LITCHFIELD— State Senator Andy Manar and State Representative Avery Bourne announced today that the City of Gillespie will receive a $33,800 state grant to assist with improvements to the Gillespie Coal Museum. The Coal Museum is one of 43 museums across the state that were recently awarded funds through the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program.
“The Gillespie Coal Museum, located on Route 66, is a local treasure that provides visitors with a historic view of the coal industry and its importance to the State of Illinois,” said Bourne. “I am proud of the work I did to help secure these funds for the City of Gillespie.”
“The coal industry is part of our rich history in Macoupin County. In many ways, it made us who we are today.” Manar said. “Those stories deserve to be preserved and told to generations to come, and I’m proud to have advocated for funding these crucial renovations to the Illinois Coal Museum at Gillespie in the state budget.”
The Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), is open to any museum operated by local government or located on municipally-owned land. The Gillespie Coal Museum grant money will be used for facility improvements.
“We opened this museum four years ago with the intention of providing a magnet for tourism in Gillespie, while also preserving the history of the coal industry in Illinois,” Ald. Dave Tucker, who serves as Chairman of the museum’s Board of Directors, said. “This grant money allows us to proceed with renovations that keep us in lock-step with the current revitalization project in downtown Gillespie, while also maintaining the museum’s status as our crown jewel.”
In all, 43 museums received a total of $22.8 million in funds. The Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and is open to any museum operated by local government or located on municipally-owned land.