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Explore Your Past

Your visit to the Joliet Area Historical Museum is a journey through time. Experience how people lived, worked, traveled and built the foundation for today’s thriving community.

Walk through a life-size replica depicting the building of the historic Illinois & Michigan Canal.

Stroll down a turn-of-the-century street past store fronts showcasing fashions of yesteryear.

Browse through a hardware store.

Take a virtual ride on a replica trolley.

Live the myth of Route 66, the true Main Street of America.

Land on the moon to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of NASA’s Apollo 11 moon landing and the 2009 International Year of Astronomy!

Along the way, meet life-size models, interact with touch-screen visuals, view award-winning audio-visuals and learn how the past shaped the world you now enjoy.

During your visit, stop in the Route 66 Visitor Center, dive into the Resource and Discovery Room packed with activities for children, and browse the Museum Gift Shop for gifts from Joliet’s past.

See Something New Every Visit

See something new—or something old in a new way. The Museum houses special exhibits that let our visitors travel through time without venturing far from home.

Get in on the Fun.

The Museum offers a unique variety of Special Programming for all ages. Every month the Museum offers interesting and imaginative programs for children, adults and the entire family. Don’t miss these exciting hands-on opportunities. Check out our Programming Calendar of Events.

The mission of the Joliet Area Historical Museum is to promote awareness, understanding and preservation of the Joliet area’s diverse history through an active, community based collections acquisition program, engaging exhibits, and innovative educational programming.