville Area Museum on Facebook for more information or to find out how to become a museum member or volunteer.

Calling All Lego Artists!

It’s back, and better than ever! The Jacksonville Area Museum is seeking to show off YOUR Lego abilities! Both young and old can submit their original creation or Lego kit to the upcoming annual exhibition ‘Building with Brick – The Art of Lego.’

Due to last year’s popularity, the exhibit will be running an extra few weeks: Dec 2, 2023 thru Feb 28, 2024.

The museum is displaying locally built Lego masterpieces and awarding prizes in 5 categories:
1) Best Build from a Kit (All Ages)
2) Best Original Build – Adult (Ages 12+)
3) Best Kids Original Build (Children, ages 8-12)
4) Best Kids Original Build (Children, ages 0-7)
5) Best Build Highlighting Jacksonville Area History (All Ages)

Our newest category, ‘Best Build Highlighting Jacksonville Area History,’ can be any topic that relates to our area’s vivid past or present. The topic can be a local building, personality, event, or anything you can imagine.

All accepted submissions must be received at the museum by November 29, 2023. All entries will be on display from Dec 2, 2023 until Feb 28, 2023, with the public voting on their favorites.

Winning builds in each category will be announced March 2, 2024, and awarded a $100 Lego gift card.

The event will also feature non-voting submissions. Any build submitted after the Nov 29 deadline can be displayed, but can not participate in the competition for prizes.

For kit builds, we will only accept the first submission of each design, so be sure to get your project submitted early.

Interested? Register your creation by emailing manager@jacksonvilleareamuseum.org, or contact the museum at (217) 408-1197. Please include your name, phone, title/description of your build, and the category you wish to participate. If a Lego kit, you must indicate the official name of the kit so we don’t replicate kit submissions. All displays must sign a museum loan agreement when delivered to the museum (children must have parents signature). After the exhibition, builds can be picked in the month of March, 2023. Submission details will be emailed to builders.

So start building, and kick off this fall with Lego at the Jacksonville Area Museum!

The Jacksonville Area Museum will come to life with special first-person portrayals of historic local residents during “Night at the Museum: Living Wax Legends” to be presented on successive Wednesdays, November 8 and 15. The November 8 presentation will be for museum members only, with the November 15 presentation intended for the general public.

“Night at the Museum” is presented by the Jacksonville Area Museum Foundation in coordination with the Jacksonville Area Museum. This new event will kick off the next phase of fundraising for the expansion of the museum.

“About ten months ago we quietly kicked off a campaign to raise the funds needed for the expansion,” said Foundation Board Chair Bob Chipman. “This event will begin the public phase of the campaign, and we will also be making some exciting announcements.”

“Night at the Museum” features an approximate 45-minute tour around the museum in which seven of the area’s “Living Wax Legends” being portrayed by local actors will come to life and share their individual stories. Local theater veteran Rich McCoy is directing the actors, who will portray African American postal carrier Eugene Hayden, Hollywood composer Frank Skinner, professional deaf baseball star Luther “Dummy” Taylor, Morgan County pioneer and midwife Catherine Kendall “Mother” Carson, artist Nellie Knopf, globe-trotting journalist William Walton, and a young Capitol Records employee who attended the 1965 “Lettermen” concert in town.

Artifacts from the museum’s collection that have never before been publicly displayed will be on exhibit. A model of the museum’s planned expansion will also be on display so attendees can get an idea of the growth ahead for Jacksonville’s newest cultural experience. Light refreshments will be served.

“Night at the Museum: Living Wax Legends” will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. each evening with six small groups of 10-12 people able to tour each hour. Museum members are being notified how to purchase their tickets for the November 8 event. Tickets for the November 15 public event are limited and can be purchased at the museum, at both Farmers State Bank locations, and at the Jacksonville Convention and Visitors Bureau. The cost is $20 per person.

The Jacksonville Area Museum is open regular hours from 10 a.m. to 40 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m on Sundays. The museum is located in the old Post Office building at 301 E. State St. There is no admission fee during normal hours of operation, but a donation of $5 is suggested.

Visit jacksonvilleareamuseum.org or connect with the Jacksonville Area Museum on Facebook for more information or to find out how to become a museum member or volunteer.

A temporary exhibit highlighting the 150-year history of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, including their beginnings in Jacksonville, opens on Saturday, April 1 at the Jacksonville Area Museum in downtown Jacksonville. The exhibit may be seen through July 31, 2023.

“Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois: Celebrating 150 years for the Life of the World” consists of six exhibit panels and a case of artifacts including historic photographs, publications, medallions, and dolls attired as Dominican Sisters during periods of their century-and-a-half history. The exhibit was developed by the Dominican Sisters and installed by the Sisters and the Jacksonville Area Museum. The Dominican Sisters exhibit may be viewed during the museum’s regular hours of operation on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.

“We are proud to host this exhibit that speaks not only to those of the Catholic faith but to anyone who is interested in learning about this important, but often overlooked, aspect of our local and area history,” said Jacksonville Area Museum Board Chairman Allan Worrell. “This is just the latest in our series of temporary exhibits that seek to keep our museum experience interesting and engaging for first-time and returning visitors.”

The six panels of the Dominican Sisters exhibit include: Beginnings, including information about the Sisters’ first convent and St. Patrick School in Jacksonville; Years of Growth; Continuity and Change; Broadening Our Horizons; Preaching from the Pulpit of Our Lives; and Facing the Future with Hope. The original artifacts on display represent important parts of the Dominican Sisters’ story and help to illustrate the Sisters’ impact on people from the region, the nation and several foreign countries.

The Jacksonville Area Museum is located in the old Post Office building at 301 E. State St. There is no admission fee, but a donation of $5 is suggested to keep the museum operating.

NOTE: THIS EVENT IS POSTPONED DUE TO BAD WEATHER. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR RESCHEDULED DATE IN THE FUTURE

Several key items on the old Jacksonville Developmental Center grounds will be retrieved and taken to the Jacksonville Area Museum on Friday, March 24 starting at noon.

The items include the time capsule buried during 1997 on the Developmental Center grounds just southwest of the Gillette Building, and the metal letters from the facility’s sign at the corner of S. Diamond Street and W. Morton Avenue. The public is invited to watch the retrieval process.

The time capsule will not be opened, but will instead be re-buried at a future date on the Jacksonville Area Museum grounds and unearthed and opened as intended in 2047.

“The Jacksonville Developmental Center is a major part of our community’s history, and with talk of the potential demolition of the complex underway, we decided that now is the best time to preserve these items for future generations,” said Jacksonville Area Museum Board Chair Allan Worrell. “We are in the process of developing a new exhibit on the long-lived state institution and will be involving area school children in the re-interment of the time capsule, which was buried in 1997 to commemorate the Developmental Center’s 150th anniversary.”

Worrell thanked the City of Jacksonville, which will provide a crew to unearth the time capsule, and the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, from whom the museum secured permission to remove the items from the state-owned grounds.

The Jacksonville Area Museum is located in the old Post Office building at 301 E. State Street. There is no admission fee but a donation of $5 is suggested to keep the museum operating.

The photo with this post is the Jacksonville State Hospital Annex. This building was located on the west side of the current Community Park, approximately in the location of the Sophie Leschin Building.

We’re exhausted! The museum has been open to the public for over a year, AND has been trying to get all the behind-the-scenes processes in working-order as well. So, we’re going to take a tiny break.

The Jacksonville Area Museum will be closed the week of January 1 – 8, 2023 for maintenance. Then, we’ll reopen to the public again on Wednesday, January 11 at 10 am.

“Building with Brick – The Art of Lego,” our new exhibit on J. Capps & Sons, and all the other fun things at the museum may be viewed during the museum’s regular hours of operation. It’s a great place to explore on a gloomy winter afternoon. Museum hours in 2023 are Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.

‘Building with Brick, The Art of Lego’ displays the talents of area Lego artists for a limited time at the Jacksonville Area Museum. 

All entries will be on display from Wednesday, December 7, 2022 through Saturday, February 4, 2023, with the public voting on their favorites in the three categories until February 1. The winning builds in each category will be announced on February 4 and each will be awarded a $100 Lego gift card. 

The exhibit highlights includes a customized three-by-five-foot Hogwarts School as the centerpiece of the exhibition. This extraordinary build is a combination of available kits, and customized additions, making the final layout 4 times larger than the original Lego kit. It is a must-see for any Lego enthusiast! 

“Building with Brick – The Art of Lego” may be viewed during the museum’s regular hours of operation, which are Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., except for a week when the museum is closed for maintenance on January 1-7, 2023.