Illinois Archaeology: The Deep Roots of the Prairie State

January 14 through February 19, 2026

We are thrilled to bring this extraordinary traveling exhibit to Des Plaines. Featuring multiple displays that provide a concise look at where and how people lived in Illinois over the past 12,500 years, it highlights how factors like conflict, climate change, and new technology influenced the lives of those communities. Visitors can explore these changes through the archaeological evidence people left behind, including cooking pits that reveal the diets of people who lived in Illinois centuries ago. Read more here.