Opens Saturday, January 31, 2026
Deep Rivers / Long Roads: The Journey of America invites visitors to consider the American saga as the nation embarks on its semiquincentennial celebration. This exhibition is an historic and artistic reflection on the winding road that has witnessed migrations, homecomings, heartbreaks, breakthroughs, and voices that resisted silence. Ever-blossoming from the optimism of industrialization to the hardened endurance of wartime, the ideals of a promised land, whether stitched into a quilt or frozen in a photograph, echo a nation forever becoming.
Drawing from the museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition traces the dream of America, celebrating 250 years of history and the lived experiences that shaped it. This exhibition honors the debt to those who built, questioned, challenged, rebuilt, and dared to sing their part.
I Hear America Singing
In conjunction with Deep Rivers / Long Roads | The Journey to America, the Peoria Riverfront Museum presents a signature performance: I Hear America Singing .
Inspired by Walt Whitman’s famous poem, I Hear America Singing weaves together a dynamic collection of music that reflects the nation’s evolving pursuit of liberty and the promises set forth in 1776. From traditional spirituals and work songs like “Deep River” and “Bound for the Promised Land,” to the works of celebrated composers and songwriters such as Paul Simon, Charles Ives, Jason Robert Brown, and Stephen Schwartz, this performance traces the American journey toward freedom, unity, and hope.
Part of the Peoria Riverfront Museum's celebration of America 250
The Peoria Riverfront Museum is celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation in 2026. Join us all year long for exhibitions on American art, science, history and achievement, including The Promise of Liberty, an exhibition guest curated by documentarian Ken Burns. Featuring a 1776 copy of the Declaration of Independence, a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and more, this exhibition will be the largest collection of some of the most important documents in American history on display during America 250.
Sponsored by America 250 donors, Visionary Society, Illinois Arts Council
