The Illinois Gallery, presented by Motorola

The Illinois Gallery is a flexible gallery presenting an ever-changing series of visiting exhibitions, or exhibitions drawn from the Library's own collections.


Traveling Exhibits



Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America examines Lincoln's life from his beginnings in the crudest of circumstances to his ascension to the presidency and his assassination.

Current Exhibits

Upcoming Exhibits




TEAM OF RIVALS: Lincoln's Cabinet at the Crossroads of War

This exhibition will take you inside the highest levels of the United States government as Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet struggle with the momentous issue of war. Restricted to the information they possessed at the time, you will confront the perplexities and options they faced during the first weeks of Lincoln's presidency — and decide for yourself if they made the right choices...