CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS! Get YOUR photo(s) featured and SUPPORT Cahokia Mounds at the same time!

From Now until 2 PM, June 30, 2026, the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society (CMMS) is hosting a Photo Calendar Contest. This is a fundraising event for CMMS whose mission is to ensure the continuation of preservation and interpretation at Cahokia Mounds.

Each participant may enter up to (2) photos. There is a $5 entry fee per photo.

12 photos will be featured in a printed, 28-page, wall calendar that will be sold through the online Gift Shop. All funds raised from calendar sales stay 100% at Cahokia Mounds and support events such as, Kids Day, Archaeology, Native American Arts & Crafts Markets, and land acquisition. Each photo will be 12 x 12 in, featured above a 12 x 12 in corresponding calendar table. The name of the photo and photographer will be featured in the top right corner of the corresponding calendar table.

GUIDELINES:

• Photos MUST be taken at Cahokia Mounds and are encouraged to include notable features or areas of the site (i.e., Monks Mound, the Grand Plaza, a sunrise from an Equinox/Solstice event.)
• Limit (2) entries per person ($5 fee for each entry)
• For best results, photos should be in landscape or square orientation and about 3600px x 3600px
• Supported file types: JPG, JPEG, PDF
• Photos selected for the calendar will be announced July 3, 2026.
• *** Drones are NOT allowed on State Historic Site grounds without acquiring proper filming permits – If interested in getting a permit, contact Site Superintendent, Lori Belknap at lori.belknap@illinois.gov. ***
• Entries by Cahokia Mounds Staff and family members will not be considered in the overall contest