Kankakee County Museum

🧵 IT’S OPENING DAY! 🧵

The Kankakee Quiltmakers Quilt Show is officially back at the Kankakee County Museum! 🎉

Come see a beautiful collection of quilts showcasing the creativity, craftsmanship, and hard work of the Kankakee Quiltmakers. The show opens TODAY, Thursday, September 17, and will be on display through November 7!

And if you’re stopping by the museum today, there’s plenty happening! 👀

🌼 Mum Pick-Up Day:11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
📖 The Digital Divide: A Migration Story - 2:00 p.m.
🧵 Kankakee Quiltmakers Quilt Show - Opening today, with refreshments!

It’s a busy day at the museum, so come on by, pick up your mums, enjoy the presentation, and be among the first to see the quilt show!

📍 Kankakee County Museum
🗓️ Thursday, September 17

📣 Today at the Museum!

Join us today at 2:00 p.m. for The Digital Divide: A Migration Story with storyteller, poet, and independent researcher Kyla Williams Tate.

Presented through the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, this free program will explore Kankakee’s connection to the Illinois Central Railroad and its role in the Great Migration. Tate will blend storytelling, poetry, research, and lived experience to connect the history of migration with conversations about digital access, trust, opportunity, and belonging today.

The program will include a Q&A session following the presentation.

📅 Today, September 17
⏰ 2:00 p.m.
📍 Kankakee County Museum
🎟️ Free and open to the public

All ages are welcome. We hope to see you there!

Check out this photo of haying at the Small Farm located at 1525 W. Station in Kankakee, likely taken in the 1930s. Pictured are: Gov. Len Small (in suit and straw hat) on left, Budd (in front in white shirt and hat), and Fannie Still on right.

Shaped like a key Case Opener Says: "By Boss Watch Cases; Trade Mark In Every Case"; complements WH Sanders Jewelers Number 5 Mainstreet Kankakee IL. Circa 1920

👻 WE’RE LOOKING FOR YOUR GHOST STORIES! 👻

Have you ever had a paranormal experience somewhere in Kankakee County? A strange occurrence, an unexplained encounter, or a place that just felt a little... off? We want to hear about it!

A Haunted Kankakee County is a new podcast from the Kankakee County Museum, in partnership with the Kankakee Paranormal Investigations Team. We’re collecting local stories to share with listeners and shine a light on some of the county’s unexplained happenings.

Think you have a story to tell? Send it our way! 🎙️

📱 Submit your story by scanning the QR code in this post or clicking the link below to fill out our Google Form:

👉 https://forms.gle/ngzcaGNWh88kpaiN8

You never know... your story could be featured in A Haunted Kankakee County! 👻

🍎 Recipe Spotlight: Apple Dumplings

With National Apple Dumpling Day coming up on September 17, we’re sharing Apple Dumplings from Tasty Temptations: A Collection of Award-Winning Recipes by The Daily Journal. A warm, sweet classic that’s perfect for welcoming the flavors of fall! 💛

Take a look at the recipe and give it a try.

🎃👻 Spirits on the Screen: Halloween Movie Night! 👻🎃

The spooky season is almost here! Join us at the Kankakee County Museum on October 2nd for a fun-filled Halloween movie night featuring Ghostbusters II! Come enjoy the movie, check out our vendors, and get into the Halloween spirit with us! 🎬👻

📅 October 2nd
🕠 Doors open at 5:30 PM
🎬 Movie starts at 6:30 PM
🎟️ General Admission: FREE!

Want to make your night extra special? Our $10 Extra Bundle includes:
🍿 Popcorn, soda & candy
🎟️ One raffle ticket
🪑 Designated seating near the front

👉 Reserve your free ticket or purchase the $10 Extra Bundle on our website: https://www.kankakeecountymuseum.com/event-details/spirits-on-the-screen-halloween-movie-night

🎃 Costumes are encouraged! Bring your own chair or blanket. The event will be outdoors, weather permitting, and moved indoors if necessary.

📣 Coming Up This Thursday!

Join us at the Kankakee County Museum on Thursday, September 17, at 2:00 p.m. for The Digital Divide: A Migration Story with storyteller, poet, and independent researcher Kyla Williams Tate.

Presented through the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, this free program will explore how the Illinois Central Railroad helped shape Kankakee’s history while serving as a vital route during the Great Migration.

Through lecture, storytelling, poetry, and lived experience, Tate will connect the journeys of the past to conversations about digital access, trust, opportunity, and belonging today.

The 60-minute program will conclude with a Q&A session. All ages are welcome, and admission is free!

📅 Thursday, September 17
⏰ 2:00 p.m.
📍 Kankakee County Museum
🎟️ Free and open to the public

This photo of Volkmann & Wambach Jewelers' Giant Watch was taken during the 1899 Kankakee Street Fair, which began 127 years ago, today. The fair took place from September 11-17,1899. If you look closely, you can see someone on the left side of the structure that supports the watch and people looking on from the windows of the buildings adjacent to the Volkmann & Wambach Jewelers building behind. It was located on the south side of the 100 block of east Court Street. A Kankakee Electric Railway Co. car is also captured at the bottom left of the photo.