Illinois State Museum
The Illinois State Museum features the life, land, people and art of the State of Illinois. Its home town is Springfield. It dates from 1877.
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A museum inside Springfield
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 19°, with about 22" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can stay in Springfield
Illinois State Museum is inside Springfield, which has 57 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Established in 1877
Illinois State Museum dates from 1877. About ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Sep and Oct
April, May, June, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 65–83°. When to go ↓
An airport 3 miles away
Abraham Lincoln Capital (SPI) has airline service, about 3 miles from Illinois State Museum.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
A month-by-month look
Every month near Illinois State Museum is set out below.
Illinois State Museum
The Illinois State Museum features the life, land, people and art of the State of Illinois. In addition to natural history exhibits, the main museum in Springfield focuses on the state's cultural and artistic heritage. Exhibits include local fossils and mining, household displays from different historic periods, dioramas of Native American life, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, and a collection of glass paperweights.
The headquarters museum is located on Spring and Edwards Streets, one block southwest of the Illinois State Capitol, in Springfield. There are three satellite locations: Dickson Mounds in Lewistown, the Lockport Gallery in Lockport, and the ISM's Research and Collections Center in Springfield.
- Type
- Museum
- Established
- 1877
- Wikipedia readers
- 2.6K a year
Places to stay near Illinois State Museum
Places to stay start in Springfield (57) and Capital Township (56).
- 1Lincoln Tomb
- 2Lincoln Home
- 3Springfield 1908 Race Riot
- 4Old State Capitol State Historic Site
- 5Lincoln's New Salem
- 6Henson Robinson Zoo
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Illinois State Museum | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield | in town | — | 57 42 hotels · 3 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 6 campgrounds | 112,989 | $162K | D− |
| Capital Township | in town | — | 56 42 hotels · 2 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 6 campgrounds | 111,143 | $163K | — |
| Springfield Township | 3 mi north | 5 min | 5 1 hotel · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 5,485 | $91K | — |
| Woodside Township | 5 mi south | 5 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 campground | 11,300 | $130K | — |
| Fancy Creek Township | 9 mi north | 15 min | 2 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 5,806 | $320K | — |
| Southern View | 3 mi south | 5 min | 1 1 hotel | 1,540 | $105K | D |
| Cooper Township | 12 mi east | 20 min | 2 2 campgrounds | 868 | $271K | — |
| Sherman | 7 mi northeast | 10 min | 1 1 inn or B&B | 4,644 | $298K | A |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Other places close by
These lie within 69 miles as the crow flies.
Big draw12 mi LandmarkLincoln Tomb
2in town National Historic SiteLincoln Home National Historic Site124K visitors a year3in town National MonumentSpringfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument
4in town MuseumOld State Capitol State Historic Site
69 mi Ancient sitePiasa
516 mi MuseumLincoln's New Salem
45 mi MuseumDickson Mounds
66 mi Zoo & aquariumHenson Robinson ZooPhoto credits
Lincoln Tomb: David Jones, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Lincoln Home National Historic Site: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Old State Capitol State Historic Site: Shadow2700 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Piasa: Burfalcy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lincoln's New Salem: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Dickson Mounds: MattHucke, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Henson Robinson Zoo: Robert Lawton, CC BY-SA 2.5
Illinois State Museum in questions
Is Illinois State Museum in Springfield?
Yes. It’s inside Springfield, IL.
When is the best time to visit Illinois State Museum?
April, May, June, September and October, with highs of 65–83°.
What is the closest airport to Illinois State Museum?
Abraham Lincoln Capital (SPI), about 3 miles away. The nearest big hub is St. Louis Lambert (STL), about 82 miles.
Where should I stay near Illinois State Museum?
Springfield (in town, 57 places to stay), Capital Township (in town, 56 places to stay) and Springfield Township (3 mi, 5 places to stay).
Tips from Springfield
Ask a question, or answer one, in Springfield’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.