Smithsonian ‘Journey Stories’ Exhibition travels to Isle a la Cache Museum

Step into an explorer’s shoes, create your own travel journal or pedal the I&M Canal Trail as Isle a la Cache Museum hosts an exhibition that focuses on how movement has shaped the nation.

The Smithsonian Institution’s traveling “Journey Stories” Exhibition opens Wednesday, Feb. 1, and runs through Sunday, April 30. The exhibition encourage dialogue and engagement on how movement has defined America. Posters and other exhibition materials delve into Western expansion and Native American displacement, African American migration from the Deep South and important developments in transportation technology.

Ten complementary programs created by Isle a la Cache staff will run from February through April. The programs include Quest – A Joliet and Marquette Adventure for Adults on Feb. 18, Journaling Journeys on Feb. 25, Postcard Palooza on March 19 and Bike and Brake for History on April 29. For additional “Journey Stories” Exhibition program information, visit the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s website at ReconnectWithNature.org.

“The exhibition highlights some of the major shifts in the history of the U.S., when large groups of people moved for various reasons,” said Tina Riley facility supervisor at the Forest Preserve’s Isle a la Cache. “It helps us reflect on the experience of our ancestors, as well as our own mobility, something we often take for granted. Where you live is important; how you got there can be an interesting story!”

Isle a la Cache is located at 501 E. Romeo Road (135th Street), Romeoville, and hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. and closed Mondays. The exhibition is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and brought to the museum through funding provided by The Nature Foundation of Will County.