This Fabulous Small Town Museum Preserves More Than A Century Of Illinois History
By Elizabeth Crozier|Published October 13, 2018
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Elizabeth Crozier
Author
An Illinois transplant who grew up and went to school in Indiana for 22 years, Elizabeth holds a BFA in creative writing and has enjoyed traveling across the country and parts of Europe. She has visited half of the states, as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and regularly travels home to the Hoosier State to see friends and family. With more than five years of writing experience, Elizabeth’s articles have been featured on several websites, and her poetry and short stories have been published in multiple literary journals.
There’s a small town museum in Litchfield, Illinois that belongs on every history lover’s bucket list. From Civil War artifacts to Route 66 memorabilia, this exciting place is full of interesting things you’ve probably never seen before.
Get a giant blast from the past at this museum that preserves history from way back to the 1800s. Scroll on for more details.
Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center in Southern Illinois has been preserving this small town's and the state's history since 2012. What began as an idea for a vintage postcard book has flourished into a marvelous collection of old cars, war propaganda, and ancient signage.
The town history is deeply embedded in that of the Land of Lincoln. It got its start in the 1850s when a new rail line to connect Alton and Terre Haute, Indiana was in the works. Over the years, Litchfield has been integral to America's wars.
In April 1861, Litchfield was the first town to answer Abraham Lincoln's call for men to fight in the Civil War. During World War II, this town's section of Route 66 was heavily damaged due to military traffic.
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The town grew rapidly over the years as a manufacturing giant mostly known for flour. Two coal mines also opened in the 1880s, but it was not until the addition of the original Route 66 that hotels and restaurants started to pop up and bring in tourist traffic.
Many locals see Litchfield as a halfway point between Springfield and St. Louis, making it the perfect town to stop into while you're on your road trip.
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When the new Route 66 was built in the 1940s and 1950s, the one to the east became Old Route 66, which is where this historic small town museum is located. Admission is free for all, but donations are appreciated.
Visitors are amazed by old road signs, buttons, posters, photographs, and various other objects from a time long gone. As this town's history stretches back to the mid-1800s, there is much to be seen in just a few hours.
Whether you spend just a little bit of time or the whole day at this museum, you'll want to be sure to see the old cars, the original fire truck, the vintage jukebox and other old machines, the ancient gas station sign, and some of the old train equipment. Nothing takes you back to the past like these timeless artifacts.
This historic small town museum is anything but boring. There are fun sights and sounds all over this wonderful place. You'll have your camera out every second trying to capture all the interesting art and artifacts.
Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Between November and March, it is only open Tuesday through Saturday.
Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center is located at 334 Historic Old Route 66 North, Litchfield, IL 62056, and you can learn more on its website or Facebook page. If you’ve ever been to this small town museum, we’d love to hear from you. Share your experiences and photos with us below in the comments.
