SPECIAL FOCUS
Illinois' more than 800 museums are less dusty and much more fun than the stereotypical museums of old
BY MARY H. TURNER
Photo on page 24: Children enjoy the carousel at Blackberry Farm - Pioneer Village, a living history farm owned by the Fox Valley Park District in Aurora.
We all have our childhood memories of pouring out of the big yellow bus, clutching the hand of our best friend, and staring up at the imposing pillars of some museum. Once inside, we were cowed by the commanding presence of a white-haired lady who lectured us as we passed before case after case filled far beyond our eye level with dusty artifacts.
Thankfully, experiences such as this are happening less often, at least in Illinois museums. Now, a visit to a museum might include a tornado whirling at the punch of a button, a trip through the human heart, a visit to the lower decks of a slave ship, or an oral recitation in a country schoolroom. Students might participate in making butter or candles, dig for artifacts, or build their own earthen mound.
Families might be drawn into a militia's drill at a historic site, or participate in replanting a stretch of prairie.
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A young visitor to the farm anticipates
her first move |
This change, much of it happening over the last 20 years, is the result of two phenomena. First, museums are drawing their visitors into their exhibits and offering them the opportunity to actively participate in the learning process that is supposed to be the result of a visit. And secondly, the definition of "museum," has been expanded to include not just museums of science, history, and art, but also historical and genealogical societies, zoos, nature centers, arboreta, children's museums, and archives. And Illinois has all of these! There are more than 800 museums using this broad definition across the state. All 102 counties in the state have at least one museum, and they range from the world-renown museums in Chicago to historical society museums on the banks of the Ohio River, and from historic houses in Danville to a museum of archeology in Kampsville. |
There are museums devoted to coal mining (ever been down in a real coal mine?) and Illinois' state mineral, fluorite.
There are reconstructed forts and log villages, one-room schools, and Victorian mansions. We can offer the aficionado three or four Frank Lloyd Wright houses to visit, and at least three planetariums (including the world's largest model of the solar system).
We have museums devoted to cars, trains, planes,
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Museum Resources
American Association of Museums
1575 Eye Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20005
202.289.1818
www.aam-us.org
Founded in 1906, the American Association of Museums (AAM) leads the effort to maintain and strengthen professional standards through activities designed to improve the quality of museum programs and operations. It represents and advocates the interests of U.S. museums among the general public and leaders in the private and public sectors, AAM membership includes art and natural history museums, historical sites, science and technology centers, arboretums, planetariums, children's museums, zoos and botanical gardens. AAM counts more than 15,800 active members, including 11,300 museum professionals, volunteers and trustees; 1,500 corporate members; and 3,000 institutional members.
Association of Midwest Museums
(formerly Midwest Museums Conference)
Contact: Dave Tanner
P.O. Box 11940
St. Louis, MO 63112-0040
314.454.3110
mmcdirect2@aol.com
The mission of the Association of Midwest Museums (AMM) is to provide career development and networking opportunities to strengthen individuals in the profession and to serve as a regional forum for the exchange of information and new ideas to shape the future of museums. An annual fall conference, bimonthly newsletter, directories, scholarships, and workshops are offered throughout the year.
Illinois Association of Museums
Contact: Mary Turner
1 Old State Capitol Plaza
Springfield, IL 62701
217.524.7080
mturner@hpa084rl.state.il.us
The Illinois Association of Museums (IAM) is an independent statewide network of art, history, and science museums, historical and genealogical societies, zoos, nature centers, arboreta and other cultural agencies. lAM's primary purpose is to facilitate the exchange of ideas and methods among member organizations that share goals relating to preservation and interpretation of history, prehistory, natural and built environments, and the social scientific, cultural and/or artistic endeavors.
Illinois Historic Preservation
Agency/Illinois State Historical
Library
1 Old State Capitol Plaza
Springfield. IL 62701-1507
217.782.4836
The mission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) is the collection, preservation and interpretation of Illinois history. IHPA was created in 1985 through an executive order and accompanying legislation to centralize the management of the state's historic resources. For the first time in Illinois history, a single agency was made responsible for administering state-owned historic sites, collecting and preserving the state's written heritage and implementing state and federal preservation programs.
Illinois State Library
300 S. Second Street
Springfield, IL 62701
217.782.7596
Created more than 150 years ago, the Illinois State Library serves as the principle information resource for state government. The library has a collection of more than 5 million items and that includes historic and federal government documents and more than 130,000 maps. The state library serves as Illinois' regional federal documents depository and it receives 100 percent of the material distributed by the U.S. government printing office. In addition, the library is a designated U.S. patent and trademark depository library.
IPRA Nature Center and
Museum Roundtable
Contact; Nancy Gher
Streamwood Park District
700 W. Irving Park Road
Streamwood, IL 60107-2817
630.213.9706
nangher@aol.com
The IPRA Nature Center and Museum Roundtable is a subsection of the IPRA Facility Management Section. Members meet quarterly to network, share resources and explore museum and nature center issues, plus tour the host museum/center. Roundtable topics for 1999 include Seniors in Museums and Nature Centers, Marketing, School Programs and Outreach Programs. A Museum Exhibit Workshop is scheduled for February 26,
The Museums in the Park
Contact: Jacqueline Triche Atkins
104 South Michigan Ave., Suite 1000
Chicago, IL 60603
312.857.7136
Museums in the Park is an association of nine museums located on Chicago Park District land throughout the city of Chicago. Its relationship with the park district has existed since 1893 and is a nationally recognized model public/private relationship. Local real estate tax dollars flow through the park district to the association to support the maintenance of the member museums and to assist in their responsibility to educate children and all citizens of Chicago and Illinois. Member museums: The Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago Historical Society, The Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, DuSable Museum of African American History, Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, Chicago Academy of Sciences, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Art Institute of Chicago.
26/ Illinois Parks and Recreation
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and license plates. Illinois' museums contain some of the world s finest art, some of its rarest artifacts, and some of its most mystifying scientific discoveries. Our museums also hold the artwork and creations of thousands of schoolchildren who still pour out of those yellow buses. About the Illinois Association of Museums The Illinois Association of Museums (IAM) was created five years ago to serve this diverse museum community. IAM offers workshops, seminars, and a three-day annual meeting to encourage the exchange of information, ideas, methods, and solutions to mutual problems. The association provides a lending library of professional books, tapes, and videos for the use of our members, as well as a reference service when there are questions. Plus, IAM offers two quarterly publications, the IAM New and How to... The first serves to keep our membership informed on the latest in the museum profession, granting opportunities, and educational programming. The latter is a technical bulletin on me basics of good museum management. IAM also works to encourage state funding for museums and the passage of legislation to assist museums with collections-manage- ment issues and de-accessioning. For more about IAM, see contact information listed in the museum resource box on page 26. • |
Award-winning
publications and
promotional
materials from |
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The Clayson House Museum operates via a partnership among the Palatine Park District, the local library and the Palatine Historical Society, which won an IAM Award of Excellence for its publication Hillside Cemetery: Palatine. Illinois. |
MARY H. TURNER is the coordinator of the Illinois Association of Museums (lAM).
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IAM'S annual awards program recognizes excellence within the museum community and generous support from others outside of the museum community. At its fall conference held in October of 1998, IAM presented several awards to museums owned by or affiliated with park districts and forest preserves, including: Superior Achievement Award to the Streamwood Park District/Hoosier Grove School Museum for its exhibit "Streamwood: Your Town of Tomorrow", Popular Publications Superior Achievement awards to the Arlington Heights Historical Society lor Chronicle of a Prairie Town. a 300-page hardcover book, and The Field Museum of Chicago for An Explorer's Guide to the Field Museum: |
This fully restored 1840's home is the result of a three-year restoration project partnership between the Fox Valley Park District and the city of Aurora. |
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