Visiting the Dickson Mounds at Illinois State Museum for Native American Day

Sep 22, 2023

Today is Native American Day, and in honor of that, we’re highlighting a local destination, the Dickson Mounds at the Illinois State Museum, so you can get an up-close and personal look into the history of Native peoples in our region’s history.

Located in West Central Illinois in Lewistown, the Dickson Mounds Museum is a branch of the Illinois State Museum and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As one of the major on-site archaeological museums in the US, it offers a truly unique opportunity to explore 12,000 years of Native American history in the Illinois River Valley. Visitors can explore the interactive and interpretive exhibits, learn about archaeological sites, and attend ongoing special events and workshops on local history.

With more than 15,000 square feet of exhibits, there’s no shortage of educational opportunities. Permanent collections include “The River Valley Gallery”, featuring the connection between local indigenous people and the Illinois River from Ice Age to the present day; People of the Valley exhibit hosts a collection of artifacts, murals, photographs, and hands-on exhibits from Ice Age to the 19th century; The Discovery Center is a perfect family-friendly, all-ages exhibit where visitors can enjoy a history session through the joy of play.

Running now through December 2023, the museum is hosting “Interrupted Journey: A Photographic Journal of Bird Rescue and Relationship” as a temporary exhibition. Through the photographs and journal entries of Ojibwe/Anishinaabe artist Nora Moore Lloyd, visitors will explore the relationship between art, artist, and her work with bird rescue and release in the Chicago region. Each photograph honors the local area birds which have been displaced and interrupted by human activity, and is rooted in Lloyd’s indigenous perspective of mutual respect and friendship with the natural world.

If you’re looking for something unique to do, the museum is hosting some wonderful events upcoming!

On Saturday, September 30th at 1PM, stop by the Dickson Mounds Museum for Girl Scouts of Illinois as they present “Trees, Flowers, and Bugs! Oh My!” where girl scouts can explore the path of the Naturalist at ISM-Dickson Mounds.

On Thursday, October 5th 15 9:30AM, you and your tots can stop by for this month’s “Tot Time” event featuring farm animals!

And that’s not all. Check out the full calendar of events at Dickson Mounds Museum here.