Springfield and Central Illinois African-American History Museum, Illinois
This museum in Springfield, IL, tells the story of Black life in the middle of the state. Founded in 2012, it has occupied a building next to Oak Ridge Cemetery since 2016. It sits less than a mile off the old road, and its exhibits and recorded voices add a side of Illinois history that many Route 66 travelers never hear about.
What it is
This is a history museum focused on the African-American community of central Illinois. Its exhibits and talks cover chapters that rarely appear in standard state histories. One looks at the quasi-legal slavery that existed in early Springfield from 1819. Another covers the founding of New Philadelphia, a free village in Pike County, in 1836. A third tells how a home for Black elders and orphans, named for Lincoln, was built in 1904.
Volunteers working with the museum have also recorded more than 700 oral histories from people across central Illinois. Those recordings give the collection a personal, first-hand voice, so the stories come from the people who lived them.
A bit of history
Historical educator Douglas King founded the museum in 2012. In March 2016 it moved into a permanent home beside Oak Ridge Cemetery, taking over the building left empty when the Museum of Funeral Customs closed in 2009. A local foundation devoted to African American history in Springfield backs its work, and volunteers carry much of the load.
Visiting tips
Allow about an hour to see the exhibits, and more if you want to listen closely to the stories on display. The building is wheelchair accessible. Oak Ridge Cemetery is right next door, and the World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial is about 0.4 mile away, so the museum pairs well with a walk among the memorials on this side of Springfield. The Rippon-Kinsella House, a historic home seen from the sidewalk, is about 0.2 mile off.
Practical info
- Address
- 1440 Monument Avenue, Springfield, IL 62702
- Phone
- +1 217-391-6323
- Website
- spiaahm.org
- Hours
- Tue–Sat 12–4
- On site & nearby
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Where to eat nearby
All diners on Route 66 →
On the map
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0.5 mi from Springfield and Central Illinois African-American History Museum
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Questions
Where is the museum?
It stands next to Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, IL, less than a mile off the old Route 66 line.
Who founded the museum?
Historical educator Douglas King founded it in 2012.
Own or run Springfield and Central Illinois African-American History Museum? Send us a photo or a correction.