America 250: Celebrating the Story of Illinois and the United States

6/29/2026

FULL EVENT SCHEDULE

  

July 17

Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission

All Day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Tours of the Supreme Court Building and Learning Center

 

Illinois State Museum

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. World Bird Sanctuary eagle flight demonstration at the ISM Auditorium

2 to 3 p.m. Meet the ISM staff as you visit the exhibits

All Day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Food trucks, games, art projects, bird activities

 

Illinois State Library

11 a.m. Illinois Children's Author Program, Jim Edgar Reading Room: Rekha S. Rajan, Can You Dance Like a Peacock?

  • The first 100 children will receive books!

Noon Live music in the Library Atrium

2 p.m. Illinois Children's Author Program, Jim Edgar Reading Room: Cindy and Kirby Pringle, The Butterfly That Would Not Fly

  • The first 100 children will receive books!

All Day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) 

  • Explore online databases through the Illinois Reliable Information Sources (IRIS)
  • Visit the children’s reading area
  • Register for the Talking Book & Braille Service
  • Find titles by Illinois authors
  • Stop by the Banned Books collection

 

Illinois State Archives

1 to 2 p.m. Paper conservation demonstration

All Day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

  • Genealogy research
  • Conservation demonstrations
  • Kids' activities
  • Special displays

  

Illinois State Capitol

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed noon to 1 p.m. for lunch) Tours of the Capitol building and grounds starting at the top of the hour, as well as special displays

  

Illinois Secretary of State Police

10 a.m to 2 p.m. Hazardous Device Unit (HDU) and Total Containment Vessel (TCV) response truck on display, parking lot R

10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Demonstrations with K-9 Unit in parking lot R

   

   

July 18

  

Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission

All Day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Tours of the Supreme Court Building and Learning Center

  

Illinois State Museum

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. World Bird Sanctuary eagle flight demonstration at the ISM Auditorium

2 to 3 p.m. Meet the ISM staff as you visit the exhibits

4 to 6 p.m. Closing Event: Public reception for the exhibits Miles of Memories: Stories from Route 66 and Land of Stories, supported by the Illinois State Museum Society

All Day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Food trucks, games, art projects, bird activities

  

Illinois State Library

11 a.m. Illinois Children's Author Program, Jim Edgar Reading Room: Mark Russell, Strangely Bumptious and the Ghosts of Crypts Academy

  • The first 100 children will receive books!

Noon Live music in the Library Atrium

2 p.m. Illinois Children's Author Program, Jim Edgar Reading Room: Glennette Tilley Turner, The Gift of Freedom: How Harriet Tubman Rescued Her Brothers

  • The first 100 children will receive books!

All Day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) 

  • Explore online databases through the Illinois Reliable Information Sources (IRIS)
  • Visit the children’s reading area
  • Register for the Talking Book & Braille Service
  • Find titles by Illinois authors
  • Stop by the Banned Books collection

  

Illinois State Archives

1 to 2 p.m. Paper conservation demonstration

All Day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) 

  • Genealogy research
  • Conservation demonstrations
  • Kids' activities
  • Special displays

  

Illinois State Capitol

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (closed noon to 1 p.m. for lunch) Tours of the Capitol building and grounds starting at the top of the hour, as well as special displays

  

Illinois Secretary of State Police

10 a.m to 2 p.m. Hazardous Device Unit (HDU) and Total Containment Vessel (TCV) response truck on display, parking lot R

10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Demonstrations with the K-9 Unit, parking lot R