Illinois Mennonite Historical & Genealogical Society

675 State Route 116, Metamora, IL 61548-7732
309-367-2551
Website: www.imhgs.org

Email: or

Collecting, Interpreting, Preserving, Sharing artifacts and information relating to the faith and life of Mennonites in Illinois

Illinois Mennonite Heritage Center Home of the museum complex, Illinois Mennonite Archives, and historical and genealogical research library of the Illinois Mennonite Historical and Genealogical Society, located on Route 116 midway between Germantown Hills and Metamora, Illinois

Open April through October, 10 AM to 4 PM Friday and Saturday
1:30 to 4:30 PM Sundays except Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, the Sundays before Memorial Day and Labor Day. Groups are welcome by appointment

• the museum in the brick building with collections of items used in households, schools, and congregations; toys, distinctive clothing, medical equipment;
• the restored Sutter barn, not only for needs of farm animals;
• Agricultural Museum of farm and woodworking tools and machinery;
• the restored Grandfather House and windmills;
• and the Prairie Arboretum of native Illinois grasses, flowers and trees
• the IMHGS Library and Archives

The library collection includes extensive holdings in genealogy and Anabaptist history, with over 5000 items relating to Anabaptist beginnings, various branches of Mennonites, and historical and genealogical sources for research. Included are encyclopedias and historical works, periodicals, family and county histories; indexes to ship passenger lists, census and marriage records on microfilm and microfiche, and other records on disk and CD ROMs.

The obituary index card file contains over 72,600 cards of names and vital statistics from the obituary columns in five Mennonite periodicals, with coverage from 1864 through 1997. Clippings, correspondence, fliers, pamphlets, and unpublished notes are found in vertical files.

Guided tours of the Heritage Center, with its museums, and native plantings,  take one to three hours.

Persons who concur with IMHGS’ mission are welcomed as members. Annual membership is $25. A Life membership is $500. Make check payable to "IMHGS" and send to: IMHGS, 675 State Route 116, Metamora, IL 61548-7732.

Membership includes voting privileges at semi-annual meetings and subscriptions to Illinois Mennonite Heritage Quarterly and Illinois Mennonite Heritage Newsletters (First Class postage is $10 extra. Issues are regularly mailed third class eight weeks prior to the programs they announce.)