Ethnic Heritage Museum, Rockford

About Ethnic Heritage Museum

The Ethnic Heritage Museum in Rockford occupies a historical campus where visitors explore six galleries dedicated to the immigrant groups who shaped the region. The African American, Hispanic, Irish, Italian, Lithuanian, and Polish galleries display early Rockford area maps, everyday artifacts, vintage clothing, and historical photographs that tell the stories of settlers who built factories and homes near the old waterpower district. Guided tours lead through both the museum and the adjacent Graham-Ginestra House, an 1857 structure on the National Register of Historic Places that showcases Greek Revival and Italianate architecture. The Graham-Ginestra House interior exhibits original artifacts and reflects the histories of Freeman Graham, who built the home, and Leo Ginestra, a Sicilian immigrant who purchased it in 1927. Both families played prominent roles in early Rockford business and politics. The campus includes gardens suitable for strolling and photography.