Explore Peoria’s Art, Science, Nature & History by Bicycle!
Pedal Peoria's 19th Year. Rides sponsored by Peoria Riverfront Museum & the Illinois Valley Wheelm'n.
All Peoria rides are designed for the casual rider, 10 to 15 miles (1 or 2 steep hills, about 2 hours each). All riders welcome! No fee or registration. For Pedal Peoria information contact Ride Leader Sheldon Schafer at 309.682.1876 or sschafer7@gmail.com or Ride Leader Brian Cunningham for Jun 20, 27, & July 18 at 309.633.1224 or brian.cunningham58@sbcglobal.net.
Grandview Ride
Wed, May 23 | 6 pm
Start: Stadium Park on Lake Street
Highlights | Views from Grandview Drive, Prospect Road, High Point Drive, Lindbergh's airmail flight plaque
History Ride
Wed, May 30 | 6 pm
Start: Peoria Riverfront Museum (Water Street entrance)
Highlights | Riverfront, Springdale Cemetery, Randolph-Roanoke-High Street homes, Giant Oak Park, Moss Ave Homes, Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Lloyd "Wrong" Homes
Sculpture Ride
Wed, Jun 6 | 6 pm
Start: Peoria Riverfront Museum (Water Street entrance)
Highlights | Public Sculptures around Peoria, Including Sonar Tide, Peace & Harvest, Mother Theresa, Ingersoll, various Riverfront Park sculptures & various Bradley University public sculptures
Gargoyles & Dragons Ride
Wed, Jun 20 | 6 pm
Start: Tower Park in Peoria Heights
Highlights | Discover the most famous gargoyles and dragons in town
West Peoria Ride
Wed, Jun 27 | 6 pm
Start: Peoria Riverfront Museum (Water Street entrance)
Highlights | West Peoria brick streets, St. Mary’s Cemetery & hillside prairie, and selected historic sights
East Peoria Ride
Wed, Jul 18 | 6 pm
Start: Granite City parking lot
Highlights | East Peoria Trail & views from Fon du Lac Drive
50's Soft Serve Ride
Wed, Jul 25 | 6 pm
Start: Corner of Lake & Knoxville
Highlights | 3 classic soft serve ice cream stands, ending at Lou’s Drive-In
Springdale Cemetery Ride
Thu, Aug 1 | 6 pm
Start: Peoria Riverfront Museum (Water Street entrance)
Highlights | Discover how large the cemetery really is and how much of Peoria’s history is hidden within as we ride ALL of the loops of the cemetery
Garden & Prairie Ride
Wed, Aug 9 | 6 pm
Start: Luthy Botanical Garden parking lot
Highlights | Springdale Prairie Remnant, selected city & community gardens, plus selected historic sights
Solar System Ride
Wed, Aug 15 | 6 pm
Start: Donovan Park (former golf course) parking lot
Highlights | Starting at Jupiter, follow the Rock Island Greenway past the terrestrial planets to the Sun at the Peoria Riverfront Museum and back. We will be returning just after sunset to observe the Full Moon, Jupiter and Saturn through Northmoor Observatory’s historic 104-year-old telescope
For more information contact:
Ride Leader Sheldon Schafer at 309.682.1876 or sschafer7@gmail.com; or Ride Leader Brian Cunningham for Jun 20, 27, & July 18 at 309.633.1224 or brian.cunningham58@sbcglobal.net.
September 18, 2025 | 6:30 p.m.
Join us for the Art of Film with guest curator of film Carlos Valladares and director Jerry Schatzberg to discuss Scarecrow.
The 1973 film, starring Gene Hackman and Al Pacino is one of the best-reviewed of Schatzberg’s career. Now, hear a special introduction to the film from Schatzberg himself, giving a firsthand account of the film’s creation, it’s execution, and it’s public reception.
After the screening, guest curator of film Carlos Valladares will further discuss the film.
Get tickets HERE
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
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
September 19
6:00 – Sargent Pepper (The Beatles)
7:15 – Laser Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
8:30 – Laser Zeppelin: Whole Lotta Led
$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.)
This program is presented by Sun Collectors with additional support from the Visionary Society and the Planetarium and Science Club.
Saturday, September 20, 2025 | Performance 6:30 p.m. | Reception 8 p.m.
The Peoria Riverfront Museum is pleased to announce a new series of performances taking place in current exhibition Solitude: The Necessity of Art.
Join us for Sounds in Solitude , a special music series where art and music come together in a beautiful and moving way. In each event, a musician picks artworks from the exhibition Solitude: The Necessity of Art and performs a solo piece inspired by what they see.
Through music, they share their personal response to the art, creating a powerful connection between sound and image. The musician may also perform other pieces that add to the story they want to tell.
A museum curator will join the performance to walk the audience through the selected artworks, giving insight into the art and the creative exchange between the musician and the visuals.
Experience this one-of-a-kind journey where music brings new life to art — and art inspires unforgettable music.
Tickets
Light hors d'oeuvres will be served after the performance. A cash bar will be available.
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation
Sponsored by Visionary Society, Friends of Performance and Illinois Arts Council.
Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. | FREE with General Admission!
Join us in Boy: Joys and Sorrows for a conversation between guest curator of film Carlos Valladares and artist Nicolas Africano, bridging the fine arts and the art of film.
Limited seating is available. Reserve your ticket HERE
Nicolas Africano, born in 1948 in Kankakee, Illinois, is a contemporary artist whose cast glass sculptures uniquely merge classical form with modern sensibilities. Living and working in Normal, Illinois, since the 1960s, Africano’s art is deeply personal, with his wife and muse, Rebecca, serving as the central subject of much of his work.
The cinema is the quintessential artistic medium of the 20th century; it is the meeting point of literature, poetry, theater, painting, photography, essay, music, and dance. Yet those who look at, make, or study movies have a tendency to segregate it from the other arts. Carlos Valladares aims to unite the incredible contemporary art of Africano with film, putting the two in dialogue. From the unmoving beauty of Africano's busts to the frenetic pace of films on the Giant Screen, see it come together in beautiful harmony.
Sponsored by Visionary Society, Friends of Art
Yoga Under the Stars
Mon September 22 | 6 PM
Let's get together and celebrate the luminous power of the sun and the Autumn Equinox with Yoga Under the Stars in the Dome Planetarium. Join us for a memorable evening of meditative yoga movement and autumn equinox stargazing in the Dome Planetarium in Downtown Peoria, IL. Upon arrival you'll settle in and get connected to the beauty and wonder of the Autumn Equinox sky above us with a star talk.
Together we'll immerse in a yoga practice under the stars to celebrate our connection to autumn through explorations in balance, transitions, and the art of letting go with breathwork, yoga postures and deep integrative reflection. Let's calibrate our internal clocks with the magnitudinal balance this season provides. Yoga is led by Tammy Mitchell aka TamoVision, a full time yogaeducator specializing in personalized yoga & immersive training at OM on the River Yoga Center in Downtown Peoria. This community class is suitable for beginners & beyond. You'll always be encouraged to take the class at your own pace and to lean into the support of the collective. Please bring a yoga mat & blanket. Let's get balanced and connected under the autumn stars.
Purchase tickets here: $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.
Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 11 a.m.
The Peoria Riverfront Museum presents the first installment of our America Forward Speaker Series with special guest Dr. Bob Ballard.
A retired Navy officer and professor and professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, Dr. Ballard is best known to the general public for his discovery of the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1985. Now he is bringing that discovery to Peoria with the world premiere of new exhibition Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission.
Join us at the Peoria Riverfront Museum as Dr. Ballard presents on the future of discovery in America.
America Forward Speaker Series
Looking to the future of our nation beyond America’s milestone 250th anniversary, the Peoria Riverfront Museum is proud to launch an exciting new speaker series. Nationally renowned leaders and visionaries—each at the peak of their field—will join us for inspiring conversations about the future of our country, exploring the opportunities before us and the challenges we must face together.
Ticketing Tiers
Member | $45
General Admission to the Peoria Riverfront Museum's galleries, including Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission presented by CEFCU, and Dr. Ballard's America Forward presentation.
Non-Member | $55
General Admission to the Peoria Riverfront Museum's galleries, including Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission presented by CEFCU, and Dr. Ballard's America Forward presentation.
Get tickets HERE
Exclusive Meet and Greet Experience | $100
General Admission to the Peoria Riverfront Museum's galleries, including Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission presented by CEFCU, and Dr. Ballard's America Forward presentation, as well as a a signed copy of Dr. Ballard's memoir Into the Deep and an exclusive opportunity to meet Dr. Ballard himself.
Get tickets HERE
In conjunction with Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission
Presented by CEFCU
Sponsored by Gilmore Foundation, OLLI, Merle and Adeline Dargel Fund for Science and Engineering, Gretchen Hagen-Petrakis and Corporate Visionary Society Council.
Wine and Cheese Under the Stars
Space Update!
Friday, October 17 | 7-9 PM
Dome Planetarium
Enjoy an evening out in the Dome Planetarium and learn about new space discoveries, including a new moon around Uranus, an asteroid family, new images from the Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes, and more recent space news. Planetarium Director Renae Kerrigan will show you what you can see in the evening sky, and end the night with a flight through our Solar System and beyond.
Each ticket includes up to three glasses of wine or other drinks and a charcuterie box from Bella’s Charcuterie.
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
Tickets can be purchased here.
Upcoming event: November 14 | 7-9 PM
Wine and Cheese Under the Stars: Top Space Stories of 2025
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
Saturday Matinee - Oct 11, 18, 25, Nov 1
Noon - Laser Halloween (30 min. Family Friendly)
October 24
6:00 – Laser Halloween Spooktacular
7:15 – Laser Stranger Things
8:30 – Laser Floyd: Welcome to the Machine
November 7
6:00 – Laser Journey (new show!)
7:15 – Laser Stranger Things
8:30 – Laser AC/DC vs Guns n’ Roses
December 19
6:00 – Laser Holiday Magic
7:15 – Laser Journey (new show!)
8:30 – Laser Stranger Things
$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.)
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
November 7
6:00 – Laser Journey (new show!)
7:15 – Laser Stranger Things
8:30 – Laser AC/DC vs Guns n’ Roses
December 19
6:00 – Laser Holiday Magic
7:15 – Laser Journey (new show!)
8:30 – Laser Stranger Things
$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
Top Space Stories of 2025
Friday, November 14 | 7-9 PM
Dome Planetarium
Enjoy and evening out in the Dome Planetarium where we will review the top space stories from 2025. Planetarium Director Renae Kerrigan will share gorgeous new images from space, review milestones in spaceflight, and top discoveries from missions exploring the Solar System. We will end the evening with a flight to the edge of space and back.
Each ticket includes up to three glasses of wine or other drinks and a charcuterie box from Bella’s Charcuterie.
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
Tickets can be purchased here.
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
December 19
6:00 – Laser Holiday Magic
7:15 – Laser Journey (new show!)
8:30 – Laser Stranger Things
$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.)
