The NCCIL is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
The NCCIL will close early at 2PM on Friday, September 4th.
Free Admission!
NEW
NEWS
National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature Awarded Federal Grant to Modernize Museum Infrastructure and Advance Collections Stewardship
ABILENE, TX — September 1, 2026 — The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) is proud to announce that it has been awarded an Inspire Grant for Small Museums from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This funding will support a vital initiative to modernize the museum's foundational infrastructure, ensuring the long-term preservation and security of its unique holdings.
Thanks to this federal support, the NCCIL is excited to upgrade to a cutting-edge collections management system. This project will enhance our ability to manage and safeguard the museum's diverse collections—featuring a Permanent Collection of around 315 original works by 43 talented artists, alongside a Temporary Collection of about 2,000 captivating objects from traveling exhibitions and loans. We're thrilled about this upgrade and what it means for our community and children's illustrated art!
About the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL): The mission of the NCCIL is to exhibit, tour, collect, preserve and promote original art from the finest children’s literature. Through its outreach programs, the NCCIL actively promotes children’s literacy, both art and reading, in the Abilene community and beyond by cultivating a permanent collection held in trust for future generations, organizing compelling exhibitions, facilitating a nationwide traveling exhibitions program, and hosting school tours for students across the Big Country. To learn more, visit www.nccil.org.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS): The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.