The museum opened its doors in 1961, establishing a permanent home for the art collection of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The collection of more than 10,000 works of art is displayed in ten galleries, ranging from ancient Egyptian and Pre-columbian to contemporary art.
The museum also presents 12-15 changing exhibitions each year, showcasing works of art from nationally and internationally museums and collections.
The architecture of the museum building incorporates neo-Egyptian decorative elements in an overall post-Modernist design.