Museums & Educational Sites

This area of Illinois has been inhabited for more than 12,000 years. Discover Native American cultures, like the Mississippians at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site and the Sauk and Fox at Black Hawk State Historic Site. Celebrate the contributions of French, German and Dutch settlers at Fort de Chartres, Historic Maeystown, and the Windmill Cultural Center. Explore the region’s Civil War contributions at the Galena History Museum and U.S. Custom House Museum. The history of the river is told at interpretive sites like the Mississippi River Museum & Interpretive Center and the National Great Rivers Museum. From people to places, experience the byway at these informative destinations.