Free & Open to the Public!
Peoria Inventions that Changed the World: A Journal Star Panel Discussion
Wed, Oct 30, 6 pm
Giant Screen Theater
Moderated by Dennis Anderson, Executive Editor, Peoria Journal Star
PANELISTS
Chris Kaergard, Associate Editor | Caterpillar R&D
Phil Luciano, News Columnist | Penicillin mass production
Steve Tarter, News Reporter, ret. | Distilleries
Mike Rucker, Duryea Historian | Duryea car
Free & open to the public! Secure your seat by registering ahead - click here!
Join us for a special evening with our greatest keepers of history and storytellers, our journalists, as they discuss the remarkable, life-changing inventions from Peoria that changed the world.
Peoria, founded in 1680, is Illinois' oldest settlement. It's also home to some of the world's greatest minds and inventions: the first gasoline-powered automobile, invented by the Charles and Frank Duryea; the first diesel-powered engine, invented at Caterpillar; the mass-production of penicillin, invented at the Ag Lab (USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR)); the myriad inventions spawned by Peoria distilleries; the game-changing medical education work by Jump Simulation & Education Center, the White Cane for the Blind, invented by Lions Clubs International member George A. Bonham, and many others.
Moderated by Journal Star Executive Editor Dennis Anderson, our panel of Journal Star journalists, including Chris Kaergard, Phil Luciano, and Steve Tarter, along with historian Mike Rucker, will focus on four of Peoria's most important innovators and inventions.
Free & open to the public! Secure your seat by registering ahead - click here!
You may also register in person at the front desk or call 309.686.7000.
Sponsored by the Journal Star & the Visionary Society
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 a 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
Reserve your free ticket HERE
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! Reserve your free ticket HERE
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
SENIOR FREE DAY
SENIOR MORNING PROGRAM
Third Wednesday of Each Month
10:00 a.m. Coffee and Pastries | 10:30 a.m. Discussion
Please be aware, museum doors will not be unlocked until 9:45 a.m.!
Gilmore Auditorium
COME FOR THE MORNING, STAY FOR THE DAY!
Please join us for Senior Day on the third Wednesday of each month where members and seniors 60+ can enjoy all exhibitions and daytime planetarium shows for free.
Schedule:
March 18
Enjoy our newest educational documentary Secrets of the Great Salt Lake in the Giant Screen Theater. Breakfast will start in the Gilmore Auditorium from 10 a.m. - 10:25 a.m., then we will transition to the Giant Screen Theater.
April 15, 2026
Come learn to explore the fusion of fine art and ecological wonders. The exhibition Exquisite Creatures combines fine art with specimens of the natural world! Come learn about Christopher Marley's amazing art pieces with Curator of Science and Director of the Dome Planetarium, Renae Kerrigan.
May 20, 2026
Back again, the Peoria Area Senior Citizen Band of 30+ musicians will perform in the lobby of the Peoria Riverfront Museum!
June 17, 2026
Come learn about the summer blockbuster exhibition Toytopia with Nate Downs, local pop-culture and history enthusiasts.
July 15, 2026
The Promise of Liberty covers over 250 years of history! Come explore this exhibition with a presentation with the curators that put it together!
August 19, 2025
Museum IT manager Jason Frank will host a "Technology Q+A"! Jason will answer your burning questions about technology in your life. Please submit questions to Sadie Helmick via email (shelmick@peoriariverfrontmuseum.org) to give him time to prepare.
September 16, 2026
The museum exhibition We Remember: 9/11 Twenty-Fifth Anniversary explores the dark day of September 11, 2001. Come and listen to a live Zoom presentation with a museum educator from the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
October 21, 2026
Based on the museum case exhibitions upstairs, come learn about Peoria Sports Legends with writer and historian Kirk Wessler.
November 18, 2026
For the final Senior Morning presentation of 2026, join us for a presentation on the America 250 exhibition “Transportation Revolution” with Curator of Science and Director of the Dom Planetarium Renae Kerrigan.
NOTE: Registration is not necessary but groups are encouraged to call ahead so that we will be prepared. Senior groups, please contact Assistant Director of Education, Sadie Helmick, 309-863-3016
Sponsored by AARP, Peoria Falcon Circle, 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
A MUSEUM+ Program
Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. in the Giant Screen Theater
In conjunction with new series of Peoria Plays America exhibitions highlighting the some of the best performers and entertainers in the world, all from central Illinois, the Peoria Riverfront Museum is honored to host iconic American photographer, Henry Diltz.
Diltz has taken some of the most famous images in music history, from Woodstock to The Beatles to The Doors, and has shot over 250 album covers. His portfolio is so vast that is it hard to capture in words, having shot with music icons from Joni Mitchell to Jimi Hendrix, as well as contributing to publications like The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Life Magazine. Notably for Peoria, Diltz has photographed native sons Richard Pryor and Dan Fogelberg.
In this special Museum Conversation at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, meet Diltz in person, with an opportunity to be a part of a Q&A after the program.
Tickets:
Adult: $20
Child: $15
Member Adult: $15
Member Child: $10
Get tickets HERE
Sponsored by MUSEUM+, Visionary Society, Friends of Performance, Illinois Arts Council.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 6 p.m. in the Peoria Riverfront Museum's Giant Screen Theater
Join us for a virtual talk with Christopher Marley, the artist behind current exhibition Exquisite Creatures.
TicketsAdult: $10
Child :$5
Free for members!
Get tickets HERE
Explore how Marley interprets the beauty of the natural world through an artistic lens: symmetry, color and form.
This program is worth 100 points in your Achievement Passport.
In Exquisite Creatures, Marley uses organisms and elements as his medium, exploring our need to connect with the natural world on a personal level, inspiring biophilia — a love of life. Immerse yourself in a world where order, diversity, symmetry, and balance come to life in vibrant, awe-inspiring displays. With specimens ranging across the natural world, from snakes to fish to insects to birds, Marley creates an immersive environment that inspires wonder, and fosters a desire to preserve the natural world.
All vertebrates used in this artwork are reclaimed, meaning they passed of natural or incidental causes, most often in captivity. None were killed for this purpose.
About the Artist
Christopher Marley is an artist, naturalist, photographer, and author who uses preserved natural specimens as his medium. He grew up in the Pacific Northwest, immersed in nature from his earliest memories. During a decade spent traveling the world as a fashion model, Marley’s passion for discovering unfamiliar elements in the natural world became an obsession.
His work was born of a desire to share nature’s majesty in a way that inspires both the urbane and the nature aficionado equally. Marley believes that in the proper light, beauty is found in every organism and that the deeper our appreciation for the aesthetics of nature, the more eager we are to immerse ourselves in it and conserve it.
All of the vertebrates that Marley uses in his work are reclaimed after dying of natural or incidental causes. He has innovated techniques for a host of organisms that are not typically considered good candidates for preservation. He also utilizes insects that are collected or bred in an environmentally sensitive manner using a worldwide network of people and institutions that share his passion for nature.
Sponsored by Art Bridges, America 250 donors, Mike Rucker Endowment Fund for Science, Visionary Society and Illinois Arts Council
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
