 Old State CapitolIllinois has a rich architectural history. The Old State Capitol in Springfield, reminiscent of the Greek Revival Style, is a reconstruction of Illinois's fifth statehouse, the first to be located in Springfield. Image Courtesy of the Creative Commons. |  University of IllinoisHigher education has helped to shape the Illinois experience. The University of Illinois was founded in 1867 in Champaign-Urbana. The school continues today as a research university with roughly 45,000 students. Image courtesy of the Creative Commons. |
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 The Chicago Stockyards, 1947The Union Stock Yards started in 1865, and the surrounding area became known as Chicago’s meatpacking district. “The Yards” kept cattle and hogs for slaughter and then distributed the meat. Many of the city’s immigrant workers filled jobs in the meatpacking district. Image courtesy of the Wiki Commons. |  Illinois's InterstatesIN 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act. Over the next few decades, a network interstate highways was built, spanning the country. Illinois benefited from this system as well. Interstates in Illinois such as I-57 (pictured left) and the Kennedy Expressway (pictured right) make traveling by car more efficient while defining the state's landscape. Images courtesy of Rachel Tavaras. |
 Mattoon Amtrak StationMany towns in Illinois got their start as "railway towns." As the railroad expanded across the state in the 1800s, towns sprung up along the tracks. The railway still plays a great role in the identity of many towns in Illinois. In Mattoon, what was the Illinois Central Railroad Depot still sits in the center of town. Today, it is an Amtrak Station with a small museum within. Picture by Rachel Tavaras. |  "Mr. Lincoln, Residence, and Horse"Illinois is the "Land of Lincoln," making the US president an integral part of the Illinois experience. Illinois's residents continue to commemorate Lincoln with institutions such as the Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield. Image courtesy of the the Creative Commons and the Cornell University Library. |
 Old MainEastern Illinois University has been an important part of the Charleston community and a strong force in east-central Illinois. The community ties that EIU has forged continues to shape the experience of living in east-central Illinois. Image courtesy of Mary Challman. |  "Corn Shredder"This piece, titled "Corn Shredder," is currently a part of the Tarble Arts Center's permanent collection. It was created by folk artist Ferd Metten of Teutopolis, in the twentieth century. Image courtesy of the Tarble Arts Center. |
VIDEOS
Exhibit Trailer
Making Illinois explores the Illinois experience by examining the state’s history and culture through the landscape, the built environment, the people who live here, and their unique relationships with one another. The exhibition emphasizes the East-Central Illinois experience. Throughout history, Illinoisans have transformed the land to reflect their values, needs, and relationships. Change is realized through various types of production - agricultural, industrial, intellectual, and artistic.
Land
The people who lived in and came to Illinois laid out fields to farm, made homes to live in, and constructed roads to travel by. The state built dams and canals, highways and bridges. Our modification of our landscape shapes how communities interact with each other and with the world around them.
Experience
The way we understand our world is shaped by the events around us, the dynamics of our communities, and the experiences we share. Playing music, watching sports, creating art, and telling stories make us who we are.