Dickson Mounds (Dickson Mounds Museum)

The mounds were named after chiropractor Don Dickinson, who owned a farm on the site. He began excavating the mounds in 1927 and opened a private museum. For a time, some of the burials were excavated but not removed. They were covered by a special structure to protect them. However, in 1992, under pressure from Native Americans, the museum reburied the remains.  The location of the covered remains now includes a film screen surrounding the room, depicting the spiritual practices and afterlife beliefs of the Native American society that lived there.

The museum site contains exhibits that span over twelve thousand years of Mississippian River.  On display are skeletons of Ice Age animals, life-sized dioramas depicting Native Mississippian culture, and several archaeological artifacts.  There is also a gift shop and a children's play area.  On the grounds are eleven mounds and two burial spots, along with a bluff overlooking the Illinois River Valley.