Opening Doors to Madison County History

The Madison County Historical Society (MCHS) is dedicated to preserving the history of Madison County, Illinois, for the purpose of understanding its people, culture, and community. Our mission of “Opening Doors to Madison County History” means we seek to understand our community achievements and triumphs, as well as our tragedies and failures. We pursue this knowledge inclusively for all the people in our community, while being sensitive to how the forces of race, gender, national origin, and class have shaped our history.

The Madison County Historical Museum and Archival Library are owned and operated by the Society. MCHS relies on donations from the community to fund operations, produce educational materials, and create quality programming throughout the year. The artifacts, documents and photographs in the MCHS collections are preserved at the Society’s Main Street complex consisting of the 1836 Weir House (museum building), a modern library building and the Helms Collection Center.

Although the museum building is currently closed for a major renovation, staff and volunteers continue to create small exhibits at the Madison County Archival Library. They accept new donations, use best practices to preserve artifacts and regularly create online exhibits that can be found on this website. At the Archival Library, staff and volunteers assist researchers and work to preserve the collection of books, papers, maps and photographs.

The Madison County Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Hours of Operation
History of MCHS
Board of Directors
Staff
Policies and Forms