Peoria Riverfront Museum

Get down and boogie with us! Join us on the Peoria Riverfront Museum's Sun Plaza for a summer music series inspired by Preston Jackson's "Bronzeville to Harlem: An American Story." Join us for a high-energy MUSEUM+ performance with: "Lowdown Brass Band" Thursday, May 28, 2026 | Doors open at 7 p.m. | Performance at 8:30 p.m. Get tickets on our website today, link in bio. Lowdown Brass Band is a Chicago-based all-horn ensemble that blends hip hop, soul, and reggae with traditional New Orleans brass. They are known for their high-energy performances that combine street beat rhythms with jazz, creating a modern, genre-bending, brassy night of entertainment. Sponsored by Linda Beth and Ed Sutkowski, Visionary Society, Friends of Bronzeville to Harlem and Friends of Performance

Extended by popular demand! Thanks to the popularity of this focus exhibition delving into the life and legacy of Peoria-born singer songwriter Dan Fogelberg, we're extending it's time at the Peoria Riverfront Museum! Join us for: "FOGELBERG" Now through October 4, 2026 Learn more on our website today, link in bio. The Peoria Riverfront Museum is proud to be showcasing some of the amazing local talent from central Illinois in current exhibition series "Peoria Plays America." "FOGELBERG" is sponsored by Fogelberg Foundation of Peoria, America 250 donors, Visionary Society, Friends of Performance In partnership with Jean Fogelberg See less

Get tickets before they're gone! Stay up to date on the latest news from space with a special presentation on the historic Artemis II flight around the moon, sip on wine and enjoy a charcuterie box made just for you. Join us in the Dome Planetarium - Peoria Riverfront Museum for: "Wine and Cheese Under the Stars" Friday, May 22, 2026 | 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Get tickets on our website today, link in bio. Spend a night under the stars with delicious food, wine and a stellar presentation by Planetarium Director Renae Kerrigan. Each guest receives an individual charcuterie box and up to three glasses of wine in addition to their evening under the stars. Ages 21+ only. This program is presented by Sun Collectors with additional support from the Visionary Society and the Planetarium and Science Club.

Peoria is the place for philanthropy! In honor of America 250, we're shining a light on some of the amazing people and organizations who make what we do possible. Yesterday, the Peoria Riverfront Museum welcomed Anne Kraybill, CEO to our biggest national philanthropic partner, @art_bridges_gallery for her first-ever visit to Peoria. Support from Art Bridges, founded by Alice Walton, has made some of our biggest exhibitions of art possible, as well as programs like "Access for All" free days and "Frame to Frame: Where Film Meets Art" in the Giant Screen Theater. Today, they have brought some of the most significant pieces of American art to "The Promise of Liberty," including the Edward Hicks painting "Washington at the Delaware." Since our inaugural collaboration in 2019 on "Vantage Points: Contemporary Photography from the Whitney Museum of American Art," the Peoria Riverfront Museum and Art Bridges have partnered on over 25 projects, furthering access to the arts and culture in our community. We are so thankful for all those who give back to this community and make it possible for us to give Peoria a museum experience unlike any other. Plan your visit to see current Art Bridges exhibition "Exquisite Creatures" at the Peoria Riverfront Museum on our website today, link in bio.

In her first visit to Peoria, and to the Peoria Riverfront Museum, Art Bridges CEO Anne Kraybill reaffirmed how important this partnership is for the Peoria community. Alice Walton's @artbridgesfoundation is the Peoria Riverfront Museum's biggest national philanthropic partner, and their support has allowed the Peoria Riverfront Museum to grow beyond our wildest dreams. From American art exhibitions that include pieces by giants of the industry like Andy Warhol, Grant Wood, Rashid Johnson, Diane Arbus and more to programs like "Access for All" free days, Art Bridges has opened doors, created opportunity, and bolstered the Peoria Riverfront Museum's mission to unleash the greatest talent and genius of every individual. Those who have visited the Peoria Riverfront Museum in the last few years have almost certainly seen at least one piece of art or attended one program supported by Art Bridges. On exhibition now, see "Exquisite Creatures" in it's first time traveling since it was acquired by Art Bridges. Plan your visit on our website today, link in bio. Generous support for Exquisite Creatures is provided by Art Bridges With additional support from America 250 Donors, Mike Rucker Endowment Fund for Science, Visionary Society, and Illinois Arts Council Curated by Christopher Marley, Organized by Art Bridges

Today, Art Bridges Foundation CEO Anne Kraybill is coming to the Peoria Riverfront Museum, marking her first visit to Peoria, Illinois since she was appointed to the position in 2024. Join us for: "Museum Conversations: Anne Kraybill" Thursday, May 14, 2026 | Meet and Greet at 5:30 p.m. | Program at 6 p.m. Get tickets on our website today, link in bio. Kraybill will be giving insight into her work at Art Bridges, their mission to deliver meaningful experiences with art to communities like ours, and how our partnership has brought some of the greatest American art of all time to Peoria, Illinois. Sponsored by Visionary Society, America 250 donors, Illinois Arts Council

Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence at the Peoria Riverfront Museum! Join us for a MUSEUM+ program: "Peoria Pops on the Plaza: Patriotic Tunes" Thursday, June 11, 2026 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Get tickets on our website today, link in bio. This 30-person brass band will be playing true-blue American music against the beautiful riverfront setting, accompanied by special guest Benjamin Franklin, as embodied by premier American political reenactor Mitchell Kramer. Franklin was part of the 'Committee of Five,' a special group appointed to draft the Declaration of Independence. See a 1776 broadside of the Declaration of Independence, the same that our ancestors would have seen in the earliest days of our nation on exhibition in "The Promise of Liberty." Sponsored by Linda Beth and Ed Sutkowski, America 250 donors, Visionary Society, Friends of Performance

One of the founding fathers is coming to Peoria! Join us for a special evening with Benjamin Franklin, as embodied by world premier American political re-enactor Mitchell Kramer, and special advisor to "The Promise of Liberty" Seth Kaller. Join us for: "Museum Conversations: An Evening with Benjamin Franklin" Friday, June 12, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. Get tickets on our website today, link in bio. Within the context of the Peoria Riverfront Museum's celebration of America 250, and our standout exhibition of American history "The Promise of Liberty," learn about America's early days through the eyes of Benjamin Franklin; a scientist, inventor, statesman and political philosopher. Sponsored by America 250 donors, Visionary Society, Friends of History

"The Promise of Liberty" is now open! In celebration of America's 250th anniversary, see some of the most important documents, artworks and objects in American history, including a 1776 printing of The Declaration of Independence. This broadside would have been seen by the very first Americans, hanging in communal areas like the town square, one of the first steps to becoming the nation we are today. Plan your visit on our website today, link in bio. The Promise of Liberty invites visitors of all ages to explore that daring experiment and its lasting impact. This powerful exhibition looks honestly at America’s aspirations, achievements, contradictions, and unfinished work, inspiring today’s citizens—and tomorrow’s—to imagine a stronger democracy and a more inclusive society. The Promise of Liberty is sponsored by Gilmore Foundation. Ashley and Josh Bellamy, McKinnon Family Foundation See less

Did you know that the Peoria Riverfront Museum is the first destination that "Exquisite Creatures" has traveled to in its current presentation, after its acquisition by Art Bridges? Since 2018, the Peoria Riverfront Museum has partnered with Art Bridges to bring some of the most significant American art to our community, through exhibitions, programs, and interactive materials. This Thursday, in her first visit to Peoria, Art Bridges CEO Anne Kraybill will be visiting the Peoria Riverfront Museum, to give insight into her work at Art Bridges, and their mission to deliver meaningful experiences with art to communities like ours. Join us for: "Museum Conversations: Anne Kraybill" Thursday, May 14, 2026 | Meet and Greet at 5:30 p.m. | Program at 6 p.m. Get tickets on our website today, link in bio. Sponsored by Visionary Society, America 250 donors, Illinois Arts Council

This weekend only! Join us for a dark thriller that tells the story of two brothers, and the robbery that ruined their lives in the latest installment of current "Art of Film" cycle, "American Realism." Sidney Lumet's 2007 "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead." Friday, May 15, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. Get tickets on our website today, link in bio. This film is part of our newest "Art of Film" series, "American Realism" featuring pre-taped introductions by guest curator of film A.S. Hamrah. See the full schedule of "Art of Film" on our website today, link in bio. Art of Film is generously sponsored by Drs. Jane and Darrell Gumm, Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Nancy Snowden, and Film Society.

Playing this week on the Giant Screen! The Peoria Riverfront Museum's Giant Screen Theater is a film experience like no other, from our state of the art Dolby surround sound to the largest Film Society screen in the nation. Get tickets on our website today, link in bio. Join us for a film-filled week with: "Barbie" Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. "Art of Film: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" Friday, May 15, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. "The Lego Movie Part 2: The Second Part" Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. See all upcoming films on our website today, link in bio.