Chanute Air Force Base

Chanute Air Force Base was a military installation in Rantoul, United States, consisting of multiple hangar buildings, training facilities, and residential barracks spread over 2,125 acres. The complex extended across open farmland in central Illinois, featuring runways, maintenance shops, and medical facilities for training aviation personnel.

The facility opened during World War I as Chanute Field, where pilots and mechanics received training. After World War II, it transformed into a technical school and closed in 1993 after 76 years of operation.

The site takes its name from Octave Chanute, an aviation pioneer who built gliders and influenced the Wright brothers. Visitors today find public buildings and industrial spaces that recall the military past but serve civilian purposes.

The former base is now a mixed area of manufacturing plants, schools, and research labs open to the public. Some sections remain private, while other parts have been converted to an aviation museum that can be visited by appointment.

From 1964 until closure, the site focused on fire protection training, with realistic firefighting exercises taking place on the grounds. Dozens of African American pilots who later became Tuskegee Airmen received their technical education here starting in 1941, helping bring different groups together in the Air Force.