Rock Island Arsenal Museum, Military museum at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, United States
Rock Island Arsenal Museum occupies Building 60 on Arsenal Island, a three-story light tan stone building with a low triangular gable, a round-arched entrance behind a short flight of steps, and rows of tall rectangular windows. Its core exhibits trace the island and the Arsenal from 1805 to the present through more than 250 artifacts, hundreds of photographs and digital and physical interactives.
It was founded in 1905 and is the second oldest United States Army museum after West Point's institution from 1854. This long history makes it an important resource for understanding American military heritage.
The museum's name changed with its focus: founded in 1905 as The Ordnance Museum, it became the John M. Browning Memorial Museum in 1959, honouring his contributions to ordnance technology, and took its present name on July 1, 1986, when the themes "People, Processes, and Products" were coined to frame the Arsenal's history.
Entry is free and visitors must check in at the Moline Gate with valid identification. The museum operates Tuesday through Saturday, which makes it convenient for planning a visit during the week.
The collection holds the M1903 Springfield Rifle Number 1 and the M1 Garand Number 2, representing milestones in American military firearm development. These individual pieces are witnesses to the technological advances that shaped American military power.
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