MENDOTA - Hume-Carnegie Museum in Mendota has opened to the public for the 2020 season. The museum’s featured display at this time is an array of historic photos from current and former studios in Mendota along with recent photographs by amateur and professional artists from the surrounding area. This includes a collection by Hal Adkins of LaMoille that consists of both historical and current photos. Also on display will be several vintage cameras, courtesy of Setchell Studio.

The Mendota Museum and Historical Society has a collection of more than 6,000 photos in their archives. Throughout history, photography has been used for many purposes - as a means of artistic expression, as a tool for science and exploration, as an instrument of documentation, to tell stories and record histories, and as a mode of communication. Museum staff hopes everyone will stop by to see this unique photography collection along with all of the other items on display at the museum.

The Hume-Carnegie Museum is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1–4 p.m. until mid-December.

The Union Depot Railroad Museum is also now open to the public. Volunteers have been busy updating several of the displays at the Railroad Museum and they welcome everyone to come and see their most recent improvements. Hours for the Union Depot Railroad Museum are noon–4 p.m., also until mid-December.

Please note: In keeping with Gov. JB Pritzker’s Restore Illinois Phase 4 plan, hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance to the museum. Visitors are encouraged to use the hand sanitizer and also to wear a mask, refrain from touching displays, keep a 6-foot distance from other visitors and staff, and do not visit if they or a member of their household is feeling ill.