Iroquois County Historical Society Old Courthouse Museum
(815) 432-2215
  • ICHS Home
  • About ICHS and Old Courthouse Museum
    • Our Building
    • Memberships
  • ICHS Board and Committees
  • 2021 Christmas Tree Lane
    • 2021 Christmas Tree Lane Calendar
  • 2021 HARVEST DAZE - 42nd Annual Festival
    • 2021 Harvest Daze Vendors
    • Harvest Daze Donors and Volunteers
    • Harvest Daze Lucky Draws and Silent Auction
    • Harvest Daze Shows and Entertainment
    • Harvest Daze Food
    • Harvest Daze 2021 Pumpkin Contest
  • Upcoming Events
  • Past Events
  • I'm Planning A...
    • Personal Tour
    • Group Tour
    • Field Trip
    • Event
  • Exhibits and Art Gallery
    • Art Gallery
    • Art 2019 -- March-April -- Watseka Art Students
    • Art 2019 - February - Maureen Ziemer
    • Illinois Bicentennial-Iroquois County Style
    • Art 2018 - Mar-Apr GRMS Art Students
    • Art 2018 - Jan-Feb WCHS Art Students
    • Art 2017 Nov-Dec
    • Art 2017 March-April
  • Accessions
  • Memorials
  • ICHS Catalog
  • 50th Anniversary DVD
  • Genealogy - ICGS

Old Courthouse Museum

A true historical gem located in Watseka, Illinois.

Visitor Information:
Hours: Monday-Friday
10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
First Sunday of the Month
​1:00 P.M to 4:00 P.M.
Address: 103 West Cherry, Watseka, IL 60970
Phone: 815-432-2215
Email: ichs221567@yahoo.com

Upcoming events
Picture

Picture


The Old Courthouse Museum is open
Monday - Friday, 10 am-4 pm.
​ Follow us on Facebook @oldcourthousemusem1866 .


The Iroquois County Historical Society Board has recently lost a long-time member, David Hiles.  Please remember his family in your thoughts and prayers.

During the closure due to COVID-19 restrictions, volunteers were able to complete many improvements, repairs and cleaning tasks. Outside, railings on the front steps were painted, roof edge, soffit and gutters were repaired. A tower window was replaced. Inside, ceilings and walls were repaired in several rooms. Updates to the boiler systems were completed. Front entrance flooring was replaced, as well as hallway walls painted. Some exhibits were moved or updated. In the genealogy vaults, the 150-year-old metal cabinet doors are being cleaned and shining again. Of course, we did lots and lots of cleaning to welcome back visitors. We hope you can come to see us soon.

The ICHS Annual Meeting was held April 24, 2021. Annual committee reports were given and officers were elected. 
President - Diane Gagnon
Vice President - Jody Munsterman
Secretary - Janet Doyle
Treasurer - Bob Harwood

Special recognition was given to Marilyn Wilken for her 25 years of service to the ICHS Board, her dedication to the Art Gallery and support of local area artists. The Art Gallery will be named the Marilyn Wilken Art Gallery.
​
Special recognition was given to Mitchell Bence for his several years on the ICHS Board, including serving as the President of the ICHS Board and his dedication to the work of the Old Courthouse Museum.

Today, a visit to the Old Courthouse is a step back in time where you can visit the old County Jail, see recreations of an old-time back porch, a Victorian parlor, old time general store, post office, one-room schoolhouse, and much more.

It is a place where you can stroll past showcase after showcase featuring one-of-a-kind treasures of a bygone era, with something to interest nearly everyone: fossil and mineral collections, Indian artifacts, the latest fashions of the Victoria era, a collection of over a hundred antique dolls, medical instruments from the pioneer days, and much more.

The highly-regarded genealogical archives of the Iroquois County Genealogical Society are housed in the original vaults of the records of Iroquois County, dating back to 1860.

Even though the Old Courthouse is a storehouse of things past, the present is well represented also. Renowned for its wonderful acoustics, the Old Courtroom now resounds with applause at the concerts, presentations and recitals held there each year.


We invite you to visit our art exhibitions featuring talented local artists, or attend one of our Spotlights, featuring communities, organizations, occupations or hobbies. Our natural history area displays animals of our area in a lifelike setting. The Museum Office stocks books and maps about Iroquois County, as well as local area souvenirs.


Your generous donations are greatly appreciated.  We would like to thank everyone for their support in the past and hope you can continue to support this beautiful old building.  If you have not been to the Museum for a while, please take time to stop in and view our new displays.

Other Ways to Give:

Donate up to 30% of your purchase price to Iroquois County Historical Society when you shop at 2300+ popular online retailers using Giving Assistant! It’s easy. Giving Assistant pays you cash back, and you choose how much of it you’d like to donate to us. Try it now and find great deals like exclusive Hobby Lobby coupons, as well as savings at great places like Aliexpress (6%) and Home Depot (3%)!

Online Fundraising
Use Giving Assistant to save money and support Iroquois County Historical Society

Sign up and shop with Giving Assistant to start donating 3-30% of purchases from your favorite online stores like Michaels (3%), Sears (7%), and Office Depot (6%).


Picture
We have a shopfunding campaign! Did you know that you can now support the Iroquois County Historical Society as you shop. Not only that, you will save money too! Here’s how it works, simply add our Goodshop Gumdrop browser plugin , and then two things will happen - you will love it! First, all the best coupons and deals will automatically activate on your screen when you visit an online store. That means Gap Coupons when you shop for your kids or Patagonia deals or dollars off on Apple discounts when you want a new computer. Second, a portion of what you spend will automatically be donated to us from participating stores. It’s the easiest way to support us!
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.