Our Mission

To inspire lifelong learning for all - connecting art, history, science and achievement through collections, exhibitions and programs. 

About the Museum

The only multidisciplinary museum of its kind in the nation, the Peoria Riverfront Museum uses art, science, history and achievement to inspire confidence, lifelong learning, and talent. Since opening in 2012, the privately funded museum has provided more than one million experiences through major exhibitions, a permanent collection, interactive galleries, a dome planetarium, giant screen theater and educational programming including curricula-related student visits. The AAM-accredited, Smithsonian-affiliated private nonprofit museum is supported by more than 4,000 members and donors, and is housed in a county-owned LEED Gold-certified building on a campus overlooking the Illinois River. The museum has been designated one of the 200 great places in Illinois by the American Institute of Architects.

The museum manages a permanent collection of 15,000 objects and organizes more than 20 self-curated and visiting exhibitions annually in five major galleries and twenty-five total display spaces. Special programs include a 40-ft dome planetarium, 194-seat giant screen movie theater, and an array of educational programming that includes museum classes, camps, lectures, tours, travel programs, digital and video content. The museum has more than 200 community and national program and content partners, including affiliation with the Smithsonian.