The Illinois Association of Museums named Champaign County History Museum Small Institution of the Year, and gave the museum three awards of excellence. From the press release:
The Award of Excellence in Exhibits was presented for our exhibit William McKinley’s Road of Good Service, focusing on the transformative power of electric rail service across Central Illinois.
The Award for Excellence in Conservation was presented for the transformation of our research library, which now offers the public a fully accessible and online research tool for community history.
The Award for Excellence in Community Partnership was presented for our partnership with the Champaign Park District to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Virginia Theatre through an evening program on the theater stage recounting the remarkable history of the building.
The museum was founded in 1972, and celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It moved into the Cattle Bank building — the oldest documented commercial building in the county — in 2001. T.J. Blakeman became Board President in 2015, and he and the board of trustees have been instrumental in continuing to develop the museum into a destination worth visiting and exploring.
Top photo by Jaclyn Jones.