Boone County Museum of History, Belvidere

About Boone County Museum of History

The Boone County Museum of History in Belvidere preserves and displays artifacts spanning the county's past. Visitors explore exhibits including a Military Exhibit featuring stories of Boone County residents from the Civil War forward, and the Melvin and Mildred Banks Gallery with a dig-your-own fossil site, hands-on interactive learning drawers, and a real Wooly Mammoth thigh bone discovered locally. The Sowing Season exhibit focuses on farming history with interactive elements including a farmers market and a cow that can be milked. Additional displays showcase the Duxstad Log Cabin built in 1840, the Newton Academy Bell from 1842, and an 1898 Cunningham Hearse with period preservation features. A current exhibit celebrates Judi Ford's life as a Belvidere gymnast and educator. Founded in 1937 and housed in its current building since 1968, the museum appeals to those interested in local history, natural history, and interactive learning experiences.