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“Walk With Heroes,” a guided cemetery tour of Underground Railroad conductor grave sites, will be held Saturday, July 11 at 6 p.m. at Diamond Grove Cemetery, 1601 Lincoln Road in Jacksonville. The event, which is free and open to the public, is being held in conjunction with the Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad exhibit currently on display at the Jacksonville Area Museum at 301 E. State Street.

Historian Chad Boehlke will guide and narrate the tour that will visit the final resting places of many Underground Railroad conductors from Jacksonville, people who helped numerous Freedom Seekers on the road to freedom. Participants should dress for the weather and bring water. In case of inclement weather, the cemetery tour will be rescheduled for the following Saturday, July 18.

The Underground Railroad conductor grave sites to be visited on July 11 in Diamond Grove Cemetery include David Spencer, Elihu Wolcott, Ebenezer Carter, William “Chauncey” Carter, William Kirby, Marc McLean Reed, William Verry, Henry Irving, John Laurie, Thomas Melendy, Joseph O. King, Jonathan B. Turner, George Chambers, David Prince and Michael Huffaker.

There are also Underground Railroad conductors buried in Jacksonville East Cemetery, which is not part of the July 11 tour. Those individuals include Benjamin Henderson and George Washington Price.

Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad highlights the courageous stories of freedom seekers and the multi-racial conductors who assisted them on the Underground Railroad in Illinois. The exhibit is open to the public at the Jacksonville Area Museum through August 1, 2026 during the museum’s normal hours of operation: 10 am to 4 pm Wednesdays and Saturdays and 1 to 4 pm on Sundays.

Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad is proudly presented by The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, also known as Looking for Lincoln.

The process, excitement and challenges of making stories like the Underground Railroad come alive during the Social Media Age will be the focus of a panel discussion to be held on Juneteenth, Friday, June 19 at 6 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church at 331 E. State Street in Jacksonville. The event, which is free and open to the public, is being held in conjunction with the Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad exhibit currently on display at the Jacksonville Area Museum at 301 E. State Street.

Panel discussion participants include:

Dr. Brian Mitchell, a well-known African American historian, former Director of Research and Interpretation at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, and currently the Center for Lincoln Studies Public Humanities Fellow at the University of Illinois Springfield.
Dr. Brittany Yancy, Illinois College professor of 20th-century U.S. History with a focus on social movements, urban radicalism, critical race theory, women’s activism, and black women’s political and intellectual history.
Kathryn Harris, former director at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and a first-person interpreter of historic African American women.
Ruth Linear, local historian and director of the Jacksonville African American History Museum.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Jacksonville Area Museum Manager Tori Ohl and museum board member and historian Chad Boehlke. A tour of the Underground Railroad exhibit at the Jacksonville Area Museum will be offered following the June 19 program.

Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad highlights the courageous stories of freedom seekers and the multi-racial conductors who assisted them on the Underground Railroad in Illinois. The exhibit is open to the public at the Jacksonville Area Museum through August 1, 2026 during the museum’s normal hours of operation: 10 am to 4 pm Wednesdays and Saturdays and 1 to 4 pm on Sundays.

The next special program in support of the exhibit will be on Saturday, July 11 at 6 p.m. when local historian Chad Boehlke will conduct a guided tour of Underground Railroad-related grave sites at Diamond Grove Cemetery. The July 11 program is free and open to the public.

Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad is proudly presented by The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, also known as Looking for Lincoln.

A new exhibit highlighting the courageous stories of freedom seekers and the multi-racial conductors who assisted them on the Underground Railroad in Illinois are featured in a new exhibit, Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad, which will be open to to the public at the Jacksonville Area Museum starting Saturday, April 11 through August 1, 2026. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

The exhibit tells selected stories of freedom seekers, conductors and communities in Illinois that were part of the journey to freedom on the Illinois Underground Railroad. Using photos, videos, maps, personal stories, and illustrations created specifically for the exhibit, visitors will learn the about the people and communities who took part in this hidden history. In addition, the Jacksonville Area Museum will feature local stories to enhance the exhibit.

The Jacksonville Area Museum will also offer several free public programs to support the exhibit during its nearly five-month run in the city. Those events can be found on our events page.

Highlighted stories in the exhibit include freedom seekers John and Eliza Little, who traveled barefoot through Illinois to Canada to gain their freedom, or conductors like Henry who worked for Abraham Lincoln, and Mary Ann King Brown who helped the enslaved to freedom in the Springfield, Quincy and Galena areas.

Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad is proudly presented by The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, also known as Looking for Lincoln.

“We are so honored to share this new exhibit with the Jacksonville community,” said Sarah Watson, executive director of Looking for Lincoln. “Many of these Illinois Underground Railroad stories have not been shared in one place. It is so inspiring to learn more about the bravery of all these people who took so many risks to fight against slavery for the basic rights for themselves and others.”

Jacksonville Area Museum Manager Tori Kolanowski added, “Jacksonville has such a rich and vivid Underground Railroad and Abolitionist history, and this exhibit will showcase that part of the community’s heritage like never before.”

Journey to Freedom will be available and open to the public during regular business hours at the Jacksonville Area Museum, which are 10 am to 4 pm Wednesdays and Saturdays and 1 to 4 pm on Sundays.

The winners have been announced for the Jacksonville Area Museum’s Fourth Annual “Building with Brick – The Art of LEGO” exhibit that ran from December 6, 2025 – February 28, 2026. The results were based entirely on the more than 3,000 ballots cast by museum visitors.

The winners are:
Best Build from a Kit (all ages): Edison Trace, “Liebherr Crawling Crane”
Best Original Build (children ages 0-7): Emmons Stephens, “Emmons’ Car Shop”
Best Original Build (children ages 8-12): Jaxon Thompson, “Down on the Farm”
Best Original Build (ages 13+): Nathanael Smith, “Sea Plane”
Special Category: Jacksonville’s 200th Anniversary (all ages): Bennett Mehta, “Schumm & Lonergan’s”

Each category winner received a $100 LEGO gift card.

“A huge thank you to all who participated. We are extremely grateful for the LEGO artists who shared their creations with the public,” said Jacksonville Area Museum Manager Tori Ohl. “The museum hosted hundreds of visitors from across the city, state and country who stopped by to see the LEGO creations and select their favorites. We look forward to hosting this exhibit again in December 2026.”

The Jacksonville Area Museum is located in the old Post Office building at 301 E. State Street. It is open 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.

OUR BIGGEST YEAR YET! The Jacksonville Area Museum’s annual “Building with Brick – The Art of LEGO” exhibit featuring over 120 entries opens to the public on Wednesday, December 3 and will run through February 28, 2026. The exhibit may be viewed during the museum’s normal hours of operation on 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.

This fourth-annual exhibit features over 120 original and LEGO kit creations from all ages. Prizes based on public voting will be awarded in five categories: Kit Build for all ages, Jacksonville 200th (to commemorate the city’s bicentennial) for all ages, Original Build ages 13 and up, Original Build ages 8 – 12, and Original Build ages 0 – 7. This exhibit is one of the most popular events each year at the museum. LEGO gift cards worth $100 will be awarded to those receiving the most public votes. Visitors may vote once per day and must do so in person at the museum.

The Jacksonville Area Museum is seeking entries for its “Building with Brick – The Art of LEGO” exhibit that will run from December 2025 through February 2026.

This fourth-annual exhibit features original and LEGO kit creations from all ages. Prizes based on public voting will be awarded in five categories: Kit Build for all ages, Jacksonville 200^th (to commemorate the city’s bicentennial) for all ages, Original Build ages 13 and up, Original Build ages 8 – 12, and Original Build ages 0 – 7. 

This exhibit is one of the most popular events each year at the museum. The public will be encouraged to vote on their favorite builds, with $100 LEGO gift cards awarded to the top vote-getters.

To submit a build, participants can drop off their creations by November 23, 2025 during normal visiting hours at the museum: 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. Only builds submitted by November 23 are eligible for voting. Participants will be asked to fill out a temporary loan agreement. Children under 18 must have a parent or guardian’s signature. Call (217) 408-1197 with any questions, or contact the museum.

The public is invited to a Museum Open House during the Jacksonville Bicentennial Celebration during the weekend of October 4 and 5 at the Jacksonville Area Museum.

In celebration of Jacksonville 200th Anniversary, the museum has been adding exhibits and gallery space for our next 200 years, and we are excited to show off the progress of our city’s newest institution.

Although not complete, you can see the progress on our Elm City Entrance, new MacMurray College Gallery, our Central Park Gallery, and so much more. It’s an exciting time to witness the progress.

The museum is located at 301 East State in the Old Post Office. Hours are Saturdays 10-4, and Sundays 1-4. We are also open on Wednesdays from 10-4, but the new areas are only available Saturday and Sunday during the weekend of the Celebration.

See you at the Museum!

How much was a steak dinner at the Beef & The Bird restaurant in Jacksonville in 1975? What about breakfast at Tops Big Boy? What were the most stylish shoes of the 70s? Discover the answers to these and other questions when select items from the 1975 Jacksonville Time Capsule go on display starting July 5 at the Jacksonville Area Museum.

Jacksonville buried a time capsule for the city’s 150th anniversary in 1975 with items and messages for citizens to be unearthed in 2025. The time capsule was removed from the Jacksonville Central Park this spring and the items have been sorted and cleaned, including necessary fumigation and de-molding. A selection of these items has been chosen for display at the Jacksonville Area Museum.

Items include groovy shoes, a full football uniform, magazines, newspapers, menus from local restaurants, eight-track tapes, and much more. The museum will rotate items into the display throughout the summer and fall.

Also included in the time capsule were letters to individuals and families, which can be picked up at the Jacksonville Convention and Visitors Bureau. You can find a listing of letter recipients here.

Come see the past and help to celebrate Jacksonville’s 200th anniversary this year. The museum is open on Wednesday and Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm, and Sundays from 1 to 4 pm.

Mark your calendars for an outstanding history event!

The Jacksonville Area Museum will be presenting a first-person interpretation of Elizabeth Packard on Thursday, June 12, 2025, 6 pm, hosted at Sibert Theatre at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois. Elizabeth Packard’s story was made famous by the book ‘The Woman They Could Not Silence’ by Kate Moore.

Elizabeth Packard will be portrayed by Laura Keyes, award-winning re-enactor. Laura Keyes graduated from UW-Madison with a Master’s Degree in Library Studies, and is a lifetime member of the Association of Lincoln Presenters. Laura recently won the Excellence in Performing Award from that Association.

Elizabeth Parsons Ware Packard was committed to the Illinois State Hospital (the state mental asylum) in 1860, and was kept under lock and key for three years, all the while protesting her sanity. While her husband, Theophilus, insisted to everyone – Elizabeth’s children, extended family, neighbors, friends, and the asylum employees – that she was, in fact, insane, Elizabeth was able to obtain her release.

But her battle did not stop there. Conscious of the fact that the current law allowed married women to be placed in asylums by their husbands without the benefit of a formal trial or medical examination, Elizabeth started a campaign to change that unjust law. Hear from Elizabeth Packard in April 1864, while the Civil War rages around the nation, and her private war is raging in her soul.

The museum has an ongoing exhibit about the Illinois State Hospital, which we encourage everyone to visit to bring and even broader perspective to this story.

The performance is free to attend. Seating is first-come and not reserved. The portrayal will run approximately 60 minutes, followed by a question and answer session. Learn more about Laura Keyes at www.LauraFKeyes.com or www.facebook.com/HistoricVoices

Photography by Dallas

Discussions during a recent Jacksonville City Council meeting have left many people with the impression that the Jacksonville Area Museum may soon have to close its doors because a particular operations fund, which has been paying the institution’s utility bills, is about to run out of money. We want to assure everyone that the museum is in no danger of closing.

Quite the contrary, our Phase Two expansion project is well underway and we look forward to debuting that impressive and engaging space around the city’s Bicentennial in October. That expansion has been made possible by the extremely generous donations that people have made to the Jacksonville Area Museum Foundation.

The issue is that we don’t want to pay our monthly operating bills by dipping into the money that people have donated toward our new exhibit area. Such a practice of paying utility bills by using funds that were donated for a specific purpose is unsustainable, will upset donors, and will discourage others from donating toward the cause.

We sincerely thank Rabbi Rob and Lauren Thomas for offering to help replenish the museum’s operations fund and their advocacy for the cause before the city council.

We hope this most recent publicity will encourage all of you to visit the museum if you haven’t already, or re-visit us to check out our progress. We continue to be open Wednesday and Saturday from 10 to 4 and Sunday from 1 to 4.