Tank Museum Illinois – Cantigny Park and the area is a great place to go for an ice walk in nature, visit an ornate mansion, and learn about military history. It’s got to be one of the top places to visit in the Chicago west suburbs.
Preserving the heritage of the Illinois National Guard, the museum is committed to collecting, preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting the military artifacts associated with the citizen-soldier of Illinois. The exhibit includes rare items such as the artificial leg of Mexican General Santa Anna, a target board shot at by President Lincoln, as well as vehicles, weapons, uniforms, equipment and photographs.
Tank Museum Illinois
The Citizen-Soldier exhibit features the military experiences of famous Illinois soldiers such as Carl Sandburg, Robert McCormick, John A. Logan and Abraham Lincoln. The ticket price is $23. All riders of the train with Thomas the Tank Engine™ who have passed their first birthday must have a ticket.
Reviewed By Kdav – Wheaton United States
Day Out With Thomas™ tickets include one train ride with Thomas the Tank Engine for the trip specified on the Day Out With Thomas ticket, unlimited rides on streetcars; all entertainment (live music, magic shows, etc.);
and access to all Museum exhibits on the date specified on the ticket. Food, snacks and beverages will be available at several locations around the Museum grounds. Continuing in 2023: You can ride on a train behind Percy.
The ticket price for the Percy train is an additional $10. All riders of the train with Percy who have passed their first birthday must have a ticket. Percy tickets include one train ride with Percy for the trip specified on the ticket.
Activities during the Day Out With Thomas event: Preserving the heritage of the Illinois National Guard, the museum is committed to collecting, preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting the military artifacts associated with the citizen-soldier of Illinois. The exhibit includes rare items such as the artificial leg of Mexican General Santa Anna, a target board shot at by President Lincoln, as well as vehicles, weapons, uniforms, equipment and photographs.
Reviewed By Taylorb – Chicago United States
The Citizen-Soldier exhibit features the military experiences of famous Illinois soldiers such as Carl Sandburg, Robert McCormick, John A. Logan and Abraham Lincoln. We are a hands-on, living history museum featuring displays, artifacts and uniforms of local soldiers from World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Our staff is made up of military veterans who are present to share their experiences with you. We are located next to the Route 66 Museum. Visited by guests from over 75 countries since 2004. Free admission.
Free parking. Open 7 days a week Mon-Sat 10 – 4, Sun 12 – 4. See you on Route 66! Train capacity cannot be further increased and therefore, once a train is sold out, there will be no further increase in capacity.
If necessary additional trains may be added later in the afternoon, all trains currently advertised should be sold out. Our collection includes relics of the Civil War but highlights the membership and work done by the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) and their auxiliary, the Woman’s Relief Corps (W.R.C.).
Reviewed By Sugarbaby
Visitors to the museum receive a brief description of what the museum is and what you will see. You have the option to view the displays and read the interpretive panels on your own or receive a guided tour complete with additional descriptions and more in-depth commentary.
Depending on the date of your visit, special exhibits may be on display. There is no entry fee but the Museum receives no City, State or Federal funding and relies entirely on the membership of the WRC and the donations of visitors.
The Illinois Railway Museum advises some days of tickets may be available, but likely for trains later in the day. The museum advises families not to come to the museum early in the day without pre-booked tickets as you will likely face a wait of several hours for the first available train.
The tanks outside were incredible to get up close to. My husband and son are huge military buffs and were impressed to see the tanks on display outside on the grounds. I myself tagged along but was not bored at all looking at the tanks.
Reviewed By Bergmom
Inside the museum are wonderful displays depicting all phases of wars that the 1st was involved in. The grounds had wonderful gardens to wander through. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Children will receive a “Passport to Adventures” booklet to track their journey at the event and receive a special prize upon completion.
There will also be Thomas & Friends-themed activities including crafts, storytelling, video viewing and live music. It is likely that tickets will only be available at the gate for trains later in the day. Please do not plan to come to the museum early in the day without pre-booked tickets as you will likely face a wait of several hours for the first available train.
We expect to have tickets available on the day of the event for purchase at the gates. However, all tickets are available for purchase online. The only tickets available at the gate will be those that remain unsold online.
No tickets are held back for gate purchase. The Rock Island Arsenal Museum is the Army’s second oldest museum. It first opened to the public on July 4, 1905. The museum tells the story of Rock Island Arsenal and Arsenal Island from the establishment of Fort Armstrong in 1816 to today.
Among the museum’s highlights is its firearms collection. Consisting of more than 1200 military and civilian firearms, the collection is one of the most unique in the country. Visitors can see a wall-gun from the American Revolution, rifles from the Little Bighorn Battlefield and Custer’s last stand, and experimental firearms from Rock Island Arsenal’s Rodman Laboratories.
The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from Noon to 4:00pm Welcome to Cantigny! Discover a world of beauty, learning and fun just around the corner! Cantigny was Colonel Robert R. McCormick’s gift to the community and all 500 acres are yours to enjoy.
Plan your visit today! Discover the best top things to do in Illinois, United States including Cantigny Park, First Division Museum at Cantigny, Heritage in Flight Museum, Veterans Military Museum, Vermilion County War Museum, Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, Rock Island Arsenal Museum, Livingston County War Museum
, Pritzker Military Museum & Library, Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Museum. Restaurants in Illinois The museum houses 300 military machines, representing the key battles of every major conflict since the First World War. Our moving exhibitions tell the story of this British invention;
from the mud of the Somme to the beaches of Normandy and the deserts of Iraq – featuring powerful stories from the soldiers who fought in them. The Pritzker Military Museum & Library is located at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street on floors two through four of the historic Monroe Building in Chicago’s Loop.
Situated across the street from Millennium Park (home to Cloud Gate and the Crown Fountain) and the Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum & Library is a unique institution – part military history and information center, part museum – open to the public with an extensive
collection of books, artifacts and rotating exhibits covering many eras and branches of the military. Visitors can also participate in live television show recordings in the Museum & Library’s state of the art broadcast center. The Museum & Library is a center where citizens and active duty military and veterans come together to learn from each other, about military history and the role of the Armed Forces in today’s society.
This museum is an absolute gem and a must see for every American who can get there. There was a lovely, kind gentleman working there who is a retired sailor and was a wealth of knowledge.
They have literally thousands of artifacts and so much to see. I knew there would be uniforms in the museum but what I didn’t know is that all of the uniforms belonged to individuals around the area who had each served their country.
Each uniform has the person’s ribbons and medals as well, and a QR code you can scan for more pictures and information of that person. It was a surprisingly emotional experience and I’m so grateful this was recommended to us.
Pontiac and its residents should be extremely proud of their dedication to the country, to history and to patriotism!
Emma Nehls is a military writer and historian with a passion for exploring the intricacies of warfare and the human experience within the military. With extensive knowledge and a deep understanding of military strategy, tactics, and historical contexts, Nehls brings a unique perspective to his writings.
