JAHM Exhibit Galleries

Featured Exhibits

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In the Center of Everything: 100 Years of Shops, Stops & Stays Along Route 66 in Joliet
Special Exhibit Gallery
On Exhibit: April thru December, 2026

In the Center of Everything invites visitors to step back in time and experience the city of Joliet as Route 66 travelers once did. Presented in celebration of the Route 66 Centennial, the exhibit explores the economic development towns experienced following the dedication of Route 66 in 1926. As the “Mother Road” ran through the heart of downtown Joliet, new hotels, service stations, restaurants, and shops emerged to meet the needs of a growing stream of visitors.

The exhibit highlights Joliet businesses such as the Woodruff Inn, the Hotel Louis Joliet, and Sinclair Service Stations, showcasing the city’s vibrant commercial life during the height of Route 66. The exhibit also follows the journey of a young Joliet boy, Billy Robinson, as he travels Route 66 in the 1940s, offering a personal glimpse into the adventure and opportunity the “Mother Road” represented.

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REBEL MUSIC!: Women of Color Who Changed the Beat
Presented by: Black & Brown Femme Films
On Exhibit: February 21st - April, 2026

REBEL MUSIC!, presented by Black & Brown Femme Films (BBFF) is a sonic and visual journey through the artistry, resilience, and genius of women and femmes of color who shifted the beat and rewrote the score. From protest chants to punk riffs, from soul anthems to experimental soundscapes, their work is both resistance and revelation.

Through art, installation, and film, this museum exhibition honors the voices that refused silence, the rhythms that carried liberation forward, and the imaginations that dared to dream us into new worlds.

The exhibit will be accompanied by weekly presentations, each spotlighting powerful women and women of color who continue to shape culture and history. Visit our Upcoming Programs page for more information.

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Routes of Agency: The Black Community in Joliet's "Southend", 1910-1990

Permanent Exhibit Gallery

Routes of Agency explores how Black residents of Joliet’s South End built a vibrant, self-sustaining community during the Great Migration. Through stories of resilience, the exhibit highlights Black-owned businesses, social clubs, and institutions that shaped daily life despite segregation.

Learn about the work of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Joliet Branch and the impact of 1950s redlining, which limited access to housing and opportunity even as the community thrived.

The exhibit also features a re-formatted and enlarged edition of The Brown Book, a guide to local Black businesses, churches, and social spaces that supported safe travel on Joliet’s South End.

Route 66 Welcome Center

Welcome to the heart of America’s most iconic highway, Route 66! Our Route 66 Welcome Center invites you to step back in time and experience the spirit of this legendary route. Begin your journey with a fun photo op at our Route 66 Diner Scene, where you can pose in front of a nostalgic diner backdrop. The photographs featured outside the diner windows are actual historical images of Route 66 in Joliet, offering a glimpse into the past.

Discover the Made in Joliet exhibit, showcasing artifacts manufactured right here in Joliet, including a rare 1909 Economy Motor Buggy, a symbol of the area's early automotive history. Don't miss the iconic original suits worn by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi during the filming of the 1980 cult classic The Blues Brothers. These pieces of cinematic history bring Route 66’s cultural influence to life, blending nostalgia with the vibrant legacy of this legendary American highway."

Permanent Exhibit Galleries

Take a journey through the rich history of Joliet, a city shaped by its people, industry, and natural resources. Beginning with the city's early development through the Illinois & Michigan Canal and its transformation in the 19th century with the rise of steel and limestone industries, earning Joliet the nickname "City of Stone and Steel." Explore the complex relationship between the city and the Old Joliet Prison, where local residents interacted with the penitentiary through employment, ministries, and cultural activities. Step back in time with a 1920s-1930s trolley ride through downtown Joliet and experience the post-WWII suburban expansion of the 1950s. Celebrate Joliet's connection to space exploration in the Apollo/Houbolt Exhibit, honoring Dr. John C. Houbolt's role in the Apollo 11 moon landing. These galleries offer a captivating look at Joliet's past, from its industrial roots to its place in the history of space exploration.