Housed in a vintage 1914 school building, our museum building will soon be celebrating its 100th anniversary. We are pleased to share this building with you complete with the original hard wood floors and tin ceilings. Great lengths were taken to restore this building back to its original grandeur. Visitors to the museum will be treated to displays and memorabilia of early Glen Carbon that have been donated by citizens of the Village.
The Museum is listed in a brochure of museums in Illinois that have archaeological information about the local area. The Museum is in possession of a series of books about local prehistory and history. Artifacts from the Middle Woodland Village site that was destroyed by development in the Meridian Road area as well as artifacts that were recovered from doing the archaeological investigation at the Yanda Log Cabin are on display.
Museum News:
Summer is shaping up to be just as busy. Although we don’t have any scheduled special events here at the museum until August, we are busy creating some new and exciting exhibits to add to our visitor experience. We’ve ordered the police mannequin to sit on our motorcycle and we’re planning an antique wedding dress display for later in the fall. In August we will host our 2nd annual Kids Camp day, which will take place on August 3rd from 11:00am to 2:00pm. There will be games and arts and crafts and we’re working on some special guests to stop by and entertain the children. Please watch for future announcements as times get closer on the village website.
The biggest news for the museum right now, is the marking of our building’s 100th anniversary in 2014. The museum staff and planning committee have already started planning events for the celebration. We are looking for anyone who may have attended the building while it was a school, worked in the building during its administration days, utilized the building while it was a reading room and teen town, perhaps you helped in the renovation of the building into our current museum or just have fond memories of the building. If you have old pictures or old records pertaining to the building and most importantly personal memories and stories of the building, we would love to hear from you. We would love to copy your photographs and records for our archives, and record your memories for our celebration. Please contact the Museum Coordinator, she will compile the information you have and someone from the committee will be in touch with you.
Do you have an hour or two donate some time to this wonderful museum? Although we are well staffed for the summer, our college and high school volunteers will soon be going back to continue their education, so we are once again in need of volunteers. We have a host of tasks that are extremely important, but there never seems to be enough time in the day to get them all done. We need help with things like filling out paperwork, boxing up items, cleaning out supply closets and organizing, dusting exhibits, helping with tours, greeting visitors, etc. If you have a love of history, this fabulous old building or just remembering your past or your parents or grandparents past of Glen Carbon, we would love to have you as a volunteer. Please call or email the Museum Coordinator Sheila Martin, or just stop by during our regular hours. We’re not looking for a commitment of every day, just when you have time. It’s also a great way to meet other volunteers. This year we had two volunteers who met here and have fashioned a great friendship out of their work here! This is your museum, and we’d like you to be a part of it. Who better to tell the story of Glen Carbon, than a resident!
Do you have a scout troop working on a history badge or belong to a group, looking for a different type of outing; why not consider a tour of our museum? We welcome your scouts, civic or church groups, ladies league, whatever groups you belong to, to come and tour our museum. Our normal hours are Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10am – 2pm, however group tours can be arranged on additional days by appointment by calling or emailing the Museum Coordinator. And our public meeting room at the museum is also available for you to conduct your meeting if you like.
The Museum belongs to the Village, and it’s our heartfelt desire that you enjoy it. The museum staff will work with you to make your event a memorable one. Usage forms and guidelines are available at the museum or on the village website, and if you have questions or would like to arrange a tour or reserve the use of the Public Meeting Room of the Museum for a meeting, please contact Sheila Martin, Museum Coordinator at 288-7271,
For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address. Yanda Log Cabin
Hours of Operation: Location
The Yanda Log Cabin is believed to have been built by blacksmith William Yanda in 1853. William Yanda (1818-1885) and his wife Annie Zeola (1823-1901) were immigrants from Bohemia, Austria. William and Annie and their ten children lived in the cabin. Frank (1846-1912), their oldest son also became a blacksmith. He practiced his craft in other towns in the area and eventually moved back to the "homeplace" in 1882 with his wife Anna Benda (1845-1912). Frank and Anna raised eleven children in the cabin. Frank sold the cabin to his son Frank Jr. (one of the early mayors of the Village of Glen Carbon). Frank Jr. did not have any children. He sold the cabin and eventually the Village of Glen Carbon bought the lot and cabin in 1989. A cabin renovation was begun the 1989 and was concluded in time for the Village's Centennial Celebration in June 1992.
The cabin is managed by the Glen Carbon Heritage Museum. If anyone wishes to see or use the cabin for events, they may contact the Heritage Museum office at (618) 288-7271 or Museum Commission Secretary, Maureen Kobler at (618) 288-0698 for more information.
Yanda Log Cabin News:
It’s hard to believe that another winter has gone by and it’s time again to open the cabin. The museum staff, museum commission and our volunteers have been busy working on creating an entirely new Yanda Log Cabin experience for you. We’re taking the cabin back to period times. We’ve already added some old/new items to the cabin, but we’re still looking for more. We’re especially interested in old dishes, cooking utensils, clothing, hats and bonnets, aprons and old children’s toys. .If you have anything you think might fit in the cabin in the late 1800’s, please contact the museum coordinator. The cabin is open on the 4th Saturday of each month, please plan to stop by and see us for a walk back in time to 1853 so new generations will be able to see what living was like way back then.
Private tours of the cabin can be arranged by calling the Museum Coordinator.
If you have any questions or are in need of assistance with a tour, please call Museum Coordinator, Sheila Martin at 618-288-7271 or email her at
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