Museum  Summer Schedule
Monday through Saturday
10 am - 2 pm
Admission always FREE
​Museum tours available by appointment
 ​Please text 833.228.8603, or email to schedule a visit.
​121 S Macoupin St Gillespie, IL 62033
Not able to travel?
Take a quick virtual tour.
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SAVE THE DATE
A CELEBRATION OF LABOR
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th.
5K RUN WALK
STREET FAIR with craft and food vendors MUSEUM TOURS
click here for event schedule
Recently at the Museum
The museum façade enhancement, funded by IDNR,  is nearing completion. The aluminum awning  will be installed by August 1st.
One, very important façade element missing from this project is the Recognition Wall  which honors the over 400 Macoupin Coal Miner deaths. The IDNR award amount for the façade enhancement project did not allow for the near 100%,Covid19 shutdown caused, increase in materials.
To complete the project we will need at least $900 for Recognition Wall. 
All donations received at the museum for July and August  and all donations from our website donation page will be allocated to the Wall. There is a small window for action to meet the Saturday, September 4th. dedication.
Please click here to help us honor these Heroes.
The May 1st. Historic Marker Dedication,
Coal Museum 'Grand Reopening',
and Grow Gillespie Tourism Season Kickoff
was a great success! Several hundred visitors were able to enjoy a beautiful day participating in a 5K run, joining in an Historic Dedication, and mingling with friends at the street fair. The museum hosted more visitors this day than during the entire Covid 2020 shutdown.  
 Geoff Ladd Event Video 
Our Bloody Past
Gillespie Together
The Progressives
​Edited video event clips
courtesy of JASE Media Service 
As part of of our mission to preserve history, the story of the origin of the Progressive Miners of America is commemorated with an Illinois State Historical Society Marker. Many thanks to the Mythic Mississippi Project  
The Museum has been open with virtually no walk in traffic. 
The Spring  virus lock down seems to be followed by an Fall lockdown ,so for best results contact us for an appointment. 
We hope to see you signing in at our new guest book table soon.
After signing in, you will be offered a tour through to 'topside' displays telling the story of happenings above the coal mines. Next, continue to the most dramatic change made to the coal mining exhibit. Your journey through the rich history of Coal County begins with entry through a simulated coal tunnel. 
​Here are some dynamite teaser photos  ​