The Staley Museum in Decatur, Illinois
The Staley Museum opened its doors to the public during the summer of 2015. We are excited be a full-fledged member of our community. Here you will find updates and news about the museum and exciting events going on.
The Staley Museum and this web site are both works in progress. We encourage visitors to continue to check back with us and see how we are progressing. We would also like to encourage visitors to the site to share any stories or information they may have regarding Staley history.
Photos, documents, articles and memorabilia are all welcome and appreciated. Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the Staley museum may contact us through via the Artifact Donation Form found on this site. Also, for anyone in our area who wishes to be a Volunteer at the museum and offer their time and/or expertise, please go to the Volunteer Form and fill out your information so that we may contact you personally. We invite you to Contact Us.
Visit the Staley Museum
The Staley Museum is open year-round
Tuesday – Saturday: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Last Sunday of the month (March – November): 1:00 – 4:00 pm.
Admission
Adults: $5
Seniors: $3
Child (18 and under): $1
Location
361 N. College Street
Decatur, IL
The Staley Story
A.E. Staley was a big man with big dreams and had the determination to make those dreams a reality. Although he did not arrive on the scene until the 1900’s, his impact of Decatur was such that he is counted as one of the founding fathers. The largeness of his dreams and of his civic minded generosity has contributed in major ways to the city we know today.
It was A.E.’s pioneering vision in the area of soy beans, both the cultivation and processing, that gave Decatur the name “Soy Bean Capitol of the World.”
In the period of one decade, 1920-1930, A.E. Staley made significant contributions to the community of Decatur, being the driving force behind the creation of Lake Decatur, the Staley viaduct, the Staley Office Building, and the formation of the Decatur Staleys football club, later to become the Chicago Bears.
The story of A.E. Staley is one in which the city of Decatur has the right to feel great pride. It is a story which forms a major part in the industrial and agricultural history of central Illinois. We look forward to sharing that pride and history as we work toward the opening of the Staley Museum.
The Staley Office Building: Inaugurated in April, 1930
Also known as “The Castle in the Cornfields”
Photo courtesy of the Hieronymus Mueller Museum
The Staley Office Building: Inaugurated in April, 1930
Also known as “The Castle in the Cornfields”
Photo courtesy of the Hieronymus Mueller Museum
Staley Museum Latest News & Happenings
Today is National Pie Day!
If you've seen Fields of Gold or visited the museum, you might remember that Mr. Staley's favorite pie was fresh Coconut Cream Pie!
To add to his enjoyment of this delightful dessert, Mr. Staley harvested coconuts from his Florida estate to use in the recipe. He also sent plenty of coconuts back home to Decatur, sharing with friends, family, and his employees!
To learn more you can:
✨Visit the museum Tuesday - Saturday from 1-4PM
✨Join @SpencerFilms to view the film in Springfield, IL on February 1, 2025. Purchase Tickets Here: www.eventbrite.com/e/1128300309599?aff=oddtdtcreator
✨Stream "Fields of Gold" on Amazon and Amazon Prime to rent or purchase. "Fields of Gold," narrated by Peter Coyote, is produced by Pollack Films and Spencer Films in partnership with the Herald & Review and The Staley Museum.
"Visit the Public Library"
The Decatur Public Library as seen in the Staley Journal, December 1926.
These photos, as well as the accompanying article, encouraged Staley employees to become patrons of the library.
"...the Decatur library offers the wides variety of service in the city, and there is absolutely no charge. It's object is to serve the entire community...Everyone knows that at a library he can borrow a book to read, if he has a card. A great many of us forget that the public libraries of our country contain anything else other than books for fiction. A visit to the Decatur library soon corrects this impression."
The article also made note of a partnership with the Staley company. Boxes of books were exchanged quarterly so that employees could borrow them, with or without library cards. These books were stored in the Journal office at the Decatur plant.
All these years later, the @DecaturPublicLibrary-Illinois still offers a wonderful selection of books and a wide variety of services to our community! We highly encourage a visit!
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
So at one time Decatur had a beautiful Carnegie library but tore it. Decatur loves to tear down their history. Stupid Decatur
For several years the Book Mobile parked behind the administration building. This allowed easy access for employees.
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Photo Credit goes to Jim Wilkerson! 📸
beautifully elegant photo of the office building
Warm up with a walk through the museum today!
We're open 1-4 PM
Admission is $5/adult, $3/senior, $1/child
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0 CommentsComment on Facebook