Review Visit: July 31st, 2012 A museum dedicated to more than Illinois. Matt and I had no idea what we were getting ourselves in to when we decided to check out the Illinois State Museum. We set our sights on this place while trying to do all the big Lincoln-y things in Springfield. We had assumed it was just your normal museum dedicated to the state of Illinois, corn, and Lincoln. It was all that and much more. It's hard to put in words how cool this place was. It's also hard because it's been over 8 years since we came here and my memory is a bit fuzzy on it. Who is to say the exhibits haven't also changed or been redone since 2012. Any who, I will say that if you find yourself in Springfield and love awesome museums, check this one out. There is a lot to see pertaining to Illinois but it's all so super cool and really well done. One of the best museums I've ever experienced. I know this is a shorter-than-normal post. If it gets even one person interested in seeing this place, then I feel like I've done a great job. read more

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This was such a nice museum! We were in Springfield for less than a day, but still wanted to check it out! We are in the Curious Toddler Phase right now so all museums are on our go list. The staff here was VERY welcoming as we entered and explained to us what each floor was. Entry here is completely free! The first floor had a lot of history of Illinois and the common species that could be found. When I say history, it went back millions of years ago. It more of a science exhibit. It was very interactive for little ones with pull out drawers, spinning cranks, and windows at kid level for them to see fossils. We then went to the basement level that was the kid's area. My son loved it. And it was crowded with other kids who loved it. There was a pit to excavate fossils, another area to examine TONS of fossils and bones. My son particularly loved driving the fake jeep lol. It was a very fun experience for us. There was a whole other level dedicated to art that we did not get to see, but maybe the next time we are in the area we will! read more

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My family and I really enjoyed the museum. The displays, while not the most modern, were still very effective and interesting. I was a little surprised that there was so much science and so little history. I would have given this four, even five stars because I love museums and this was a pretty good one, but the gift shop employee left a very bad impression. She does not need to be working around parents and children. My kindergartener put a $2 slinky down too aggressively for her taste and she felt compelled to yell across the store from her perch at the register "Don't throw the merchandise!". Then my 9 year old wandered a few feet from his father and she again, from her perch behind the register, yelled across the store, "We don't allow unaccompanied minors!". Be more discreet and don't embarrass customers/parents and children just looking for a pleasant Saturday afternoon. If your store sells stuffies, don't be uptight about children. Other than her, as her behavior is still bothersome and haunts and tainted our experience, it was worth the trip. read more

Fun spot to go if you are in Springfield, Illinois. Admission is free. They have street parking and a parking lot next to the museum. I enjoyed seeing all of the different exhibits. The Native American artwork was one of my favorites. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful beadwork. They did not have the theater showing anything the day that we went. So I would love to go back to see their theater. They often have kids events, so check their website to see if there's any special items going on. The basement level is a hands-on kids area for kids to play and explore. They also take donations since admission is free. I definitely plan to go back again. read more

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Small museum; 2 floors of exhibits; great set up with the history of Illinois throughout. Ranges from the early geology and dinosaurs, to life from the first settlers up to the present. Took us about 90 minutes. Has a few interactive things, helps with kids. Easy to follow; generally a one-way path through it. read more

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This was my first visit to the museum and I was very impressed. The museum is FREE, yes free! I especially liked the exhibit on the second floor with the quilts and gowns. They also had a Juneth exhibit. The basement is for children and provides hands on learning activities. The first floor explains the history of Illinois. I would highly recommend a visit, I will definitely return. read more

Illinois State Museum - Piece together history - Museums Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

We had fun at this museum and learned a lot. I definitely recommend visiting. I was skeptical about it, wondering if I'd be bored in a museum all about the state I've lived in my entire life, and if there was anything about it left to learn, but I wasn't bored at all, and it was super informative! read more

It was bigger than we expected. Lots of displays to see. And it is FREE! So please, if you can, drop a dollar or two to support the museum. Parking during the weekends is free. You can park at the lot beside the museum or the other lot which is a little closer to spring Rd. read more

The Illinois State Museum offers well rounded history about the state. We try to visit at least once a year to be reminded of the cool history that we have all around us. The Museum is very kid friendly and youngsters will enjoy it a lot. Most striking are the displays of the Illinois region during different epochs and ages. The Museum is never crowded - the public seems to overlook it - but it's well worth a visit!! read more

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I found Illinois State to be a lovely ,interesting, and informative space to visit. The upstairs area had a current show local artists featuring expressions on Juneteenth .Highly recommend stopping by! read more

What a great small museum! Beautiful presentation of the timeline of life on our planet, cool modern art section upstairs, and a great exhibit on peoples of the past. We were in town for Lincoln and this was a very nice addition. Especially for the special raptor show we got to see. read more

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Very nice the best Museum I have been ins long time. Clean quiet well organized, Kid friendly but not to the point adults will be board. The staff is top notch, you can tell they appreciate there jobs and are helpful and curious. There is lots of detail in the exhibits so take your time, and don't forget to look up as they have various objects mounted above your head. read more

Illinois State Museum - This is what the front of the museum looks in November of 2016 that is my mom Donna walking in. - Museums Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

I absolutely love museums however this one is quite boring and dull. They should look at St.Louis museum and get some ideas. There's no interactive areas, not child friendly or fun for them unless they go to the ply area in the basement, and it seems as if nothing has been updated since the 80s. They do change the upstairs art exhibit every once in a while which is fun, looks like they took out the indigenous area and put in a fashion area. I loved the indigenous area so I'm kinda disappointed but the fashion area was really cool to learn about. read more

I enjoyed this museum a lot. It only cost 5 dollars for adults. That's a bargain for the entertainment. The first floor exhibit was Changes: Dynamic Illinois Environments. You start at the beginning of Illinois in time and work your way to modern times. There was a lot of displays with tons of information. The displays even had draws that pulled out with even more stuff to look at. Some displays had telephone receivers that told even more info. If you wanted to take it all in during once visit you might have to show up when they first open. It was all very informative and interesting. The best part was interacting with the volunteers they had stationed at some of the displays. The volunteers explained some of the animals and habitats on display. The second floor an art exhibit, an exhibit of people who live in Illinois in the past, and an exhibit dedicated to the Native Americans of Illinois. There were a few pieces of art that absolutely amazed me. It is too bad they did not have shop selling prints of them because they would have gotten my money. The brochure I picked up says they have shop but it is currently closed. I did take down the names of the pieces so I can search for prints. We had about 2 hours to browse the museum but it only took us about an hour and half. The brochure says there is free visitor center parking west of the museum on Edwards St. We chose to park on the street and put money on the meter. We showed up 2 pm and the museum closes at 4 pm. Meter parking is max 2 hours so it worked out for us. We were parked just across the street. That was great considering how cold is has been. read more

The Illinois state Museum is free of charge to enter, which is awesome! The parking is not so awesome... This is likely due to the museums proximity to the capital building, which is convenient if you want to make a double stop. If you keep your eyes peeled you can find out many interesting facts about the state of Illinois, fun little tidbits such The equator ran through Illinois until the Earths axis tipped, Dinosaurs and tropics were also all in Illinois! If you can manage to take part in a guided tour I highly recommend it the staff is extremely knowledgeable and have tremendous experience in knowing what points should be articulated to the crowd. read more

This is a great museum for adults and kids. We go at least once every year. The new children's area in the basement. My little kids love it. read more

I am a visitor and I want to see objects which represent finding from the region which I'm most likely not going to see in museums on the West coast. I was wowed by the small exhibit on the finding of the Woodland peoples, particularly that of the Elizabeth site. Also, the fossil collection from the famous Mason Creek area was quite significant. read more

Illinois State Museum - Mid woodland, hooked billed bird, Elizabeth site - Museums Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

The exhibits are a bit crowded due the lack of space but a genuine effort is made to make the museum educational, interactive and fun for the kids. A good stop by place when you have kids in tow to learn about natural history stuff. Plus it's free so you really have nothing to lose. read more

We went on a day when there was basically no one in the building. Not sure how it is if there are a bunch of kids roaming through. The downstairs exhibits are pretty interesting - obviously more recently done. It's designed to hold kids' attention with lots of doors to look through and buttons to push and computer screens. The top floor has older exhibits and definitely needs a makeover. The Embellishment rooms were probably my favorite part of the whole place, though - pretty standard historical fare overall with some really nice pieces in there. The shop is your average shop and the entrance fee is a suggested donation rather than a specified amount. It would be fun for kids so will bring my nephew some time! read more

What a great place!!! I'm so glad that we got to visit and our recent trip to Springfield. We were there on a Saturday and literally had the whole place to ourselves. The children's exhibit in the basement was awesome. Want to know what's even better than that... it's free!! How cool is that!! I would definitely recommend. read more

A lot to look at. Mostly about nature the past (prehistoric), present, and a little bit of the future. Concentrates to Illinois state.

As far as museums go, this is an excellent one considering it is free. There are lots of activities for children and the educational value is very high. It's great to see a museum that still has a goal of educating people about history. This would be an excellent addition if you are planning on going to the Abraham Lincoln library and museum. It's not far and there are several good restaurants close by. read more

Great spot to learn about Illinois and its natural history!!!

Nice place, it is our second time to visit it! But we find it is closed recently! It is said it will be closed for many days, so called it before you go, in case it is closed! read more

This is the best kept secret in the city! There are high quality exhibits for all ages, they are rotated enough to bring you back again and again, and the price is right!!! Free!!! Any single parent (or any parent for that matter) this is a great place to spend an afternoon of quality time together and even learn a few things too!! read more

this place gets one star for being free. it is a museum that shows animals from pre-historic illinois. you can ask for a special card to swipe to unlock a bit more education. it is interesting considering its free. i particularly liked that american did have its own lion. read more

Let's pray that this awesome venue doesn't get shuttered due to Illinois' financial problems! Wonderful museum for both kids and adults!!!!