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These experiences, when carefully aligned to Illinois Learning Standards and District curriculum, provide valuable experiences for the enrichment of Social Studies lessons taught within the classroom. Perhaps a family trip might include one or more of these sites! |
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Midway Village Museum
In Rockford, Illinois
"The museum is a Victorian Village (1890 to 1910) of 24 historical buildings filled with artifacts of the era as well as several beautiful 19th century gardens. Interpreters in authentic period dress are available seasonally for guided tours. The main museum building holds a number of permanent exhibits reflecting Rockford's history and culture that include The Girls of Summer: Rockford Peaches of the AAGPBL, Queen City of the Prairies: Rockford's First 20 Years and The Missing Link: Socks, Monkeys and Rockford's Industrial Past." |
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Civil War Days - May 3-7, 2010
At Midway Village Museum
Midway Village Museum will offer a Civil War field trip opportunity for area teachers and students May 3-7, 2010. The cost per student is $6.00 and there is no charge for adults. Space is limited. (The Friday, May 7, session is already full.) The registration form is available on this link. If you have questions regarding this outstanding experience, please contact Jessica MacDonald, Special Events, at (815) 397-9112, ext. 104, or email her at jessica.macdonald@midwayvillage.com. Be sure to register early! |
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Burpee Natural History Museum
In Rockford, Illinois
"See a 39 foot long Tyrannosaurus Rex skeletal, explore the relationships between predators and prey in the natural world. Visit the Dean and Nancy Olson Specimen Viewing Lab to see how specimens are prepared for the museum's collections and exhibits." |
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First Division Museum at Cantigny
In Wheaton, Illinois
"The 1st Infantry Division is the quintessential organization of the United States Army during the 20th century. Organized on June 8, 1917, for duty on the Western Front in World War I, this first permanent division in the regular Army has seen action in all American wars since 1917, except the Korean, and has performed magnificently in all of its service. Often the first unit of the Army to deploy and engage the enemy, the division has been characterized by an ability to learn systematically from experience and to distill this learning into techniques and methods to improve battlefield performance. Central to this learning has been the training of soldiers and the development of competent leaders at all levels. In the process the “Big Red One” (so called for the red numeral that has adorned its shoulder patch since 1918) has also been characterized by a remarkable esprit that has remained with the veterans long after their active service has ended. That human experience is an important part of the American national experience. The 1st Division’s contributions to this nation’s defense offer insights into the history of the Army and the United States." |
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Apple River Fort State Historic Site
In Elizabeth, Illinois
"The Apple River Fort was the site of an important battle during the Black Hawk War. It was the only fort attacked by Black Hawk during the turbulent summer of 1832. On June 24, 1832, the settlers at the fort turned back an attack by some 200 Sauk and Fox warriors led by Black Hawk. The war which lasted only 16 weeks, ended the threat of Indian attacks in the area and opened the region to further settlement. Many notable men participated in the Black Hawk War including a young Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis and General Winfield Scott. Abraham Lincoln and his militia company arrived at the fort the day after the battle. Today, the fort has been reconstructed and is open for self-guided tours. Special events throughout the year highlight many aspects of life in Jo Daviess County in 1832. Exhibits at the Interpretive Center, on the trail, and at the fort tell the story of the Sauk and Fox, the early settlers and the conflict that became known as the Black Hawk War." |
The DuSable Museum of African American History
In Chicago, Illinois
"The DuSable Museum of African American History, the first and oldest institution of its kind in the country, has been dedicated to the collection, preservation, interpretation and dissemination of the history and culture of Africans and Americans of African descent for more than 46 years." |
Stephenson County Historical Society Museum
In Freeport, Illinois
"Visitors in Freeport can visit one of the city's oldest homes, the Taylor Home from 1857, as well as many exhibits at the Stephenson County Historical Society Museum. The grounds of the home include several areas of interest, including a schoolhouse, a farm museum, a log cabin and an arboretum." |
Union Depot Railroad Museum
In Mendota, Illinois
"Through a combination of outdoor exhibits and indoor displays, the Union Depot Railroad Museum is able to show guests how the railroad affected Mendota. On the grounds sits a connected train with a steam engine, dining car and caboose. Inside there are railway displays, including a map of the lines running through Mendota in the early 1900s." |
Midwest Museum of Natural History
In Sycamore, Illinois
"The Midwest Museum of Natural History provides visitors with a look at the evolution of animals over thousands of years. A variety of mammals, reptiles and birds from North America, Africa are on display. An interactive section of the museum allows children to learn by doing. Other facilities include a library, a theater and traveling exhibits." |
Galena - Jo Daviess County Historical Society
In Galena, Illinois
"This private, non-profit organization runs a museum to preserve the history of the Galena area and Jo Daviess County. The mansion which houses the museum was built in 1858 as a private residence. They offer selfguided museum tours, as well as guided walking tours of Galena, a cemetery walk, with costumed actors portraying historical figures, and historic home tours." |
Little White School Museum
In Oswego, Illinois
"The Little White School Museum has had several purposes since it was built in 1850. Originally a church, this building acted as a school until 1960 and today houses a museum with an extensive archive collection." |
The Pecatonica Heritage Museum
In Pecatonica, Illinois
"Located inside a historic grain elevator, the Pecatonica Heritage Museum was established to preserve the town and agriculture history. The elevator is three stories tall and was constructed in the late 19th century." |
LaSalle County Historical Society & Museum
In Utica, Illinois
"Located inside a former warehouse, visitors can witness displays of Utica and area history. Native artifacts, Lincoln-related items and significant pieces of the I&M Canal history are just a few of the exhibits housed in the museum." |
Poplar Grove Vintage Wings & Wheels Museum
In Poplar Grove, Illinois
"The Poplar Grove Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum is housed in the Crites Hangar at the Poplar Grove Airport. Inside. Inside visitors will find a variety of automotive and airplane displays, explaining the changes in these vehicles throughout the years." |
Stuka Military Museum
In Oregon, Illinois
"More than 100 years of military uniforms and equipment can be viewed at the Stuka Military Museum in Oregon. The items displayed include helmets, swords, medals and souvenirs, and range in age from the Civil War to Desert Storm." |
Boone County Historical Museum
In Belvidere, Illinois
"From 160-year-old pioneer structures to Civil War memorabilia, the Boone County Historical Museum in Belvidere has preserved its past for visitors to experience. Natural history displays and old-day transportation vehicles can be viewed as well." |
Ottawa Scouting Museum
In Ottawa, Illinois
"Filled with Boy Scout, Girl Guide and Fire Camp memorabilia, the Ottawa Scouting Museum takes visitors through the history of these popular groups. Photographs, artifacts, life-sized displays and biographies on key figures help people can learn about the community groups and how they have grown and changed over the years. Various programs and events are also sponsered by the museum." |
The Hume-Carnegie Museum
In Mendota, Illinois
Did you know that Wild Bill Hickock was born in Troy Grove, Illinois, just southeast of Mendota? "The Hume-Carnegie Museum is located in a restored library, once a Carnegie library. Inside guests will find more than 100 years of local history told through photos, memorabilia, medical equipment and musical instruments. There is also a collection of Wild Bill Hickok artifacts." |
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Camp Grant Museum
In Rockford, Illinois
"The Command Post Restaurant houses the Camp Grant Museum. The Museum strives to preserve some of Rockford's local history. The Building was the first of three fire stations at the camp and later the Induction and muster out center for Camp Grant during the World War II." |
Cedarville Area Historical Society
In Cedarville, Illinois
Cedarville is the birthplace of Jane Addams, Nobel Peace Prize winner. Her birthplace is a private residence and NOT open to the public. At this link you can experience a virtual tour of Jane Addams's home. |
Ethnic Heritage Museum
In Rockford, Illinois
"Local history lives on in a quaint home built in 1850 and known today as The Ethnic Heritage Museum . Here, you will find six fascinating galleries devoted to the primary immigrant groups that settled in southwest Rockford, IL. African-American, Hispanic, Irish, Italian, Lithuanian and Polish. Through displays of early Rockford's maps, everyday artifacts, vintage clothing and more, visitors of all ages can learn about Old Worldcustoms and traditions. Historical photographs tell the stories of the earliest settlers who established factories near the old 'waterpower district' and built their homes nearby. By comparing early with current lifestyles, the museum strives to bridge the gap between yesterday and today ... encouraging visitors to relive the past with a clear focus on Rockford's bright future." |
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Swedish Historical Society's Erlander Home
In Rockford, Illinois
"The Erlander Home Museum is a cultural centerpiece of Rockford's Swedish ancestry community,and a major asset of the Society. The Museum is located within the home which was built for John Erlander and his family in 1871, within the historic Haight Village of Rockford." |
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The Joseph F. Glidden Homestead & Historical Center
In DeKalb, Illinois
"Joseph Farwell Glidden's invention of one of the most widely-used types of barbed wire in 1873, helped change the history of the American West and had far-reaching impact throughout the world. Glidden invented 'The Winner' (patented Nov. 24, 1874) at the DeKalb, IL, home he built in the 1860s." |
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
In Collinsville, Illinois
“One of the greatest cities of the world, Cahokia was larger than London was in AD 1250. The Mississippians who lived here were accomplished builders who erected a wide variety of structures from practical homes for everyday living to monumental public works that have maintained their grandeur for centuries.” |
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Pullman State Historic Site
In Chicago, Illinois
"Fifteen miles south of the Chicago loop, at the center of the historic planned industrial Pullman community, Pullman State Historic Site uses historic structures and public programs to showcase 19th and 20th Century industrial society. The signature Clock Tower Administration Building and Assembly Shops and the grand four story Hotel Florence give tangible evidence to the national and international influences of Pullman — on transportation, industrial design, architecture, labor, urban and town planning and landscape design — in the contemporary context of America’s post-industrial economy, where much of the evidence of the industrial age has already disappeared.” |
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Fort de Chartres
In Prairie du Rocher, Illinois
"Fort de Chartres is the last of three eighteenth-century forts by that name erected near the Mississippi River by France's colonial government. From 1720 to 1763 French administration of the Illinois Country was centered at the forts, built successively over a 40-year period on or near the same site. The stone fort, built in the 1750s and abandoned in 1771, has been partially reconstructed to provide a glimpse of life in Illinois under the French regime. Fort de Chartres State Historic Site, which also preserves the archaeological remains of the earlier wooden forts, is managed by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency." |
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Vandalia State House
In Vandalia, Illionis
"The Vandalia State House, the fourth Illinois statehouse, served as the capitol from 1836 until 1839 and is the oldest surviving capitol building in the state. The first (1818-1820) was at Kaskaskia, the state’s first capital. The second (1820-1823), third (1824-1836), and fourth (1836-1839) were at Vandalia. The fifth (1839-1876) is in Springfield and is preserved as the Old State Capitol State Historic Site. The sixth is the current capitol (1876-present) in Springfield. The Vandalia State House is significant for its association with Abraham Lincoln, who served in the House of Representatives. In 1974 the State House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places." |
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Camp River DuBois
In Hartford, Illinois
"The Lewis and Clark site commemorates Camp Dubois, the 1803-1804 winter camp of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. It was at the camp on Wood River that members of the Corps of Discovery prepared their expedition to the Pacific Ocean." |
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