Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Museum, Illinois, United States
4.5 (26 reviews) Sunday: Spent < 1 hour Ranking #28 in Springfield Military Museums • Speciality Museums
Serious Civil War history!
Our collection includes relics of the Civil War but highlights the membership and work done by the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) and their auxiliary, the Woman's Relief Corps (W.R.C.). Visitors to the museum receive a brief description of what the museum is and what you will see. You have the option to view the displays and read the interpretive panels on your own or receive a guided tour complete with additional descriptions and more in-depth commentary. Depending on the date of your visit, special exhibits may be on display. There is no entry fee but the Museum receives no City, State or Federal funding and relies entirely on the membership of the WRC and the donations of visitors.
Address
629 S 7th St, Springfield, IL 62703-1636
Mobile
Website
http://www.facebook.com/GARMemorialMuseum/
Working hours
Monday :
Tuesday :
Wednesday :
Thursday : 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday : 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday : 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday :
Current local date and time now
Sunday, May 12, 2024, 13:35
User Ratings
4.5 based on (26 reviews)
Reviews
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5Taylor B 5:00 PM Jun 28, 2015
Add this museum to your Springfield itinerary
If the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Museum wasn't located so close to the Lincoln home and other better known Lincoln related sites, we probably would have passed it by. We had a half-hour to kill and ended up spending nearly two hours touring the one-room museum which pays tribute to the Civil War veterans in the Grand Army of the Republic. It contains memorabilia, artifacts, papers, diaries, photographs, weapons, uniforms, medals, drums, currency, quilts, Union and Confederate flags, journals of the GAR dating to the 1870s and a complete set of the "Official Records" of the "War of the Rebellion." Perhaps the prized possession is the American flag from the balcony of President Lincoln's box at Ford's Theater--the same one that John Wilkes Booth caught his spur in when he vaulted over the railing to the state after shooting Lincoln--also is on display. The museum, located at 629 South 7th Street, was established in Springfield in 1941. It was moved from its original location to its current address in 1963. Also on display are original tintype photos by famed Civil War photographer Matthew Brady. The museum is staffed by the National Woman's Relief Corps, whose members provide information on everything that is on display. Admission is free but donations are accepted. There is no gift shop on the premises but several magazines devoted to the Civil War are for sale. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 to 4 but it is closed during the month of December.
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4Norman S 5:00 PM Sep 30, 2013
As a Museum-Average, As a Curosity-Very Good
The GAR was a veterans organization following the Civil War. This is a museum documenting their history and has a cool accumulation of stuff. As a museum experience its mostly just cases of stuff with little storyline. However it is an interesting place to burrow through and the director was charming and helpful. As for the flag that broke Booth's leg... there are several of those.
