5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
In the Peoria Riverfront Museum Main Lobby
Opera from around the globe! Join us at the Peoria Riverfront Museum as we welcome Dr. Miracle Amah for an operatic performance that shows an incredible cross-cultural range.
A native of Nigeria, Miracle Amah is a librettist and a soprano presently based in the United States. She performs various genres of music which includes opera, art songs, oratorios, popular music, contemporary music, negro spirituals, jazz music etc. Dr. Amah has played major roles in several opera productions. Her staged performances include recitals, masterclasses, scenes and full opera productions in Nigeria, Canada, Russia, Germany, Dubai and the United States.
Presently, Dr. Amah serves as an assistant professor at Peoria's own Bradley University.
Member ticket: $30
Non-Member ticket: $35
Get tickets HERE
Thank you to our sponsors:
Linda Beth & Ed Sutkowski and Visionary Society
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 | 6 p.m.
Step inside the stories behind the documents that changed the world.
Written by civil rights leaders like Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., these documents tell the story of our nation and the road we still travel to the liberty promised by our founding fathers.
Join special advisor to the museum and guest curator of The Promise of Liberty , Seth Kaller, to discuss how the centerpiece exhibition for the Peoria Riverfront Museum's celebration of America 250 came to be. Kaller will be joined by Peoria Riverfront Museum Board Member, Aaron Kilgore.
Tickets
Member Adult: $15
Adult: $20
Get tickets HERE
Seth Kaller is one of the nation’s foremost authorities on rare historical documents and has personally procured the majority of the extraordinary works featured in the exhibition. On opening day of The Promise of Liberty, he will join the museum’s President and CEO, John Morris, to share how this extraordinary exhibition came to life—from the search for these foundational documents to the stories they tell about the ideals that shaped a nation. The conversation, which will take an in-depth look at documents like the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Emancipation Proclamation, among others.
The discussion will also explore why bringing this exhibition to Peoria, Illinois matters, offering insight into the power of experiencing history firsthand and the enduring relevance of liberty, democracy, and civic responsibility today.
This engaging conversation offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at an exhibition of national significance—and a deeper appreciation for the documents that continue to define the American experiment.
The Promise of Liberty is sponsored by the Gilmore Foundation, Ashley and Josh Bellamy, McKinnon Family Foundation, America 250 Donors, Visionary Society, Friends of History
In partnership with the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria
Thursday, February 26, 2026 | 6 p.m. | FREE program!
Join us in the Peoria Riverfront Museum's Gilmore Auditorium for a discussion on the development of medical professionals in Peoria, with tour following of current gallery Deep Rivers/Long Roads: The Journey of America. Join faculty experts from the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria for an engaging community presentation exploring the critical importance of the development of new medical professionals in Peoria. Training is a vital part of becoming a physician, and an essential component of the healthcare landscape of central Illinois. Join us at the Peoria Riverfront Museum for an engaging discussion with leaders, faculty and future physicians about how Peoria provides opportunity, education and experience to the doctors of tomorrow.
Reserve your FREE tickets HERE
Sponsored by Visionary Society and Friends of Science and Planetarium
Laser Light Nights are back at the DOME featuring an all new experience!
Sit back, relax and rock out with our new laser light system from "the worldwide leader in planetarium laser light shows," Laser Fantasy! Experience the full 3D excitement! The system features a graphics laser projector with special effects, a haze machine & a new beam projector, plus a fresh playlist of 20+ performances, from Beyoncé to The Beatles! Pick up show-enhancing spectrum glasses and refreshments at concessions!
SHOW SCHEDULE
February 27
6:00 – That 90s Laser Show (new show!)
7:15 – Laser Daft Punk
8:30 – Laser Lady Gaga
March 13
6:00 – Laser Movie Magic (family friendly, 30 minutes)
7:15 – Laser Beatles
8:30 – Laser Lizzo
$5 Visionary Society Members | $7 Members | $10 Public
Buy tickets online now
click here.
Tickets & more info also available at the Museum or by phone at 309.686.7000.
(Note: These shows contain lyrics to popular songs and some may not be suitable for all ages.)
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 | Reception at 5:30 p.m. | Talk at 6:30 p.m. | Book signing at 7:30 p.m.
Join us at the Peoria Riverfront Museum for a special evening as we welcome Christina Shutt, the executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, and Dr. Ian Hunt, their head of acquisitions, to discuss their new book: Lincoln: A Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation in 100 Objects.
This special presentation will be done in conjunction with current museum exhibition The Promise of Liberty , which contains objects like a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln, a tintype photograph taken in Peoria, Illinois, and the Peoria speech in which he took a definitive stance against slavery, changing American history forever.
The book puts the spotlight on some of America’s most famous documents and artifacts but also includes lesser-known items that reveal surprising moments in Lincoln’s life or connect us to the people and causes he fought for. Readers will see gorgeous photographs of objects that offer insight on Lincoln’s family life, his remarkable political rise, the painful decisions he made as commander in chief and the lives transformed by the Civil War and the end of slavery.
Tickets:
Adult: $20
Member Adult: $15
Get tickets HERE
Sponsored by America 250 donors, Visionary Society and Friends of History
Sunday, March 8, 2026 | 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. | Museum-wide
Thanks to the generous support of Art Bridges Foundation, every second Sunday at the Peoria Riverfront Museum is FREE to the public!
Join us Sunday, March 8, 2026 from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. as we celebrate Access for All day at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.
This Access for All day at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, enjoy make and take art activities, planetarium shows, films, guided tours, and so much more!Schedule:
Activities 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Tours - Tours start outside of the designated gallery.
Film
Apollo 11 | Giant Screen Theater | 12:30 p.m. | 10 Points
“Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” is a thrilling cinematic experience that showcases the real-life moments of humankind’s first steps on the moon. With a newly-discovered trove of never-before-seen 70mm footage and audio recordings, “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” joins Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, the Mission Control team and millions of spectators around the world, during those momentous days and hours in 1969 when humankind took a giant leap into the future. (50 mins)
Dome Planetarium
Each Dome Planetarium show is worth 10 Points.
Learn more about the museum's Achievement Passport, and how to earn points HERE
Re-member, members get double points! Earn 100 points and receive a FREE prize!
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation's Access for All program, Midwest Agricultural Museum Endowment Fund.
PLANET PASSPORT SERIES
Join our planet passport series! Each month, come to the planetarium for a show focused on one planet or place in space. Shows will be included in museum admission, and free for museum members. Non-Members can purchase admission to the museum or a planetarium show ticket to attend. These shows are great for all ages.
New for 2026: Participants should sign up for a Peoria Riverfront Museum Achievement Passport.
For each planet show you attend, you will earn a stamp in your passport and 25 points. Every three stamps you earn, you will gain a little extra prize! At the end of the year, we will host a telescope observing night to celebrate all we have learned. Everyone who participated in the planet passport program will be invited.
Shows will be on the second Thursday (5:30 PM) and second Saturday (10:30 AM) of each month. Each show will be about 45 minutes in length.
Sign up here to get email reminders about this cycle of Planet Passport.
March 12 (5:30 PM) and 14 (10:30 AM) – Mercury
April 9 (5:30 PM) and 11 (10:30 AM) – Venus
May 9 (10:30 AM) and 14 (5:30 PM) – Earth and Moon
June 11 (5:30 PM) and 13 (10:30 AM) – Mars
July 9 (5:30 PM) and 11 (10:30 AM) – Ceres and the Asteroid Belt
August 8 (10:30 AM) and 13 (5:30 PM) – Jupiter
September 10 (5:30 PM) and 12 (10:30 AM) – Saturn
October 8 (5:30 PM) and 10 (10:30 AM) – Uranus
November 12 (5:30 PM) and 14 (10:30 AM) – Neptune
December 10 (5:30 PM) 12 (10:30 AM) – Pluto and Kuiper Belt
Laser Light Nights are back at the DOME featuring an all new experience!
Sit back, relax and rock out with our new laser light system from "the worldwide leader in planetarium laser light shows," Laser Fantasy! Experience the full 3D excitement! The system features a graphics laser projector with special effects, a haze machine & a new beam projector, plus a fresh playlist of 20+ performances, from Beyoncé to The Beatles! Pick up show-enhancing spectrum glasses and refreshments at concessions!
SHOW SCHEDULE
March 13
6:00 – Laser Movie Magic (family friendly, 30 minutes)
7:15 – Laser Beatles
8:30 – Laser Lizzo
$5 Visionary Society Members | $7 Members | $10 Public
Buy tickets online now
click here.
Tickets & more info also available at the Museum or by phone at 309.686.7000.
(Note: These shows contain lyrics to popular songs and some may not be suitable for all ages.)
Wine and Cheese Under the Stars
Artemis II Returns to the Moon
Saturday, March 14 | 7-9 PM
Enjoy an evening out in the planetarium. Planetarium Director Renae Kerrigan will be sharing updates from the Artemis II, the ten day mission sending astronauts around the Moon, farther from Earth than humans have traveled before, and back again. Your evening will also include a tour of the night sky, and a flight to the edge of space and back.
Each ticket includes up to three pours of wine or other beverages, and an individual charcuterie box.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Doors open at 6:50 PM
The program will be in two parts, allowing time to socialize and refill your wine glass between the shows.
Ages 21+
$45 members | $55 public
The Peoria Riverfront Museum invites you to a special Member Saturday event, featuring signups for our new version of the Achievement Passport! Get your new passport, get points, and enjoy a special tour of new exhibition Exquisite Creatures.
Schedule:
10 a.m. | Doors open
10:30 a.m. | Planet Passport: Mercury, special screening in the Dome Planetarium
11:30 a.m. | Tour of Exquisite Creatures
12:30 p.m. | Secrets of the Great Salt Lakes 3D educational documentary in the Giant Screen Theater
Members enjoy FREE popcorn, at this special screening!
Members are also free to visit all museum galleries.
Members enjoy sneak peeks and special perks, every second Saturday of the month!
Not a member? Join on our website today,
get details at the ticket counter, or call (309) 686-7000.
Member Saturday sponsored by Visionary Society
Yoga Under the Stars
Join us for a one-of-a-kind yoga experience beneath the stars at the Dome Planetarium. This guided flow will invite you to slow down, ground deeply, and reconnect to yourself as we welcome spring. Under the glow of the night sky, we’ll move through intentional poses that restore balance, release tension, and create space for renewal as we step into a new season. Whether you’re a regular on the mat or brand new to yoga, this evening offers a peaceful reset, a moment to breathe, reflect, and realign beneath the celestial canopy.
Participants are asked to bring their own mats.
Each session will be an hour and 15 minutes long.
Friday, March 20
Doors open at 5:45, Event starts at 6 PM
$20 Members | $25 Public
All sessions are an hour and 15 minutes in length.
Limited mats are available, please bring a mat and a light blanket. Doors open at 5:45 pm. All supplies provided for programs unless otherwise noted. All paid programs require a minimum number of participants to run or will be cancelled two business days prior to the start date. Pre-registration required.
A MUSEUM+ Program
Friday, March 27, 2026 and Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Performances at 7 p.m.
Experience “I Hear America Singing” – A Musical Journey Through 250 Years of Liberty Presented by Shot in the Dark Productions | A Signature America 250 Event
FRIDAY TICKETS | SATURDAY TICKETS
As part of the Peoria Riverfront Museum’s commemoration of America 250, we are proud to present I Hear America Singing, an original performance created in partnership with Shot in the Dark Productions. This two-performance celebration brings America’s story to life through the power of song—honoring 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This is the inaugural performance of a show that will go on to travel as a gift to the nation to celebrate 250 years of America, and share our music with the next generation.
This pioneering performance adds the voices of Americans from various walks of life to a reading of the Declaration of Independence, then combined with the performance itself.
Presented in conjunction with the centerpiece of the Peoria Riverfront Museum's celebration of America 250, The Promise of Liberty, guest curated by acclaimed documentarian Ken Burns, this performance also complements a landmark exhibition featuring the largest assemblage of American historical documents ever shown on this scale. Visitors will encounter extraordinary artifacts, including a 1776 copy of the Declaration of Independence, an Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln, and the manuscript of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
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.
Echoing the voices of Whitman, Lincoln, Langston Hughes, Dr. King, and generations of Americans striving toward a more perfect union, this musical evening invites audiences to reflect, remember, and reimagine the nation’s ongoing quest to fulfill the ideals of its founding.
This signature performance will also be accompanied by Deep Rivers | Long Roads: The Journey of America . This special two month-long exhibition of Americana celebrates the nation’s path toward its own “promised land”—a vision carried forward not only by those who came before us, but by those who will follow.
This performance is made possible through the generous support of Linda Beth and Ed Sutkowski, whose sponsorship powers the museum’s MUSEUM+ initiative—a bold commitment to expanding performance, arts, and cultural experiences for the people of central Illinois.
Join us for two unforgettable performances where history, music, and hope converge—and hear America singing anew.
Sponsored by Linda Beth and Ed Sutkowski, America 250 donors, Visionary Society, Friends of Performance.
Planet Passport Series - Venus
Join our planet passport series! Each month, come to the planetarium for a show focused on one planet or place in space. Participants will receive a planet passport, and for each show they attend, will earn a sticker for that destination. Collect three stickers and earn a prize! Those with five stickers will pick a second prize, and be invited to a planet party in the Dome! Those with eight stickers and more will earn more prizes, be invited to the planet party, and be invited to an exclusive telescope viewing of the planets and Moon. Bring your passport to each show to collect a complete set!
Shows will be on the first Saturday (10:15 AM) and second Wednesday (6 PM) of each month. This program is available for all ages.
November focuses on Venus. We will talk about how it looks in our sky, how it formed, its exploration, and fly to it and land on it using our planetarium spaceship.
Each show will be about 45 minutes in length.
Buy one passport per participant, and you can come to any show in the series. If you miss the a month or two, don't worry! We will repeat the series next year, so you will have more chances to collect more planet stickers.
One passport includes: a seat in any of our 10 different planet passport shows, a prize when you collect 3, 5, 8 and 10 stickers, and the ability to earn admission to the planet party and observing night with 5 or 8 stickers earned. Passports are $15 for members and $20 for non-members.
Sign up for your passport here.
November 4 (10:15 AM), 8 (6 PM) – Venus
Run the Planets!
Interplanetary 5K Race + 1 Mile Fitness Walk
Registration is open for 2026! April 18, 2026
LOCATIONS
Peoria Riverfront Museum (packet pickup), Gateway Building (start & finish Line)
Course: Entirely flat (no hills) along the Riverfront Trail (from Gateway Building to Detweiller Marina)
TIMES
Packet Pickup: Friday, April 17, from 12:30-5:30 PM, and race day starting at 7:30 AM, in the museum's auditorium on the lower level.
April 18, 2026:
• 7:30-8:30 am: Race day registration; packet pickup
• 9 am: 5K Race start
• 9:05 am: 1 Mile Fitness Walk start
• 9:30 am: Kids' 1/2 Mile Fun Run start
• Refreshments after 5K race; awards after the Kids' Fun Run
Participants can choose to receive a race shirt, or skip it for a discount on registration. Must register by March 25 to guarantee a shirt.
FEES
REGISTRATION
Inquires: please contact Renae Kerrigan at rkerrigan@peoriariverfrontmuseum.org or 309.863.3030.
Checks can be mailed to:
Peoria Riverfront Museum
222 SW Water St
Peoria, IL 61602
The Interplanetary 5K is sponsored by the Rucker Family and the Visionary Society
Friday, April 24, 2026 - Sunday, April 26, 2026
Peoria Riverfront Museum | Peoria Zoo | Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum | Wildlife Prairie Park
Membership Swap Weekend is April 24, 2026- April 26, 2026!
If you are a member with the Peoria Riverfront Museum, enjoy FREE general admission to these awesome Peoria-area attractions: Wildlife Prairie Park, the Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum, and the Peoria Zoo!
All you have to do is present your membership card & a photo ID and then go enjoy your weekend!
Charges may apply for additional experiences.
PLANET PASSPORT SERIES
Join our planet passport series! Each month, come to the planetarium for a show focused on one planet or place in space. Shows will be included in museum admission, and free for museum members. Non-Members can purchase admission to the museum or a planetarium show ticket to attend. These shows are great for all ages.
New for 2026: Participants should sign up for a Peoria Riverfront Museum Achievement Passport.
For each planet show you attend, you will earn a stamp in your passport and 25 points. Every three stamps you earn, you will gain a little extra prize! At the end of the year, we will host a telescope observing night to celebrate all we have learned. Everyone who participated in the planet passport program will be invited.
Shows will be on the second Thursday (5:30 PM) and second Saturday (10:30 AM) of each month. Each show will be about 45 minutes in length.
Sign up here to get email reminders about this cycle of Planet Passport.
March 12 (5:30 PM) and 14 (10:30 AM) – Mercury
April 9 (5:30 PM) and 11 (10:30 AM) – Venus
May 9 (10:30 AM) and 14 (5:30 PM) – Earth and Moon
June 11 (5:30 PM) and 13 (10:30 AM) – Mars
July 9 (5:30 PM) and 11 (10:30 AM) – Ceres and the Asteroid Belt
August 8 (10:30 AM) and 13 (5:30 PM) – Jupiter
September 10 (5:30 PM) and 12 (10:30 AM) – Saturn
October 8 (5:30 PM) and 10 (10:30 AM) – Uranus
November 12 (5:30 PM) and 14 (10:30 AM) – Neptune
December 10 (5:30 PM) 12 (10:30 AM) – Pluto and Kuiper Belt
