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Sangamon Experience
Combine harvester silhouetted against a vibrant sunset sky.

“Soil and Soul: Farming in the Sangamon River Valley,” a documentary supported by the University of Illinois Springfield’s Sangamon Experience, has won Best Documentary Film at the 2025 Route 66 Film Festival. The film screened during the festival held Nov. 7-8 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield.

Local Resources

Working Side by Side to Preserve Central Illinois Heritage

At the heart of central Illinois, we are dedicated to weaving a rich tapestry that connects individuals with the region's vibrant history. Our initiatives encompass a wide range of activities, including traveling exhibits that bring the past to life, collaborative projects that unite local communities, and valuable grants and training programs designed to empower local historical organizations.

Education Resources

Educator Resources

We are dedicated to empowering you in your mission to educate the next generation of Prairie Stars about the fascinating past and dynamic present of Central Illinois!

When your students visit the Sangamon Experience, engage in National History Day in Illinois, or delve into our books in your classroom, they are not just absorbing knowledge—they are laying the groundwork to become active, informed citizens in our state. Take advantage of the high-quality curriculum we've developed to enhance your teaching journey.

Audience watching the premiere of Soil & Soul at UIS in November 2024, with a speaker at the podium.

The University of Illinois Springfield’s Sangamon Experience documentary, “Soil & Soul: Farming in the Sangamon River Valley,” has been selected for screening at the Farm to Film Fest, held A

A famers hands on the steering wheel of a combine looking out a window.

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield’s Sangamon Experience will open a new exhibit and premiere a documentary film titled “Soil & Soul: Farming in the Sangamon River Valley.” The documentary tells the stories of 10 individuals who have spent their lives farming throughout the Sangamon River Valley, an area encompassing approximately 1,500 square miles in central Illinois.

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Women holding signs that say "ERA" march through the streets of Springfield in 1982 as part of an Equal Rights Amendment rally.

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield’s Sangamon Experience will host a panel discussion titled “Echoes of Change: Central Illinois Journalism and Social Justice in the 1980s.” Co-sponsored by NPR Illinois, the event will explore the impact of local journalism during this transformative era.

WHEN: 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 24

WHERE: UIS Student Union Ballroom, 2251 Richard Wright Drive, Springfield

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A black and white photo showing a large group of women attending a Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) event.

“The Struggle for Change,” a new exhibit by the University of Illinois Springfield’s Sangamon Experience, will tell the history of underrepresented people in central Illinois when it opens on Jan. 12 on the lower level of the UIS Public Affairs Center. The exhibition will run through Sept. 6.

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Image with text that says "Black History Month"

Sangamon Experience and the Diversity Center at the University of Illinois Springfield will host two Black History Month events that are free and open to the public.

Upcoming events include:

Dennis Williams

Sangamon Experience at the University of Illinois Springfield invites the public to attend “Dennis Williams: Prominent 19th Century African American Artist in Springfield, Illinois.” This presentation is by Mary Frances, a local independent historian and artist, and is funded by Illinois Humanities.  

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Photo of Susan Lawrence Dana

Sangamon Experience at the University of Illinois Springfield presents a new exhibit, “Susan Lawrence Dana: A Woman of Progress,” opening Aug. 1, 2022, on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center at UIS. The exhibit was created by recent UIS public history graduate Katie Brethorst-Stockwell.

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