This year's theme is "Illinois 250: History in the American Bottom." This conference will focus on the deep and diverse history of southern Illinois. We are expecting approximately 100 dedicated family historians and researchers to attend. The full-day conference on Saturday, October 24, will feature three tracks of lectures from a variety of speakers, focusing on immigrant communities and ethnic heritage in southern Illinois, migration patterns, and military history, as well as a tech-focused AI workshop.
The Conference Hotel is the
Doubletree Hotel Collinsville/St. Louis
1000 E. Port Plaza Drive, Collinsville, IL 62234
We have negotiated a room rate of $134 for both Friday October 23rd & Saturday, October 24th, 2026. Availability is on a first come, first served basis. The direct link to the hotel for reservations at the negotiated rate is:
Did your Illinois ancestor fight in the Civil War? Commemorate their service with our Civil War Certificates.
Find out more about how you can help participate in this worthwile project to increase our valuable public collection.