Exhibits and Programs at the Gaylord Building
Current Programs & Exhibits
The Gaylord Building has featured a range of exhibits on the history of the canal, the people who built it, the towns that prospered along it, and the landscape that was shaped by it.
The Story Wall
The Story Wall is a new micro-exhibit space at the Gaylord Building, dedicated to sharing unique, rotating exhibits on history, art, and culture. It brings fresh perspectives, highlights local voices, and provides an ever-changing experience for visitors. With each new exhibit, The Story Wall tells a different story—one wall, endless stories.
The Story Wall is located on our first floor, at the back of our permanent exhibit, Illinois Passage: Connecting the Continent.
Illinois Passage: Connecting the Continent
The first-floor gallery of the Gaylord Building hosts the permanent exhibit Illinois Passage: Connecting the Continent. This exhibit examines the impact of the Illinois & Michigan Canal on the development of northeastern Illinois. Blending artifacts, historic photos, and engaging interpretive text, the exhibit provides visitors with an introduction to the role that the I & M Canal played in shaping Illinois’ destiny. The Illinois State Historical Society awarded the exhibit a Superior Achievement for exhibitions. Part of the citation states, “Based on extensive and impeccable research, the exhibition is a model of high-quality design in service of sound educational goals.”
Past Exhibits
Rise from Ruins: The Great Lockport Fire of 1895
August 2024 – September 2024
Featured in the Founders’ Gallery on our 3rd floor, this exhibit captured one of the most defining moments in Lockport’s history—the 1895 fire that ravaged the city’s downtown and led to the establishment of the Lockport Fire Department.
“Rise from Ruins” took visitors on a journey through Lockport as it was in the 1890s, offering glimpses into local life before, during, and after the catastrophic fire. Key sections of the exhibit covered the fire’s devastating impact and the resilient spirit of the Lockport community as they rebuilt their town from the ashes. The narrative culminated in the birth of the Lockport Fire Department, a critical institution that has safeguarded the city ever since.
A standout feature of “Rise from Ruins” was the vivid, original chalk artwork by Lockport artist Kevin Traynor. Spanning the entire gallery space, Traynor’s work brought the history of Lockport to life in a unique way that appealed to art and history lovers alike.
Life Along The Canal: The Art of John M. Lamb
January 2021 – August 2022
This exhibit celebrated the artistic achievement of John M. Lamb, former Lewis University history professor and local historian who studied the Illinois and Michigan Canal for over 60 years.
The exhibit showcased Lamb’s folk art, in which a world of angels, saints, boat captains, and cityscapes took shape along the reflective waters of the canal. His art was on display within the Gaylord Building Historic Site’s core exhibit, Illinois Passage: Connecting the Continent.
unLOCK: Merging Art & Industry in Lockport
January 2018 – October 2018
unLOCK was a citywide multimedia art experience that commissioned new works by eleven artists to interpret the region’s unique history and engage audiences through public installations and arts programming.
Through the arts, this project galvanized the city’s unique heritage as an industrial hub to propel revitalization efforts of the city’s historic downtown. Through unLOCK, both community members and visitors gained a richer understanding of the role that Lockport and the region played in revolutionizing the development of the Midwest and how this industrial heritage can contribute to fueling future economic growth and building community identity. This project was supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
rePORT: Introducing the Artists of unLOCK
May 2018 – August 2018
Unlocking the Past: From Prison to Vision
October 2016 – January 2018
Lincoln Landing
December 2016 to May 2017
Lockport Summer Art Series Trading Card Exhibit
June – October 2016
Discarded Memories by Kass Copeland
June – October 2016
Unlocking the Past: Larissa Barnat’s Joliet Prison Photographs
February – December 2016
Lockport on View: Canal Community
February – May 2015
Visions of the I and M Canal National Heritage Corridor at 30
February – May 2015
Jason Brammer: Time Machines, Relics and Portals
June – August 2014
Abraham Lincoln and the I&M Canal
February 2009 – January 2012
Places, Pieces and People that Matter
September 2011 – January 2012
Lines and Shadows, Discovering the Adelmann Collection
October 2010 – September 2011
Lincoln Landing from Dream to Reality
October 2009 – December 2010
Celebrating Twenty Years: The Gaylord Building on the Public Landing, 1987-2007
October 2007 – September 2010
Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience
June – August 2010
Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America
August – September 2009
Jewels of the Past: Historic Preservation in the Corridor
May – October 2007
Worth: The Friendly Village with Small Town Charm
January – May 2007
Generations of Pride: African Americans in Illinois
January – April 2007
Lincoln Through the Years, 1846-1865
December 2006 – January 2007
World War II: Posters of Illinois
October – December 2006
Bar None: 125 Years of Illinois Women Lawyers
August 1 – October 2006
Navy Pier: Gateway to the I & M Canal Corridor
May 2006 – May 2007
