Bethany Fosdyck Learn about the history of Mennonites in Illinois by visiting the Mennonite Heritage Center on Rt. 116, beween Germantown Hills and Metamora, IL.
The Heritage Center is open from 10 am – 2 pm on the following dates (call the Heritage Center for special events, times and dates).
- June 30th
- July 14
- July 28
- August 11
- August 25
As a public school teacher, my students often ask me why they have to study history. Making history relevant to them can be empowering beyond the classroom. Our mission at the Heritage Center is to help people find as many pieces of the historical puzzle that they are looking for as possible, utilizing primary documents and artifacts. The study of history forces us to ask questions and provides us with the tools for asking essential questions that use our higher critical thinking skills, so by studying history, a student learns the skills of asking questions and looking to evidence to answer these questions.
At the Heritage Center, in our archives, library, gallery . . . .in fact throughout the entire campus, we can search for answers to our historical questions. We can study the primary documents and artifacts that are central to the narrative of Central Illinois, Anabaptist traditions, family and food-ways as well as political, social and philosophical questions. Research is essential to understanding who we are and research is important to finding the lost pieces of our memory puzzle. The Heritage Center continues to provide research and education resources to the churches as well as the public.
The Heritage Center is there to serve you. Contact them with your needs.
If you are interested in volunteering at the Heritage Center, please email the Heritage Center at imhc@mtco.com