Pritzker Military Archives Center

The marquee facility at the campus, the Pritzker Military Museum Library is a new 134,520-square-foot, state-of-the-art institutional archive that will provide space to restore, preserve, and store collections that include books, artifacts and other military historical materials. It will feature a 9,400-square-foot gallery center for public viewing, offering the local community the opportunity to immerse themselves in history. Housing archives and collections of all types, the commercial archives will be a high-tech, highly secure, state-of-the-art facility that will adhere to best practices in conservation. Along with the archival space, workspace for the Pritzker Military Museum Library staff will be for continued curation of the military collection for future exhibits.

Licensed and certified in-house instructors will provide classroom and interactive training to beginners as well as more advanced students on subjects like concealed carry, home defense and firearm safety. Students and patrons can participate in coordinated, historical packages to gain familiarity with particular firearms from certain eras of conflict and select countries. This will give researchers, historians and the public the opportunity to operate historical replicas and modern firearms to better understand the experiences of the citizen soldier.

The memorial will be a publicly accessible display where citizens can honor, reflect and learn about the bravery and sacrifice displayed to further the freedoms that our country enjoys. It will be a lasting tribute to the courage and tenacity found in the U.S. Armed Forces and civilian personnel who faithfully and honorably served during the Cold War era.

The space surrounding the structures will be expertly landscaped, with 7,440 linear feet of picnic areas and walking and biking paths. Less than 7% of the total 288 acres will have buildings as the focus will be on preserving green space and wetlands.