Historian Raises Concerns About the Alton Museum of History and Art
Historian Diana Maul Halstead encourages transparency and a "realistic" plan for reopening museum.
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ALTON - A group of Alton historians are raising concerns about the Alton Museum of History and Art.
Diana Maul Halstead, an Alton native, recently appeared on “Our Daily Show!” with CJ Nasello, wherein she spoke about the museum’s governance and transparency. The museum closed in March 2020 during the COVID-19 Pandemic and has not reopened. Halstead has questions about the items and properties owned by the museum.
“This is about preservation, accountability, and respect for Alton’s legacy,” Halstead said. “These are irreplaceable items. What exactly is going on?”
In 2022, Halstead was interested in donating her father’s World War II diary to the museum. She received a “warning” from someone who told her that the diary “wouldn’t be safe” in the museum’s possession.
Since then, Halstead and a few others have begun investigating the museum, why it isn’t open, and what is happening to the artifacts. She emphasized that the historians aren’t accusing anyone of criminal behavior.
“We are not aware of any criminal behavior, any theft. We are not aware of any fraud, any financial impropriety. People really need to be aware, that’s not our concern,” she explained. “Our concern is about the governance, compliance, stewardship standards and fiduciary responsibilities.”
Specifically, Halstead is concerned that board members “appear to serve beyond their term limits.” She also said there is “a lack of regular board meetings with publicly available minutes” and “a concentration of control,” with four of the five board members related to two families. Additionally, one board member position remains unfilled.
Halstead pointed out that the artifacts owned by the museum are currently stored offsite. She is concerned that these items are not properly stored, inventoried, or insured.
“This is a huge concern for us, and it should be for anyone who has donated to the museum,” she said. “Many of the artifacts in the museum are stored off-site in commercial storage units. Those locations and the access to them are only known or controlled by a single person. There’s no public documentation confirming shared access or routine inventory. It’s not voted on by the board. We don’t even know if there’s insurance on these off-site storage units, let alone inventory. Where’s the inventory on every item in the museum? I don’t think it exists.”
Despite the museum’s current closure, financial filings show that the museum is still paying for internet service. Halstead said these services “appear to be associated with residential addresses” rather than the museum.
She added that the museum owns several “incredibly historic” properties in Alton, a few of which are currently on the City of Alton’s list to be demolished. Halstead said the museum has received multiple offers from prospective buyers over the years, including one in the past month that they have not responded to.
An attorney has contacted the Illinois Attorney General’s office, and an assistant attorney general is reviewing the museum now.
Halstead and her fellow historians are asking for an independent review, increased transparency, and “corrective action if it’s needed.” She wants to see “realistic plans for reopening or the responsibility transferred if the museum can no longer function.”
“The museum holds irreplaceable pieces of Alton’s history,” she added. “It is a constant reminder of how great a town Alton is. These artifacts belong to the community, not to an individual or group. This prolonged closure, without transparency, puts that history at risk.”
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