The First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton will reopen on Saturday after a 10-month closure that saw new gallery exhibits added and existing exhibits updated, according to a press release.
“For 100 continuous years, members of the 1st Infantry Division have been all around the world, risking their lives on our behalf and in our defense,” Executive Director Paul Herbert said in a statement. “We’re proud to tell that story here at Cantigny and we’re going to keep telling it for decades to come.”
The museum’s reopening will coincide with the centennial anniversary of the 1st Infantry Division, known as the “Big Red One.” It will feature a new gallery called “Duty First,” which focuses on the division’s post-Vietnam history. IIt will join the existing “First in War” gallery, which has been updated during the museum’s closure.
The First Division Museum is located on the former farm of Col. Robert McCormick, who served in the division during World War I and left his land in trust upon his death, dedicating it to the enjoyment of Illinoisans.
“There is no better way to commemorate the centennial of the First Division,” Davd Hiller, president and CEO of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, said in the statement. “We know how Colonel McCormick revered the Big Red One, and all the men and women who served in the armed forces. He’d be pleased that this wonderful museum honors veterans and all those who serve.”
The museum is scheduled to open at 11 a.m.
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