Explore the art and visual culture of the state of Illinois at the Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery! Part of the Illinois State Museum system, this branch site opened its doors on May 3, 1987, and features changing exhibitions of art created by past and present Illinois artists. Located on the first floor of the historic Norton Building-a massive limestone structure built around 1850 as a grain-processing center on the Illinois & Michigan Canal-the museum offers visitors of all ages opportunities to discover and reflect in spacious, light-filled galleries that unite the past and present. Group tours and specially planned events provide added dimension to the rotating display of paintings, drawings, sculptures, textiles, works on paper, and multi-media installations, as well as decorative, archeological and ethnographic objects. The Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery is located in downtown Lockport, Illinois, the heart of the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor. Lockport is 35 miles southwest of the Chicago Loop at the crossroads of Illinois Routes 7 & 171. Free parking is directly in front of the building and dining, shopping, a recreational trail and a nature preserve are just steps away. Admission is FREE. Hours: Monday thru Friday, 9 am - 5 pm; Sunday, noon - 5 pm. Closed Saturdays and State holidays, and during exhibition changes. Wheelchair accessible. --- On display through September 18, 2015: "Focus 4: Four Solo Exhibitions" featuring the work of Barbara Aubin, Guy Benson, Julia Haw and Thom Whalen. "Focus 4" is an ongoing program that highlights work of contemporary accomplished artists in four separate exhibitions. The artists are selected by four fine arts curators from various sites of the state-wide Illinois State Museum system.