Peoria, Illinois: Scale Model of the Solar System
RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
Peoria Riverfront Museum
- Address:
- 222 SW Washington St., Peoria, IL
- Directions:
- The big solar disc is part of an open-air plaza at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, which is on the east side of SW Washington St., just south of I-74, between Main and Liberty Sts.
- Phone:
- 309-686-7000
- Admission:
- Free
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Starts at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, then radiates out through central Illinois. You can walk along the riverfront trail to Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, but Pluto is 40 miles away.
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The original Solar System Model has been moved and enlarged, from the Lakeview Museum (which has closed) to the new Peoria Riverfront Museum, 4.5 miles south. The Peoria Riverfront Museum's Community Solar System model is the most complete large-scale model of the Solar System in the world. The scale factor is 99,000,000:1, spread across 6,000 square miles of Central Illinois. In addition to the Sun and eight planets, the model also includes five dwarf planets and numerous unnamed comets spread across the globe.
[Sheldon Schafer, 01/28/2014]The model of Venus has moved from Barry's Barber Shop to Brown Printing at 609 W. Glen (it's about 2 shops over from Barry's). Also, now that Pluto has been downgraded to a dwarf planet, they've added other dwarf planets to the list: Ceres at Forest Park Nature Center, 5809 Forest Park, Peoria Heights and Eris at WIU, 47 Horrabin Hall, North Entrance,1 University Circle, Macomb.
[Jeff Berger, 03/24/2007]A novel concept, though too precise for a good photo opportunity. A 36 ft. diameter sun is painted on the planetarium dome at the Museum of Arts and Sciences -- and the other planets radiate out like a hydrogen bomb blast, placed in proper relative orbital distance throughout central Illinois.
At the location of each "planet," there is a kiosk or outdoor display of a molded Plexiglas sphere painted by artist Walter Kinsman. The museum's Kathleen Woith provided us some location detail: "The Earth is at Beachler's Amoco station on the busiest corner in Peoria just 3/4 of a mile from the Museum. The model of the Earth is just four inches wide. Others include Jupiter (3 ft. 9 inches with rings 76 inches) at Bradley University, 4 miles away; Uranus (1 ft. 4 in. with 32 in. rings) at Mineral Springs Park in Pekin, Il., 15 miles away; and the furthest, Pluto (3/4 inch) at Good's Furniture Store in Kewanee, IL, 40 miles away."
Kathleen notes, "You can pick up a brochure at the museum and travel the solar system, or take part in our annual Walk/Run or bicycle tour."
[Roadside America Team, 02/22/2001]We're certain our server is somewhere in the Oort Cloud.
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This map point marks the location of the sun (a big yellow circle on an outdoor plaza). The nearest planet, Mercury, is a third of a mile away; the Earth nearly a mile. Pluto is 40 miles away, in a furniture store in Kewanee.