The remains of the most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico are preserved at Cahokia Mounds State Historic site, located a few miles west of Collinsville, Illinois in the southwestern part of the state. Here lie the archaeological remnants of the central section of the ancient settlement that is today known as Cahokia.

In 1976, The Cahokia Mounds Museum Society was founded as a not-for-profit to support the historic site. Their mission is to promote for the public benefit the educational and scientific aspects of Cahokia Mounds and associated archaeological sphere. The society recently received an award of excellence from the American Association of State and Local History for their augmented reality experience, “Back to the City of the Sun.”

“Back to the City of the Sun” brings the past to the present with audio and video through an app for personal smart devices. On the tour, visitors can see the temple that once stood on Monks Mound and other cultural aspects of the site that were present 1,000 years ago through the camera of a smart phone or other device.

The 2023 award of excellence is part of the American Association of State and Local History’s Leadership in History awards, the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation of state and local history.

The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is located at 30 Ramey St. in Collinsville. The site’s interpretive center and gift shop are currently closed for renovations, however the grounds are open to the public daily from 8 a.m. until dusk and guided tours take place twice per day, Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, visit IDNR’s website.

In the heart of the Illinois prairie lies a Swedish settlement that has been preserved as a historic village. Bishop Hill, formed 177 years ago, is still a living, fully functional village with a mayor and fire department. With a population of around 130 people, it remains one of the smallest towns in Henry County. It is the home of the Bishop Hill State Historic Site, a park operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

The Bishop Hill area became a hub for thousands of Swedish immigrants who eventually settled much of the Midwest. The area was founded by Eric Janson, who was known as the Wheat Flour Messiah. Janson, after being jailed for his beliefs, fled Sweden with more than 1,000 followers in 1846 in hopes of avoiding religious prosecution.

Many of the colony buildings were dilapidated at the turn of the 20th century. The Old Settlers, the Bishop Hill Heritage Association and the State of Illinois decided to help save the buildings that were still standing from the original colony. Throughout the 1970s, restoration and preservation began with aid from the Swedish Royal family. Many of the descendants of the original settlers and thousands of volunteers began the hard work to restore the site, and eventually Bishop Hill became a thriving community once more.

Currently there are a number of businesses including a bakery, restaurants, pottery stores and a few gift shops. At the center of the town remains Bishop Hill State Historic Site, the original church built by Janson and his followers, where volunteers hold guided tours throughout the village. There are currently four buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. With tens of thousands of visitors every year from all 50 states, Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, Bishop Hill remains a site to see in Illinois.

“Progress is made by trial and failure; the failures are generally a hundred times more numerous than the successes, yet they are usually left unchronicled,” said scientist William Ramsay. However, when it comes to the science and art of surgery, the trial and error is an important part of its history. It is amazing how doctors and surgeons can easily save lives today, especially for procedures that would have been life threatening a century ago. However, someone had to first learn about the human body and how to fix what they could not see. The International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago is the only museum in all of North America to show the history of how modern surgery came to be, with both failures and accomplishments.

The Mission of the Museum is to enrich people’s lives by enhancing their appreciation and understanding of the history, development, and advances in surgery and related subjects in health and medicine. Dr. Max Thorek founded the International College of Surgeons in 1935, and in 1950 his efforts led to the museum’s collection growing. The Museum opened to the public on September 9, 1954. Today the museum’s four floors hold many marvels from the art of healing.

Some people think of surgeons as miracle workers. Illinois has the only museum in all of North America that chronicles how those miracles came to be. To plan your visit to the museum visit here.  

The white oak, the cardinal bird and popcorn all have something in common: they are Illinois symbols! The state tree, state bird and state snack will have a new member joining their ranks. Dolostone was declared the state’s rock by legislation signed into law by Governor Pritzker in June 2022. This law came courtesy of suburban Chicago elementary and middle school students who pushed for its passage, as well as the sponsor of the legislation, State Senator Laura Ellman of the 21^st Senate District.

Dolostone had a hard won victory, beating out sandstone and limestone for the title. Dolostone is the hard bedrock that lies underneath most of Illinois’ glacially deposited soil. It’s often referred to as dolomite, and was formed in an ancient tropical ocean, during the Silurian period, some 400 million years ago. The rock did not journey to Illinois, but rather Illinois journeyed to it. If we turn back time to when the rock first formed, what is now Illinois used to be a massive underwater Silurian reef system stretching up to what’s now Door County, Wisconsin. As the Earth changed and continents moved, the sea eventually made way for land and Illinois came to be.    

Illinois’ history has started with this rock in so many ways. It was there when the land of the state was first formed. Not only that, but Dolostone was originally used as building material for Illinois’ Old State Capital, the literal bedrock of our democracy.

From now on, when kids in Illinois play rock paper scissors, know that their rock is Dolostone.     

Chestnuts roasting over an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose and Christmas lights! Nothing quite embodies the holiday season like driving home when the sun has set and seeing houses bursting with Christmas lights and decorations. This season, neighborhoods are not the only places lit up with the holiday spirit. Multiple locations and festivals create wonderful light shows all over Illinois during December and January. Embrace the holiday season and make memories with loved ones by visiting these colorful and bright light shows. Here are some of the best Christmas light displays to visit in the state: 

• Pathway of Lights – At Aikman Wildlife Adventure, Arcola, each Sat. from Nov. 12 – Dec. 17
• Holiday Glow – In Allerton Park, Monticello, Dec. 2 – 23, Dec. 27 – 30, Jan. 6 – 7, Jan. 13 – 14
• Light Up the Park – In Chatham Community Park, Chatham, Nov. 25 – Dec. 25
• Wonderland in Lights – In Effingham Community Park, Effingham, Nov. 24 – Jan. 1
• The Festival of Lights – In Forest Park, Shelbyville, Nov. 18 – Jan. 1
• Candlestick Lane – At Grant Place & Eastern Lane, Urbana, Dec. 10 - Dec. 31
• Christmas in the Park – In Manner’s Park, Taylorville, Dec. 9 – 25
• Lightworks – In Peterson Park, Mattoon, Nov. 18 – Dec. 26
• Christmas Wonderland – In Rock Spring Park, Alton, Nov. 30 – Dec. 27
• Festival of Lights Winter Wonderland – In Veterans Park, East Peoria, Nov. 24 – Jan. 2
• Holiday Festival of Lights – In Aurora, Nov. 25 – Dec. 25
• Christmas Around the World & Holidays of Light – At the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago, Nov. 30 – Jan. 8
• Illumination – At the Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Nov. 19 – Jan. 7
• Lincoln Park ZooLights – In Lincoln Park, Chicago, Nov. 19 – Jan. 1
• Brookfield Zoo's Holiday Magic – In Brookfield, Dec. 1 – 4, Dec. 14 – 18 and Dec. 26 – 31
• CTA Holiday Train – In Chicago. Follow the train to see if you can catch a ride!