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This two-day public war reenactment is back for 2026!Saturday, April 11 – 10am to 4pm & Sunday, April 12 – 10am to 3pm
Midway Village Museum will host The Great War: World War I Days, featuring over 200 reenactors portraying soldiers and civilians from the United States and Europe in the museum’s historic village.
Visitors engage in this unique historic, immersive experience with the opportunity to enter encampments, tour a 150-yard reproduction trench system, and watch narrated battle reenactments! Reenactors will be portraying soldiers from the US, Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Italy and the Ottoman Empire. Visit encampments and see WWI uniforms, memorabilia, weapons, and equipment including:
> An Armored Car
> An Ambulance
> A Replica WWI Era Tank
> Mortars and more!
Learn more about:
> Trench Warfare and tour a replica trench
> Blacksmithing
> Donut Dollies
> WWI Popular Songs - Phonograph Concert
> The American Homefront
> The 1918 Influenza Epidemic
Costs
$15 - Adults Ages 13+ (Non-Member)
$12 – Children Ages 5-12 & Seniors Ages 62+ (Non-Member)
FREE General Admission for Members, and ages 0-4!
$3 – Trench Tours (Children ages 0-4 are Free)
Thank you to our generous event sponsors: Kjellstrom Family Foundation, Aqua Aerobics, Beth & Rudnicki Insurance, & Midland State Bank!
Schedule of Events:
Saturday, April 11: 10am-4pm
11am Field Battle (1916 Scenario)
11:30am-2:30pm Trench Tours
12pm 2nd City Celebrates the Music of WWI
1:15pm Woods Battle: Camp Grant Goes to War
2pm Suffragettes during WWI (presentation)
3pm Suffragette Rally & March
3:30pm Field Battle (1918 Scenario)
Sunday, April 12: 10am-3pm
10:30am Suffragettes during WWI (presentation)
11:30am Suffragette Rally & March
12pm Field Battle
12:30pm-2pm Trench Tours
1pm 2nd City Celebrates the Music of WWI
2:15pm Woods Battle: Camp Grant Goes to War
Visit our NEW permanent exhibit, You're in the Army Now: Camp Grant, Rockford's Legacy! Camp Grant was an important Army training camp in Rockford during World War I and World War II, bringing thousands of soldiers to the area. It helped the city grow by creating jobs, building roads, and adding new services. Our exhibit shares stories, artifacts, and history about how the camp changed the community forever.
Shop for military collectibles, reproductions and books with our sales vendors in the Red Barn. Be sure to bring your appetite for our food vendors Bing’s Food Truck, Polish Shack, and MISSION BBQ! Pig Minds Brewing Co. will be in attendance serving beer for guests 21 and older.
We are offering tours of our trench system, built to replicate the trenches used throughout Europe in World War I. Trench Tour tickets ($3 ea) are available with pre-ordered tickets and will be for sale at the general admission tent on the day of event. Tours run Saturday from 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM and Sunday 12:30 - 2:00 PM. The last tour will be 20 minutes before the end of that time frame (2:10 Sat and 1:50 Sun).
For those interested in the Great War: WWI School Day – exclusive to school and home school groups – on Friday, April 10th, please visit our site, https://www.midwayvillage.com/ww1-school-day.html.
Admission tickets can also can be purchased upon arrival to the event. This is a Rain or shine event – no refunds. Free parking is available. Bags will be checked by security upon event entry. No pets allowed, however service animals are permitted. Only registered re-enactors may wear historic military uniforms.
Our Vet Tank is available for individuals with limited mobility. Call the museum to make a reservation.
Questions? Call 815-397-9112.
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Event Venue
6799 Guilford Road, Rockford, IL, United States, Illinois 61107
Tickets
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