Illinois Mennonite Historical and Genealogical Society

Open April through October on second and fourth Saturdays of the month, from 10 am to 2 pm. To make an appointment outside of regular visiting hours, please email us using the email address listed on website or contact a Board Member.

The Illinois Mennonite Historical and Genealogical Society promotes heritage awareness through programs, tours, exhibits, research and publications. We cherish and remember our Swiss and German Amish-Mennonite pioneers that arrived in Illinois to start their new lives. We preserve the items they brought with them and used on the Illinois prairie. We remember their great faith in God and their community.

Come visit our main gallery and museum, explore our research library and discover your ancestors, walk through our original Gross Daadi haus (retirement home for the parents or grandparents), enter Christian Sutter’s 100+year old barn that was taken apart and moved to the Mennonite Heritage Center grounds, check out the agricultural tools and equipment in the barn and museum, observe nature in our arboretum and see native trees, prairie grasses, and flowers.

Call to schedule a tour of the museum, barn, and library.

Check out our Facebook page; Like and follow our page for more updates as they become available!

Sutter Barn

Tour Christian Sutter’s barn: During its first life span of 111 years on the Delavan Prairie in Tazewell County, the barn of Christian Sutter housed countless heads of livestock, hosted a national Amish Mennonite Diener Versammlungen (ministers’ conference), and numerous Amish Mennonite worship services.
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Library

Research Amish-Mennonite history and genealogy and browse books on Mennonite faith in our extensive library. Our knowledgeable librarians and historians are available to help you.
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Museum Gallery

Explore exhibits to learn about Amish-Mennonite Pioneers here in Central Illinois and Mennonite Missionaries in the Congo.
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Gross Daadi Haus

Tour an Amish “Grandfather Home;” a place built for the older generation to live and retire when the oldest son was able to take over the farm.
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Farm Museum

Agricultural tools and tractors of years past!
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Christian & Barbara Reeser Memorial Arboretum

Stroll through our botanical garden of prairies grasses, flowers, and trees. Beautiful to behold in all seasons!
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