Museum Hours
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
​121 S Macoupin St Gillespie, IL 62033
The Illinois Coal Museum at Gillespie has opened a building remodeling account with GOFUNDME
Recently at the Museum
A 'Soft' Grand Opening
The museum board, volunteers, local miners and union members met with our U.S. and State elected officials and representatives from the coal industry, Route 66, economic growth professionals, historical society members, and more.
What a showcase of our efforts to date
​and forum for our future!
Photos by Louan Brown 
IN THE NEWS
The Ben-Gil Post: a great write-up and photo display 
Picture
The Coal Country Times  shares comments of August 31st Luncheon
The Friends of the Gillespie Library will be donating a wonderful collection of coal mining related books to the museum! A second set of these books will also be available at the library to be checked out.
​THANKS FRIENDS
Construction work proceeds at the museum. Unfortunately, the drywall crew worked too fast to be caught on a mere phone camera. 
Picture
​Alabama travelers find some answers to Benld and Cherry Mine questions within our displays and research materials. Also, new today, a photo guestbook/retro-maps prototype awaiting museum and Route 66 logos.
Safe trip home ladies
Staff and Clients from Walnut Street Gardens take a museum tour.
Picture
Several displays have been upgraded  - glass cabinets enhance and protect some of the more valuable artifacts.
PictureJohn Dodd, from Joy Global and Brian Page hard at work in the mine.
The Children's Coal Museum, with support from the Illinois Mining Institute and Joy Global Manufacturing, is undergoing major construction. The new look for the mine tunnel will include photos and stories of the older and the newest mining machines and also improvements in safety, lighting, and ventilation geared to the elementary school aged visitors.        
After a 'mine' tour and earning a miner's helmet, videos of the mining machines in action will reinforce the experience.
​ 

Brian Page & Dave Tucker visited a work site at an apartment complex in Fairview Heights to observe the drilling process prior to the grouting to stabilize the active subsidence.  The core samples obtained by the drilling provide information about the geologic layers above and below the mined area as well as locating the pillars and voids left by the mining process. The voids are filled with a concrete like mixture to stabilize the mine and stop further subsidence.
Thanks to Marino Engineering for the very informative tour!  

The Route 66 Blue Carpet Corridor Festival, June 10th., brought over 150 visitors to the museum. The Black Diamond Days Royalty and Dave Tucker tried out the photo-op. 
click here to learn more about the Blue Carpet Festival
The Macoupin County CEO students and mentor, Pete Visintine toured the museum Tuesday, April 4th.  A discussion of our project development , local and mining history, and perusing  the displays generated many questions from the bright and attentive group.

click here to learn more about Macoupin County CEO program
Picture
The big shovel dug up 15 trivia teams to make the Gillespie Public Library fundraiser a great success. Thanks to the Library, Community support, and especially Steve Joyce, our restroom remodeling fund  will be able to begin.