Dates & Times
Saturday, April 26
from 10 am to 4 pm
Sunday, April 27
from 10 am to 3 pm
Admission Prices
$15 - Adults Ages
$12 – Children Ages 5-12
$12 - Senior 62+
Free - Infants/Toddlers 0-4
Free - Museum Members
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. Vet Tank available for individuals with limited mobility. Call the museum to make a reservation at 815-397-9112.
Silent Films of the World War I Era
Saturday, April 26, 2025, doors open at 4:00 pm
Movie Rate (Live Music)
Adult (13+) $10
Child (5-12) $5
Museum Member FREE
Adult Registered Re-enactor $5
Child Registered Re-enactor $3
Members please call for reservations or check in when you arrive for the event.
Professor Sprocket's Traveling Nickelodeon Band presents Silent films of the WWI era. In the early years of cinema, films were produced without a soundtrack. Local theaters provided their own musicians to score the showing of each film. For this program, music will be provided by the Rockford Wind Ensemble and its conductor, Mark Rose, will arrange 1920s music to match the action of the two films to be shown: "The Bellboy" by Fatty Arbuckle and "The Haunted House" by Buster Keaton. Fifteen local musicians will take part in the ensemble under Rose's direction. The event will run about 90 minutes and both films are family friendly.
The Great War: World War I
This two-day public special history event is back for 2025 at Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford, IL
The sights and sounds of The Great War will come to life when over 200 reenactors portraying soldiers and civilians from the United States and Europe come together in the museum’s historic village. This is a unique, not-to-miss immersive experience! See how soldiers lived and fought as you tour encampments, inspect a 150-yard trench system*, and witness narrated battle reenactments.
* With your Trench Tour ticket - available for $3 each when you pre-order your tickets.
There will be First World War reenactors portraying soldiers from the US, Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Greece, Turkey and even Ireland. See WWI uniforms, weapons, and memorabilia, plus:
Visit encampments and see WWI uniforms, memorabilia, weapons and equipment including:
- A Russian Armored Car
- A Replica WWI Era Tank
- And More!
Learn about:
- Camp Grant
- Trench Warfare and tour a replica trench
- Blacksmithing
- Conscientious Objectors
- The American Homefront
- The 1918 Influenza Epidemic
- Knitting Spies
See military skirmishes reenacted! Shop sales vendors of military collectibles, reproductions and books.
Schedule:
Saturday Events 10 am - 4 pm
- 10:00 AM - Event Opens
- 11:00 - 11:30 AM - Field Battle
- 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM - Trench Tours
- 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM - The 1918 Influenza Pandemic
- 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM - Second City Celebrates the Music of WWI
- 1:00 PM - 1:20 PM - Woods Battle: Camp Grant goes to War
- 1:30 - 1:50 PM - Woods Battle: The Great War on the Eastern Front
- 2:00 - 3:00 PM - Suffragettes during WWI
- 3:00 - 3:15 PM - Suffragette Rally & March
- 3:30 - 4:00 PM - Field Battle
- 4:00 PM - Village Event Closes
- 4:30 - 6:00 PM - Buster Keaton Silent Film Double Feature in the Museum Center (see ticket info)
Sunday Events 10 am - 3 pm
- 10:00 AM - Event Opens
- 10:30 - 11:30 AM - Suffragettes during WWI
- 11:30 - 11:45 AM - Suffragette Rally & March
- 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM - Field Battle
- 12:30 - 2:00 PM - Trench Tours
- 12:45 - 1:45 PM -The 1918 Influenza Pandemic
- 1:00 - 2:00 PM - Second City Celebrates the Music of WWI
- 2:00 - 2:20 PM - Woods Battle: Camp Grant goes to War
- 2:30 - 2:50 PM - Woods Battle: The Great War on the Eastern Front
Food Vendors: Sassy Mac Boys, Bing’s Food Truck, Lulu’s Roasted Corn, Vintage Goose Café, and Pig Mind’s Brewery (Beer only).
Performances (Lectures and Music):
2nd City Chorus Celebrates the Music of WWI (12-1pm Sat & 1-2pm Sun) Song selection: Armed Forces Medley, Coney Island Baby, All Outta Step But Jim, Roses of Picardy, Over There, World War I Medley, You're a Grand Old Flag, and Yankee Doodle Boy.
The Influenza Epidemic of 1918-19 at Camp Grant, Illinois presented by Paul Reith, MD (11:45AM -12:45 PM Sat & 12:45-1:45 PM Sun.) In September 1918, the “Spanish Flu” invaded Camp Grant in Rockford, Illinois, causing 10,739 cases and resulting in 1,034 deaths (including 41 caregivers, of whom 7 were nurses). This is the heroic story of how a community and an army training camp worked together to deal with an unforeseen health crisis of epic proportions. Dr. Paul Reith is retired faculty at the UIC College of Medicine in Rockford. He practiced general internal medicine and clinical endocrinology for 20 years at the FW Shappert UIC Clinic in Belvidere, Illinois (now closed), where faculty and students were fortunate to have experienced medical care in a small town and rural environment. His hobby is medical history.
Suffragettes during WWI presented by Cindy Herman (2:00 -3:00 PM Sat., followed by rally and march & 10:30-11:30 AM Sun., followed by rally and march) The history of the Suffragettes and how they impacted WWI. What is a suffragette? Who were they? How did Illinois play a big part to help women get the right to vote? Fashion of a suffragette woman and her accessories.
Special this year: 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).
Questions? Call 815-397-9112.
