"First Division Museum at Cantigny" Topic

Publisher Ivor Janci and I toured this fascinating museum in his hometown of Wheaton, Illinois, yesterday afternoon.

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Anyone else ever visit this free museum?

Sure. I think all military collectors who know about it and get to Chicago must visit it.

It's really something.

Tom

Wow, is this an actual WWI French Schneider tank?!

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I try to make it there at least once a year, depending on how often I get down to Chicago. My Grandfather was attached to the 1st Infantry for a while in World War 1, so this was always a great walk to take with my father.

The grounds of the estate are very impressive as well.

Yep, been there a few times. Used to pass it regularly going to and coming from school.

I was there about 6 years ago. It is a very nice, small museum that is (at least then) very well maintained. The grounds are also very well maintained. Even my wife enjoyed the visit!

Jim

I've been visiting it ever since I was about 8 years old. It is a fantastic little museum with tons of tanks on the grounds of the park.

Been going since I can remember.

OUTSTANDING museum.

They also have authors come in from time to time to talk about their books and do signings. Unfortunatly, they always fall on a day I'm busy.

The active duty 1st Infantry guys were in for the dedication of the D Day landing craft. They brought in a Chinook, a Kiowa, a Blackhawk, and some light armored vehicles. They did a wonderful job with the kids and the adults as well.

Great, great place….

I take the family about once a year. They used to have a series of four paintings representing Illinois in the ACW. My reenacting unit posed for the artist, and my backside appears in the cavalry one (honest!) I think the paintings were moved to the mansion a while back.

Well, there is an undiscovered gem! It turns out that I will be going to Chicago a couple of times a year for the next few years as a liasion on a big project, so I will put this on my must-see list

Many thanks for the info, Scott

My information on the Schneider is that it is a reproduction.

I've been going there since I was a young boy. It started as the collection of Robert McCormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune and a WW 1 vet of the 1st. His estate is now the park that surrounds the museum. My wife loves to go and walk the gardens…so if you're in town with family you might actually not get is trouble for this side trip. Young children love to climb on the tanks. (Back in the day you could get in them). I remember traversing a French 75MM in about 1965 so I know that was original but I'm not sure on the Schneider…but it's been there almost as long. When they built the new museum they took down a massive display of Omaha beach, done with miniatures…one of the reasons I'm in this hobby….

I remember the Omaha Beach diorama as well along with the accompanying narration. The chaplain who gave the invocation at the dedication ceremony for the LCVP at the museum was a D-Day vet. He passed away about a week later.

Its well worth a visit. The library has some interesting material as well.

Long ago. Favorite field trip of my cub scouts pack. I loved that Omaha Beach diorama.

It's a great museum and an impressive park. They seem to be growing it slowly but steadily. The also a mansion, gardens, etc are also worth a look. If you're only going for the military museum I don't know if I'd go more than once every year or so, but it's defintely worth a trip.

I was a bit annoyed back in the 90's when the trustees decided to take away almost all of the land set asside (supposedly forever) for the boy scouts campground and build a golf course, but whatever it takes to survive I guess…

If you visit Cantigny on Dec 5th and 6th, you can see the annual Christmas Show of the Northern Illinois LEGO Train Club. niltc.org It's our 2nd biggest show of the year, and it's almost free! We completely fill the main Hall of the Visitor's Center and the side room!

It is a fantastic museum! I've been there 3-4 times. The museum is free, the parking is $5 USD or something like that.

I belive the Schneider is a plywood mock up.

A friend of mine volunteers at Cantigny in the archives. He said there is expansion under way.

I spoke with the docent yesterday while at the museum. The expansion is on indefinite hold until funds can be secured. Like so much else, the project is a victim of the recent recession.

It's been a few years since I was there with my oldest grandson. He enjoyed watching some of the WWII training clips (e.g., how to load and fire a bazooka) in the museum and enjoyed climbing on the tanks. He failed to be enthused by my pointing out the 50Pak38 in one of the indoor displays (amazing how small that gun really is) and similar items. He was only 8 at the time so I knew he couldn't appreciate the fine thrill of seeing an actual 65 year old piece of equipment (like a flying B17).

One of the fun things about the outdoor armor collection is several of them are one off development models of the M26 Pershing. Nothing like finding a picture in Chamberlain and Ellis' book on British and American Armor and then seeing the photographed vehicle on display.