Fulton’s newest attraction, the Windmill Cultural Center (WCC), was dedicated April 2010. The WCC houses an extensive collection of 21 European windmills. The windmills vary in size up to six feet tall.
The collection was designed by Henk and June Hielema of DeMotte, Indiana. Mr. Hielema was employed in Europe and as a hobby; he and June traveled extensively, photographed mills, and returned home to build models of them. The mills are from ten European countries: Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and The Netherlands. Informative interpretive materials compliment the windmill collection providing unique information on the products produced by windmills, country of origin, windmill specifications, and the cultural impact of windmills.
The Windmill Cultural Center contains a charming gift shop where visitors can purchase fresh stone-ground flour, Delft pottery, and souvenirs of Fulton, the Windmill Cultural Center, and the windmill.
The Education Area can be found at the east end of the Windmill Cultural Center. This room assists visitors who would like to learn more about mills. Groups will be able to enjoy video presentations of the windmill countries and read books about mills. The Education Area also contains children’s activities including coloring, puzzles, and toys promoting scientific concepts.
Special exhibits can be found at the Windmill Cultural Center throughout the year.
Windmill Area 360 View
Tour Info
Student/School Group Tours:
Tours are available to school groups with 10 or more students, but no more than 50 students. Specialized lesson plans have been created for school groups. Educational information includes: hands-on science experiments, wind energy, weather, geography, and European cultures. Tours include both the Windmill Cultural Center and de Immigrant windmill. School group tours are available May thru October and last an hour. Tour times are 10am, 11:30am, and 1pm. A minimum of two weeks’ notice is required for school group tours. To schedule, please call or email
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or 815-589-4545. Suggested donation of $1.00/student.
Adult Group Tours:
Tours are available to adult groups with 10 or more individuals. Tours inlude both the Windmill Cultural Center and de Immigrant windmill. A minimum of two weeks’ notice is required for group tour requests. To schedule, please call or email
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or 815-589-4545. Suggested donation of $2.00/adult.
Hours
- May (weekends only):
- Saturday 10am to 5pm
- Sunday 1pm to 5pm
- Memorial Day thru Labor Day:
- Monday thru Saturday 10am to 5pm
- Sunday 1pm to 5pm
- September 4 thru October 31:
- Monday thru Friday 10am to 3pm
- Saturday 10am to 5pm
- Sunday 1pm to 5pm
Temporary Exhibits:
2012 Programs @ Windmill Cultural Center:
The following programs are scheduled to coincide with the city's 2012 tourism theme, "River Connections." The programs are sponsored by the Volunteer Millers with support from the WCC Education Committee.
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January 31 @ 6:00 p.m. "Bald Eagles on the Mississippi River" -
Presented by Ed Britton, Wildlife Refuge Manager, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge
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February 26 @ 2:00 p.m. "Abraham Lincoln's River Connections" -Presented by Ron Koehn, Retired Fulton High School History Teacher
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March 29 @ 6:00 p.m. "Almost Flowing: Rivers of Ice in Antartica, South America & Alaska" Presented by Tom Gibbons, Retired Professor at Clinton Community College
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April 30 @ 6:00 p.m "Engaging a River of Generations" Presented by Terry Feinberg, University of Illinois Extension
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May 31 @ 6:00 p.m. "The Role of Steamboatin' in the Union Victory" Presented by Brian "Fox" Ellis, Illinois Humanities Council
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June 20 @ 6:00 p.m. "Treasures of the Mississippi" Presented by Mark Wagner, National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
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July 31 @ 6:00 p.m. "Mussels, Moonshine, and Music: Mississippi Valley Migrant Life in the Early Twentieth Century" Presented by Dennis A. Stroughmatt, Illinois Humanities Council
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August 29 @ 6:00 p.m. "Fabyan Windmill: Mill on the Fox River" Presented by Mark Rivecco, Volunteer Miller, Fabyan Windmill, Geneva, IL
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September 27 @ 6:00 p.m. "Illinois Rivers & Flooding" Presented by Dr. Jim Angel, State of Illinois Climatologist
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October 29 @ 6:00 p.m. "Rivers by Canoe" Presented by Marion Johnson, Retired Professor, Mount St. Clare College
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November 12 @ 6:00 p.m. "Old Movie Night: The River" (1938) 31-minutes film made by the FDR administration about the importance of the Mississippi River
2012 Wild Winter Wednesdays @ Windmill Cultural Center
Wednesdays in January, February, and March 2012 from 9am to 11am. Light refreshments will be served. The events are FREE and the public is welcome to attend. All programs are presented by local citizens or businesses.
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January 4 - Cruisin' Down Under
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January 11 - Dutch Pastries - Olliebollen Demonstration
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January 18 - I Was A G I Bride
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January 25 - Tombstone Adventures
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February 1 - A Lifetime of Travel from My Kitchen Office
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Feburary 8 - Just Be Gluten Free
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Feburary 15 - Immigrant Story: India
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Feburary 22 - Washington to Maine on Bike
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February 29 - Leaping Into Collections, 10am to 6pm
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March 7 - Recent Retirees Travel through Europe
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March 14 - Cooking with Herbs and Growing Herbs
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March 21 - Recent Immigrant Story: Philippines
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March 28 - Adventures with Kids (Letterboxing, Discovery Center, and Geocaching)
