Growing Up X exhibit rocks on in Lockport

Illinois State Museum's Gen X exhibition moves to its Lockport Gallery

LOCKPORT - The Illinois State Museum is thrilled to announce its popular Growing Up X exhibition is now open at its Lockport Gallery.

"The Illinois State Museum is incredibly excited to share Growing Up X with the Chicagoland area as it moves to our Lockport gallery," said the Museum's Curator of History, Erika Holst. "If you ever made a mix tape or memorized a phone number, we hope you'll come to enjoy this trip down memory lane. And for younger folks, this is a chance to see how things were 'back then' and get some insight into why the Gen Xers in your life are the way they are."

The exhibition explores the toys, technologies, and cultural touchstones surrounding Gen Xers in their childhood. Museum visitors will see items familiar to anyone who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, from telephones with cords, record and cassette players, and an Apple IIe computer to Teddy Ruxpin and parachute pants. It also provides insights into how growing up during challenging times, like the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the AIDS crisis, and the War on Drugs, shaped Gen Xers as individuals and as a generation.

Visitors will be able to fully immerse themselves in the experience of "growing up X" in the interactive rec room space. They can sit on a floral sofa, watch a movie on VHS, play a video game, or listen to a cassette tape. The exhibition also includes a jukebox where visitors can dial up their favorite nostalgic tunes and interactive screens to watch commercials and news broadcasts from the '70s and '80s.

The Museum invites the public to join them to celebrate the opening of the Growing Up X exhibition at a reception and gallery talk from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 at the Lockport Gallery. For more information, please contact the gallery at 815-838-7400.

Growing Up X is on view through June 2024. Admission is free. Visit illinoisstatemuseum.org for more information.

About the Illinois State Museum

Established in 1877, the Illinois State Museum is a dynamic institution that inspires the exploration of Illinois' past and present to inform and enrich everyday life and promote stewardship of cultural and natural resources. Headquartered in Springfield with branch facilities in Lewistown and Lockport, ISM is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and a proud member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.