If you've been meaning to visit the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, the Dickson Mounds archeological site, or museum shops in Lockport and Chicago, you have one month left to do it.
A spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources, which manages the sites, says they're set to close Sept. 30.
That's also when layoffs will take effect for all but three museum employees.
Advocates, like Erika Holst, a curator at Springfield's Art Association, have asked legislators to help save the museum.
"The people of Illinois are asking for this museum to stay open. This is our story, this is our legacy. There's a lot of talk about dollars and cents and the budget and the budget shortfall and where this falls," Holst But I think some things are worth more than money, that you can't put a price tag on."
A bipartisan legislative commission did vote against its closure. But it's ultimately Gov. Rauner's decision; he says there's no money.
The Senate has approved legislation that would require the state to keep the museum operational. But even if it also passes the House, timing, finances and a potential veto mean the issue wouldn't be settled.
