ILLINOIS COAL MUSEUM
121 S. Macoupin Street, Gillespie
TEXT: 833-228-8603
HOURS: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The Illinois Coal Museum is the product of an outstanding collaboration between two local men: James Alderson (who donated his large collection) and Dave Tucker (innovative Curator and Chairman of the museum’s Board of Directors). This excellent museum has four principal themes with artifacts, maps, posters and photographs: (1) the natural history of coal, (2) the union history of coal mining in Gillespie where the Progressives and its Women’s Auxiliary were founded and with reference to other Macoupin County coal towns and including a new display comparing central Illinois to the County Durham coalfields in northeast England, (3) the lives of miners with emphasis on their equipment and safety measures, and (4) Gillespie itself as a coal town. An exciting exhibit is a reconstructed a coal tunnel, which one can walk through to get a sense of what the underground experience was like. The museum has a small sale area with a selection of relevant books, mugs, pins, etc. The museum’s use of the building’s industrial architecture adds to the exhibition script. The museum also has a large seminar room. This museum is well worth a visit.
We are delighted to repeat the announcement made on November 18, 2020 by State Senator Andy Manar and State Representative Avery Bourne, that the City of Gillespie received a $33,800 grant to assist with improvements to the Illinois Coal Museum. The Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), is specifically used for museums operated by local government or located on municipally-owned land. The museum building is actually three buildings and it will eventually include a pop-up shop and a business incubator.
The Illinois Coal Museum also was identified early on as an integral part of Gillespie’s streetscape plan. Dave Tucker, Curator of the Illinois Coal Museum in Gillespie, is always in attendance during the museum hours of operation to present an excellent overview of the museum and local coal mining history, as seen in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J2gnoIQXu8&list=PLjtacxiB93P2i2N7O18rZSGSz_v8vDQbI&index=13&t=113s
Professor Helaine Silverman on the video screen, discussing labor history in Gillespie. This is part of the educational program organized and led by Mr. Tucker for high school teachers. The program is situated in the labor history section of the museum.
