Welcome to Midway Village Museum!
Engage • Immerse • Explore
Ranked by visitors to Northern Illinois as a top attraction, Midway Village Museum prides itself as a unique experience combing history, heritage and the exhibition of artifacts to create an unforgettable, educational visitor experience. A popular destination since 1974, Midway Village Museum is a 148-acre campus nestled among trees creating a step back in time ambiance. Located on the museum campus is a Main Museum Center and a 13-acre open air museum, the Victorian Village.
A Big, Little Midwestern City - Rockford, Illinois
Conveniently located, just minutes west of I-90 and the State Street exit, Midway Village Museum offers free daily parking for general admission visitors. Overnight accommodations at five-star hotels and unique locally-owned and franchised restaurants are only minutes away from the museum. For more details on the area, visit www.gorockford.com. Group tours are welcome and can be arranged by calling 815-397-9112, ext. 106.
The Main Museum Center offers visitors 20,000 square feet of interactive exhibits related to many aspects of life in early Northern Illinois and Rockford’s development and economic impact. Visitors engage and explore history within each permanent gallery and continually changing temporary displays. There are always new and exciting things for visitors to see in the galleries. Self-guided tours are open during regular museum hours.
The Main Museum Center is open to the public. The galleries focus on early Rockford history including the iconic Sock Monkey and the Rockford Peaches. The “Many Faces, One Community” gallery highlights immigration to Rockford and Northern Illinois. Visitors also have the opportunity to learn about industry and aviation and its relevance to Rockford history.
The Victorian Village is a seasonal experience. History interpreters guide visitors through the Victorian Village, comprised of 26 historical buildings filled with artifacts of the era, as well as several beautiful 19th Century gardens that depict life in Northern Illinois form 1890 to 1910. Interpreters in period dress guide one hour tours. The buildings in the village include a General Store, Bank, Barber Shop, Church, Hotel, and one room School House. Guided group tours are also available appropriate for school field trips, church groups, travel clubs, garden clubs and social clubs. Eight enchanting gardens envelop you in the rich history of Victorian horticulture. Private garden tours uncover the mysteries of 19th century garden design and the legacy of heirloom planting. The new Historic Iris Preservation Garden is a collection of rare Irises dating from the1500s to 1910 with private tours during the bloom season.
Hours of Operations
SUMMER: MAY 6 – OCTOBER 30
Main Museum Center, Woodward Millhouse,
Old Doll’s House and Museum Gift Store:
Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm; Sunday Noon - 4pm
Victorian Village Guided Tours:
Tuesday - Friday, 11am, Noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm
Living History Weekends* in the Victorian Village:
Saturday, 10am - 4pm. Sunday Noon - 4pm
FALL: OCTOBER 31 – DECEMBER 31
Main Museum Center, Woodward Millhouse,
Old Doll’s House and Museum Gift Store:
Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm; Sunday Noon - 4pm
NOTE: The Museum is closed on Mondays, with the exception
of May 29, July 3, and September 4
Admissions
Free admission for museum members and children ages 0-4.
Main Museum Center Exhibits
$9 Adults • $7 Child (ages 5-12) • $8 Senior (62+)
Victorian Village Guided Tours & Museum Center
$11 Adults • $9 Child (ages 5-12) • $10 Senior (62+)
Victorian Village Living History Weekends & Museum Center
$13 Adults • $11 Child (ages 5-12) • $12 Senior (62+)
NOTE: Special events at right are priced separately. Please consult midwayvillage.com for pricing.
Living History Weekends
Visitors will learn about life between 1890-1910 by engaging with costumed History Interpreters in the Victorian Village. A variety of different people, technologies, lifestyles and cultures will be on display. Discover how life in the Rockford region has changed over the last 125+ years, and also how life has stayed the same. Living History Weekends will often feature a unique historical emphasis, with a focus on different technologies, activities and historical elements. Check our website for details before your visit. Admission to Living History Weekends includes entrance to the Main Museum Center exhibits.
* Living History Weekends begin on Saturday, May 6 and run through Monday, September 4. Hours are 10am - 4pm on Saturdays, and Noon - 4pm on Sundays. Please note that on Saturday, August 5 our schedule and pricing will change for Tipsy History: The Roaring Twenties. The Village will be open from 1 - 9pm for this unique event.
Beginning Saturday, September 9 and running through Sunday, October 29, the Victorian Village will be open for tours by costumed History Interpreters. On Saturdays, tours will begin on the hour from 11am - 3pm. On Sundays, tours will begin on the hour from Noon - 3pm.
Midway Village Museum outdoor special events are rain or shine with no refunds on admissions. No pets are allowed on the grounds. Midway Village Museum is a smoke free campus.
There is also no drone photography allowed.
2023 Free/Donation Days (eff. 3/1/2023)
March: 1st, 8th, 14th, 15th, 16th
April: 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th
May: 18th
June: 14th, 17th, 20th
July: N/A
August: 15th
September: N/A
October: N/A
November: 1st, 8th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 21st, 22nd, 29th
December: 6th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 21st
2023 Calendar of Events
The Calendar of Events details the scheduled dates and topics of this year’s favorite signature museum special events, programs and fundraisers. This PDF document is approx. 761 KB.
Vision
Midway Village Museum will be the primary institution where Rockford’s diverse citizens gather to understand their community’s past and to discuss the challenges of the future.
Museum History
In 1968, Midway Village Museum was organized by the Swedish, Harlem and Rockford Historical Societies for the purpose of collecting, preserving and interpreting the history of the Rockford area. It began with a donation of land by the Severin Family and has grown dramatically since. Today the site is 137 acres. In 1974 the Village opened to represent a typical rural town in Northern Illinois during the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.
1972 – The original museum site was located on 11 acres donated by the Severin Family: today the site is 137 acres.
1974 – The development of Midway Village opened to represent a typical rural town in Northern Illinois during the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.
1974 – The original 10,000 square foot Museum Center facility opened.
1976 – The Industrial Gallery opened.
1988 – The Old Doll’s House Museum opened along with additional galleries including the Aviation Gallery and the Carlson Education Gallery.
The LZ Peace Memorial
The LZ Peace Memorial is a place of honor for those veterans who served our country, in war and in peace. This memorial stands as a testimony to those soldiers from Winnebago County who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War. Learn more →
