What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 1pm - 4:30pm Wednesday 1pm - 4:30pm Thursday 1pm - 4:30pm Friday 1pm - 4:30pm Saturday 9am - 12pm 1pm - 4:30pm

Illinois State Military Museum

Home
United States
Springfield, IL
Illinois State Military Museum

The mission of the Illinois State Military Museum is to preserve and exhibit the military heritage of the Illinois National Guard.
(210)

05/28/2026

Schools mostly out for the summer! We will miss our tour groups that keep us busy in the spring and fall.

Our excellent living historians have educated nearly 3000 students since January!!

Thank you for your support!!!

05/26/2026

Our office is getting an overhaul! We are saying goodbye to this house. The cumbersome process of moving into temporary office space has begun.

The June 13th WWII event will happen as planned but the office may be fenced off and the footprint a little smaller. Looking forward to seeing you then regardless!

05/21/2026

In our World War One Medal of Honor Johannes Anderson exhibit is a little dagger on a chain. The is a German Empire chatelaine that he acquired. The little dagger is not even three inches. It is like a decorative Swiss army knife.

05/19/2026

May 19, 1863:
14 year-old drummer boy earned the Medal of Honor for awe inspiring courage under fire

Heavy fighting at Vicksburg, Mississippi had largely depleted the ammunition of Company C of the 55th Illinois Infantry. Colonel Oscar Malmborg lost several runners in attempting to get resupplied. Musician Orion P. Howe, a fourteen year-old drummer boy whose father and brother were in the same regiment, volunteered to fetch the much needed ammunition. To the amazement of his comrades, Howe dashed through enemy artillery and small arms fire. Despite a severe wound that would affect him for the rest of his life, Howe successfully returned with the ammunition, and then reported directly to Major General William Tecumseh Sherman as ordered. He remains one of the youngest recipients of the Medal of Honor. The previous Illinois National Guard Armory in Waukegan named after him.

05/14/2026

We have some captured Confederate items on display. Imagine digging up that "D" knife in your back yard.

The flag is the Confederate States of American Flag not to be confused with the Confederate Battle Flag with a red background, blue x with white stars.

05/12/2026

These leather leggings were worn by Corporal Harold Duncan. He served in Co C., 3rd Infantry Illinois National Guard during the Mexican Border Campaign in 1916. The 3rd Infantry was converted to 129th Infantry during World War One where Cpl. Duncan was a "runner." During his service his nickname was "Cutie." Major General Bell awarded him a Division citation for bravery.

You can see this items on exhibit at the museum Tuesday- Friday 1-4:30 and Saturdays 9-4:30.

05/07/2026

The best part of this curator position is coming across items with stories I've would typically not find elsewhere. I was scrolling through our database and found this blade that was categorized as a pike. I thought this doesn't look like a pike, let me look at the original Memorial Hall records.

A pike is a steel blade mounted on a long pole. In 1857, abolitionist John Brown got the idea that these pike would be a good weapon for black slaves to use as defense. The one in our collection is missing the pole.
Check out the story from the donor L. R. Witherell in the photos.

05/05/2026

May 5, 1864:

Three Illinois naval militiamen earned the Medal of Honor for actions aboard the doomed USS Signal
The USS Signal, a Federal gunboat, came under heavy enemy fire on the Red River in Louisiana. Trapped and unable to complete their mission of delivering dispatches to Major General Nathanial P. Banks, the crew decided to fight it out. For two days the ship traded point blank cannon fire with rebel batteries on both sides of the river. Snipers picked off any crewman exposed on the shattered deck. The crew surrendered only after the ship’s firepower and steerage had been completely disabled. Three Illinois naval militiamen aboard the USS Signal received the Medal of Honor for their heroic defense of the ship:

Quarter Gunner Charles Asten; Seaman John Hyland; and Boatswains Mate Michael McCormick

05/02/2026

Grierson's Raid

Colonel Benjamin Grierson’s Raid of 1700 men from the 6th & 7th IL Cavalry and 2nd Iowa Cavalry, April 17th to May 2nd from La Grange, Tennessee to Baton Rough, Louisiana turned the tide for General Grant and his six previous attempts of taking Vicksburg, Mississippi. General Grant had to think in large geographical terms and planned for multiple diversions keeping the Confederates occupied on all sides. Grierson’s 600 mile raid was an integral part of the overall plan to distract from the main Union efforts. Grierson’s cavalry brigade started from Corinth, Mississippi and La Grange and Memphis, Tennessee and cut fast and hard through Mississippi taking 3000 guns, 500 prisoners, 100 Confederate dead, and destroyed 50 miles of railroad in a matter of sixteen days.

They were warmly welcomed in Baton Rouge to a band and cheering. A newspaperman noted, “the prisoners were ‘only distinguishable from their captures by being less travel stained and riding in fatigue dress without arms.’”

Two months later Vicksburg finally belonged to the Union.

Address

1301 N MacArthur Boulevard
Springfield, IL
62702

Opening Hours

Tuesday	1pm - 4:30pm
Wednesday	1pm - 4:30pm
Thursday	1pm - 4:30pm
Friday	1pm - 4:30pm
Saturday	9am - 12pm
	1pm - 4:30pm

Telephone

+12177613910

Website

https://www.il.ngb.army.mil/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Illinois State Military Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Illinois State Military Museum:

Want your museum to be the top-listed Museum in Springfield?