Museums Illinois
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Fabyan Villa & Japanese Garden
Geneva, Illinois

Botanical Garden, History, Historic House

The Fabyan Villa was the home of Colonel George and Nelle Fabyan from 1905-1939. Riverbank, the name they bestowed upon their property, was initially a country retreat from their home in Chicago. They hired Frank Lloyd Wright in 1907 to enlarge and re-model the existing farmhouse and shortly thereafter took up permanent residence at the Villa, as they called their home. They acquired 300 acres, creating a country estate which soon became a lavish showplace complete with fountains, gardens, a Roman-style swimming pool, a Dutch-style windmill, a private zoo, a working lighthouse, a boathouse, tennis courts, and more. The Fabyans pursued their varied interests on their estate, including horticulture, animal husbandry, and scientific research.

Fairbury Echoes Museum
Fairbury, Illinois

History

Fairbury Echoes Museum was initiated to preserve local history and items of long-ago living. A permanent display of items from area businesses, schools, churches, organizations and people occupies two rooms of the museum. A third room features household and clothing items donated by the museum's original benefactors, Floyd and Marion Stafford. The fourth room is a reading and reference room full of interesting items. A mini-exhibit is on display in the fifth room which changes several times each year.

Farnsworth House
Plano, Illinois

Art, Historic House

In the farmlands outside of Chicago, renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created a timeless masterpiece along the Fox River. Mies' vision of a modern shelter for the 20th Century, set in nature, is expressed with absolute purity and intensity. His serene steel and glass weekend retreat for Dr. Edith Farnsworth belies its controversial history and its dramatic rescue by civic groups. Meticulously restored and open to the public, it is an architectural pilgrimage site, attracting design professionals and house enthusiasts from around the world.

Fern Dell Historic Association
Newark, Illinois

Historical Society

Fern Dell has purchased an old store building at the corner of Front and Jackson Streeets in Newark. The building consists of 3 rooms, the front room has been refurbished with a new floor, lighting, fans and paint from top to bottom. It is in the process of being fitted with showcases full of artifacts and partitioned alcoves with specific interest items from donated collections. There will also be a miniature display of the Midland Railroad, which has fame as being the shortest railroad in the world. It ran two miles, from Newark to Millington, Illinois. Pictures are being hung and a large mural of Newark, painted by the Newark High School art class will be transferred to the museum in the near future.

Filipino Am. Hist. Soc. of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

History

Flagg Creek Historical Society
LaGrange, Illinois

History, Historical Society

Ford County Historical Society
Paxton, Illinois

Historical Society

Fort Crevecoeur
Creve Coeur, Illinois

Culture, General, History, Historic House, Library, Park

Fort Kaskaskia Historic Site
Ellis Grove, Illinois

Art, Cemetery

Fort Massac State Park & Hist. Site
Metropolis, Illinois

Archaeology, History, Military, Park

Fabyan Villa Museum and Japanese Garden
Geneva, Illinois

Arboretum, Art, Botanical Garden, Children's, General, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Nature Centers, Park

When visiting the Villa Museum, you discover the Fabyans' uniquely fascinating legacy. The Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie-style house contains the Fabyans' private collection of Asian artifacts, natural history specimens, original furniture- just to name a few! The captivating combination of history, architecture, military intrigue, and personal exploration is designed to make the Fabyan Villa Museum a delight for persons of all ages and backgrounds.

Fairmount-Jamaica Historical Society
Fairmount, Illinois

Art, Children's, Historical Society, Library

Feet First Exhibit: Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
North Chicago, Illinois

Anthropology, General, History, Library, Science, Specialized, University

FEET FIRST: THE SCHOLL STORY, a one-of-a-kind exhibit dedicated to Dr. William Mathias Scholl and to the amazing structures that are our feet. This permanent exhibit is housed at the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University.

Field Museum of Natural History
Chicago, Illinois

History, Natural History

First Division Museum
Wheaton, Illinois

History, Library, Military, Specialized

The First Division Museum presents the history of the famed 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, "The Big Red One," within the broader context of modern American military history using contemporary, interactive exhibits. The main exhibit hall covers the division's history beginning in World War I up through its fight in the Gulf War. Visitors can explore a WWI trench and trench barracks while the sounds of exploding shells and diving planes are heard overhead, sit in a landing craft for the invasion of Normandy, WWII, then move out onto Omaha Beach as it looked the day after D-Day, 1944, or walk through the jungles of Vietnam and see a three-screen, panoramic presentation of the Division's Vietnam history.

Flagg Township Historical Society & Museum
Rochelle, Illinois

Archaeology, Art, Culture, General, History, Library, Natural History, Science, Specialized

The Flagg Township Museum has over 20,000 prehistoric and historic artifacts and we are getting more each day. All of our artifacts are unique testaments to life in the Flagg Township area. Some of our most notable artifacts include the Partin-Palmer automobile, the Linotype used to print the first five issues of Playboy, meteorite, uniforms from the Civil and World Wars, prehistoric stone tools, and 18th-20th century women's and men's clothing.

Forest Preserve District of Cook County
River Forest, Illinois

Historical Society

Fort Hill Heritage Center
Mundelein, Illinois

Art

Fort LaMotte Gen. & Hist. Soc.
Palestine, Illinois

History

Foundation Center Library
Springfield, Illinois

Library

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

February 5 - 7, 2025

Milledgeville, Georgia

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

Wednesday, February 5 - Friday, February 7, 2025

Ina Dillard Russell Library Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia

Hosted by: Georgia Association of Museums

The Whole Story Is The Meanin

“For the fiction writer himself the whole story is the meaning, because it is an experience, not an abstraction.”― Flannery O'Connor, Mystery and Manners: Occasional Pros

Join us in Milledgeville, Georgia, for the annual Georgia Association of Museums conference as we explore the profound wisdom of Milledgeville author Flannery O'Connor’s words. In a world where narratives intersect and perspectives diverge, this theme invites proposals that delve into the essence of storytelling within museums and cultural institutions. Our work in the museum field requires us to look at stories from as many angles and perspectives as possible so that we might do our best to tell the “whole story.

Through thought-provoking discussions, interactive workshops, and engaging presentations, we will uncover the layers of meaning embedded within every artifact, exhibition, and historical account. Just as O’Connor masterfully crafted narratives that resonate with universal truths, museums hold the power to illuminate the whole story behind many objects, artworks, and cultural phenomena

We will examine how museums can embrace inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity in their storytelling practices. By acknowledging multiple perspectives and amplifying marginalized voices, we can enrich our understanding of the past and present, fostering empathy and connection within our communities.

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

February 17 - 19, 2025

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

Monday, February 17 - Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Hosted by: Small Museum Association

The annual SMA conference attracts more than 300 museum professionals, board members, and volunteers from a wide variety of small museums. They attend sessions on topics ranging from collections and education to staffing and board issues.

We offer a large Museum Resource Hall and plenty of informal networking opportunities for you to talk with (and get ideas from!) other small museum professionals and volunteers

Theme for 2025: Make It Happen!!!

Is there an exhibit, program, or fundraiser that you've been talking about doing for years? Do you feel stuck because of procrastination, lack of board support, or insufficient funds? It's time to take action

At SMA 2025, small museum professionals will share their tips and tricks of how they made it happen!

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

Tuesday, February 18 - Saturday, February 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

Hosted by: California Association of Museums

CAM is hard at work planning for the 2025 conference, set to take place from February 18–22, 2025 in San Francisco. We look forward to highlighting best practices and innovative ideas from California's museum community

The California Association of Museums is excited to continue offering in-person programming for 2025. We will not be requiring proof of COVID vaccination/s, but highly encourage vaccination and boosters. For the health and safety of our colleagues, masks are also encouraged (but not required). Capacity and spaces will be thoughtfully considered in the planning of this event.

For more information, please email programs@calmuseums.org.

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

March 15 - 18, 2025

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

Saturday, March 15 - Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The Inn at Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Hosted by: Virginia Association of Museums

2025 Conference Theme: Looking Back to the Future For the past several years, many museums have been deeply involved in planning programs and events to observe the 250th birthday of the United States of America. While this is certainly an occasion to celebrate, this anniversary also forces us as a society to reckon with ongoing inequities and challenges within the US that go back to its inception. As museums ask their audiences to look to the past to understand the present and shape a better future, perhaps now is a good moment in time for Virginia’s museum community to take pause and look back at its own history. We are excited to see you in Blacksburg in March 2025 as we take a moment in our hectic schedules to take pause and visit our diverse pasts. Let’s uncover and share our histories to build a more resilient Virginia museum community.

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

September 10 - 13, 2025

Cincinnati, Ohio

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

Wednesday, September 10 - Saturday, September 13, 2025

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

Hosted by: American Association for State and Local History

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

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