Experience Military Vehicles Up Close At This Illinois Museum

There's a new kind of adventure you can take the family on in Illinois, and it involves retired military vehicles, but trust me, the kids will love it.

Military Museum In Illinois Features Hands-On Exhibits

My father was a big history buff. He enjoyed it so much at one point that he thought about becoming a history teacher. So that meant on many of our vacations, he would seek out historical places to visit. It actually helped me out a lot in school.

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I remember one time going to a military museum somewhere in Illinois. It wasn't very big, but they had a couple of tanks out front that kids could play and climb on. That was so awesome. Learning and having fun at the same time is a great combination.

I just found out about the Russell Military Museum in Zion. They have hundreds of military vehicles to check out, and the majority of them are hands-on exhibits. They even offer tank rides. That's so cool. I'm going to have to check that out sometime in the near future.

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According to My Local Nooks...

Standing guard over the Illinois-Wisconsin border for nearly four decades, this sprawling military wonderland transforms what could have been just another roadside attraction into an extraordinary journey through American warfare history.

 

Spread across 10 blacktopped acres with over 300 military vehicles ranging from WWII Sherman tanks to Vietnam-era Huey helicopters, the Russell Military Museum offers visitors the rare chance to walk among genuine pieces of military history that Hollywood directors have actually borrowed for blockbuster films like Saving Private Ryan and Courage Under Fire.

 

Unlike many museums where everything is behind ropes, you can actually climb inside several vehicles including APCs and experience what soldiers encountered during combat operations.