Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art

09/03/2026

As fall approaches, September brings the start of an incredible season for birdwatching as many species make their way through Illinois during fall migration.

You can spot a few feathered friends in the 𝗟𝗶𝘇𝘇𝗮𝗱𝗿𝗼 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽, too! From the Polar Jade owl to other beautiful bird carvings, these are birds you won't have to worry about flying away.

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲?

09/02/2026

The answer is... 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘!

Lightning really can turn sand into glass!

When lightning strikes sand, the intense heat can melt and fuse the grains together, creating glassy formations called fulgurites. They often form branching, tube-like shapes that preserve the path the lightning traveled through the sand.

Pretty incredible what a summer thunderstorm can create!

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆?

09/01/2026

Happy birthday, September babies!
Your birthstone, 𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲, has a pretty amazing trick up its sleeve. Some sapphires display a six-pointed star that seems to float across the surface of the stone as it moves in the light.

This phenomenon is called asterism and is caused by light reflecting from tiny needle-like inclusions within the stone. Star sapphires are typically cut into smooth, rounded cabochons to best show off the effect.

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻?

08/31/2026

There’s less than one week left to experience 𝗘𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗹𝘀: 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 at the Lizzadro Museum.
Created in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, this special exhibition brings together remarkable lapidary works honoring the enduring spirit of the nation through symbols of freedom, unity, and resilience.
We are grateful to our exhibition partners, @𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗹, @𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲, @𝘄𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺𝗼𝗳𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗛. 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 for helping bring these extraordinary works to the Museum.
The exhibition closes Sunday, September 6.
Visit during regular Museum hours with regular Museum admission.

08/29/2026

Can't join us for today's presentation? Watch live on YouTube! Begins at 2 p.m.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

08/28/2026

This summer, the Midwest has gotten to know thunderstorms a little too well. ⛈️

After a season filled with severe storms, tornadoes, hail, and plenty of lightning, we thought we'd turn all that stormy weather into a geology question!

𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗘: 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀.

What do you think?
⚡ TRUE
❌ FALSE

Leave your guess in the comments, and we'll reveal the answer next week!

08/27/2026

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯?

Find out during 𝗘𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲, 𝗘𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, presented by acclaimed pietra dura mosaic artist 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗹. With more than 17 years of experience, Madison will explore how this historic art form continues to inspire today's artists - and discuss the work she has on display in our special exhibition, 𝗘𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗹𝘀: 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲.

Saturday, August 29
2:00 p.m.
Included with regular Museum admission. Members are free.
𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥.
Register here:www.lizzadromuseum.org

08/26/2026

Time is running out to experience 𝗘𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗹𝘀: 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲.
Created in celebration of 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮'𝘀 𝟮𝟱𝟬𝘁𝗵 anniversary, this special exhibition brings together extraordinary works of lapidary art inspired by freedom, unity, resilience, history, and the enduring symbols of our nation.

If this exhibit has been on your summer must-see list, now is the time to visit.
The exhibition closes 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟲.
We are grateful to our exhibition partners, @𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗹, @𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲, @𝘄𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺𝗼𝗳𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗛. 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 for helping bring these extraordinary works to the Museum.
𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘴: 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘚𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘚𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝟨 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴.

08/25/2026

Back-to-school supplies... 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆!

Despite what we call pencil "lead," there's actually no lead in your pencil. The writing core is made with graphite and clay - Earth materials you might not expect to find hiding in your school supplies!

And graphite isn't just for pencils. It's a naturally occurring form of carbon with uses ranging from batteries to electronics and much more.

So the next time you sharpen your pencil, remember: 𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲!

08/24/2026

There's still time!
The Lizzadro Museum is proud to participate in Blue Star Museums, offering free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families through Labor Day, September 7.
If you've been meaning to plan a visit this summer, we'd love to welcome you.
Thank you for your service!