Midway Village Museum

05/29/2026

You knocked it outta the park! Thank you to everyone who attended Rockford Peaches Play Date on Saturday, May 23, 2026. ⚾️🌞

Thank you to our exceptional sponsors, Aqua-Aerobic Systems Inc., Benning Group LLC, Midland States Bank and Stillman Bank, for your support. And a special thanks to our amazing interpreters, volunteers and members of the Stilettos on Steel softball team, Stiletto Sluggers. You all made this event outstanding! Stay tuned for more photos and videos.

International Women's Baseball Center A League of Their Own 30th Anniversary Celebration All American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Association

05/28/2026

What a haul! Thank you to Master Gardeners Wendy Chatsey Swanson and Betsy Hoelting for your work picking all these radishes to benefit a local food pantry!

University of Illinois Extension - Jo Daviess/Stephenson/Winnebago County

Winnebago County Master Gardeners Wendy Chatsey Swanson and Betsy Hoelting had their first harvest at Midway Village Museum. They harvested 2.6 pounds of French Breakfast Radishes.

Produce harvested at Midway Village Museum gardens is donated to a local pantry as part of the Plant-a-Row program.

05/27/2026

Celebrate the rich and vibrant tapestry that makes Rockford great! All groups are invited.

CALL FOR ETHNIC GROUPS — America 250 Ethnic Parade!
As part of the America 250 free July 3 concert and street party, the Rockford Region’s cultural communities are invited to participate in an ethnic parade celebrating the diversity that makes our region vibrant and unique!

If your ethnic group would like to participate, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝗯𝗯𝗶𝗲@𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟱, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲:

• Name of the ethnic group, such as Lithuanian, Laotian, Swedish, Korean, Mexican, etc.
• Names, emails, and cell phone numbers for 3 - 5 participants confirmed available on July 3, between 3 - 7 PM

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:
• A flag or banner representing your cultural group
• Traditional clothing worn by the 3 - 5 participants

05/27/2026

Irises in the village are at peak bloom, but they won't last long in this heat! Visit soon - admission is FREE for Members. Tap midwayvillage.com/heritage-gardens-midway.html to learn more about our Heritage Gardens. 🪻🌷

Go Rockford University of Illinois Extension - Jo Daviess/Stephenson/Winnebago County

05/27/2026

Take a Cheap Trick tour of Rockford at tinyurl.com/4rddpdus! Thank you to Brian Cicioni for including Midway Village Museum in your tour.

Go Rockford I May Roam Cheap Trick Tom Petersson Rick Nielsen

05/25/2026

In recognition of Memorial Day, Midway Village Museum remembers and honors the sacrifices made by service men and women here and abroad. While the Museum Center and Village are closed today, let’s visit the digital archives.

This is one of Midway’s many postcards showing a line of soldiers walking next to a train preparing to leave Camp Grant. The soldiers’ uniforms suggest this is from the World War II era. To view thousands of images through our Online Digital Collections, tap midwayvillage.com/digital-collections.html.

05/24/2026

The Museum Center and Village will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026, in observance of Memorial Day. We thank our veterans for the sacrifices they made and honor their memories.

This photo shows the 1919 Memorial Day Services at Camp Grant’s base hospital in Rockford. If you can’t get enough Rockford history, view thousands of Rockford images through our Online Digital Collections at midwayvillagemuseumdigitalcollections.omeka.net.

05/23/2026

It wouldn’t be Memorial Day weekend without a baseball game! Head to Midway Village Museum for Rockford Peaches Playdate TODAY from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets available at the gate.

Learn more at midwayvillage.com/rockford-peaches-midway.html.

Thank you to our generous sponsors, Aqua-Aerobic Systems Inc., Benning Group LLC, Midland States Bank and Stillman Bank, for your support!

International Women's Baseball Center A League of Their Own 30th Anniversary Celebration All American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Association

05/22/2026

Visit Midway’s Victorian Village to enjoy lush irises at peak bloom! Free entry to Members! 💐🪻🌷 Tap midwayvillage.com/heritage-gardens-midway.html to learn more about our Heritage Gardens.

Go Rockford University of Illinois Extension - Jo Daviess/Stephenson/Winnebago County

05/20/2026

We love hosting staff meetings and retreats! 😊 If you would like to book a meeting or special event with us, please contact Rentals Manager Lisa Beardsworth at 815-397-9112, ext. 114, or via email at [email protected].

05/19/2026

Shigeyuki Doi was born in California in 1920 to parents who were Japanese immigrants. During World War II, his family was held at a Colorado internment camp.

However, Doi joined the Army in 1942 and was sent to Rockford’s Camp Grant. He was one of more than 100 Japanese-American orderlies working at the base hospital. Doi worked in the dental clinic. The men were integrated with white soldiers. Many of their names are listed in this 1942 Camp Grant Thanksgiving program. Doi is on page 6.

By spring 1944, Doi had been transferred to the 3rd Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit of 1,000 Japanese Americans. They were sent to France to rescue “The Lost Battalion”, which was surrounded by German troops. Few members of the 442nd survived, but Doi came home alive. The 442nd is one of the highest decorated combat units of its size.

Learn more about Camp Grant’s Japanese-American soldiers in our exhibit, "You’re in the Army Now: Camp Grant, Rockford’s Legacy." Tap midwayvillage.com to learn more and plan your next visit.

NIU Center for Southeast Asian Studies