This list of museums in Illinois contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.
Museums
Museum of Science and Industry - The Museum of Science and Industry, located in Chicago on the Lake Michigan shoreline, is the largest science museum in the western hemisphere. This amazing must see museum has over 2000 exhibits,...
Defunct museums
- ABA Museum of Law, Chicago, closed in 2011
- African-American Heritage Museum and Black Veterans Archives, Aurora, former sculpture park dedicated to the leaders of Black American history, closed in 2000
- American Police Center & Museum, Chicago
- Americana Hollywood Museum, Metropolis
- ArtWorks Children's Museum, Ingleside
- Barb City Motorcycle Museum, DeKalb, collection sold in 2013
- Chester Gould-Dick Tracy Museum, Woodstock, closed in 2008, collection now online
- Gardner Museum of Architecture & Design, Quincy
- Illinois Museum of Natural History, campus of Illinois State University, Old Main building, from 1857-1877
- Lakeview Museum of Arts & Sciences, Peoria, closed in 2012, collections now at the Peoria Riverfront Museum
- Max Nordeen's Wheels Museum, Woodhull
- McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum, Chicago, closed in 2009
- Motorola Museum of Electronics, Schaumburg
- Museum of Funeral Customs, Springfield, closed in 2009
- Museum of Holography, Chicago
- National Museum of Surveying, Springfield, closed in 2013
- Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, Rantoul, closed in 2015
- Old Barn Museum, Newark
- Oliver Parks Telephone Museum, Springfield
- Park Ridge Historical Society Museum, Park Ridge
- The Peace Museum, Chicago
- Shea's Gas Station Museum, Springfield, contents auctioned off in 2015
- Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, Chicago, closed in 2014
- Stuka Military Museum, Oregon
- Terra Museum, Chicago, closed on October 31, 2004
- Under the Prairie Frontier Archaeological Museum, Athens, operated by the Sangamo Archaeological Center, closed August 1, 2008
- U.S. Senator Paul Simon Museum, Troy, closed in 2012
- Vinegar Hill Historic Lead Mine & Museum, Galena
- Walter Payton Museum, Aurora, part of a restaurant complex that closed in 2010
See also
- List of museums and cultural institutions in Chicago
- List of nature centers in Illinois
References
External links
- Illinois Association of Museums
