To celebrate the 250th anniversary of America, Cantigny is sharing several stories of innovation relating to Col. Robert R. McCormick.
Hamilton’s 5th Artillery: 250 Years
Within the First Division Museum is a special exhibit focusing on the incredible journey of the U.S. Army’s oldest active unit. From Alexander Hamilton’s first company in 1776 to the digital battlefields of 2026, discover how this regiment has remained “Faithful and True” through every major American conflict.
“The 5th Field Artillery is, of course, the longest serving artillery regiment in the United States Army. And so with McCormick’s service, using it as a kind of jump-off point to connect it to the park, we built outwards from there,” said Hank Wilcox, an exhibit expert at the First Division Museum at Cantigny.
The newly renovated McCormick House
Once the private home of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the Robert R. McCormick House now offers an experience shaped by the people, passions, and stories that defined it. Through reimagined gallery spaces, evocative historic rooms, and self-guided narration in a voice modeled after the Colonel himself, guests are invited to encounter Cantigny in a way that feels intimate, transportive, and distinctly memorable.
“There are several opportunities throughout the house where QR codes allow visitors to hear the colonel’s voice talk about the spaces and the artifacts and what he did in those rooms,” said Will Buhlig, the McCormick House Director.
About Cantigny Park
With gardens, a museum, dining options, picnic areas, hiking trails, educational opportunities, and more, Cantigny Park offers something for everyone.
Robert R. McCormick, born in 1880, lived on the grounds from the 1920s until his death in 1955. Cantigny is open to the public and part of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, a nonprofit public charity based in Chicago. It was named after a small village in France, where Colonel McCormick commanded an artillery battalion in 1918 as a member of the U.S. Army’s First Division. The Battle of Cantigny was America’s first victory in World War I.
Robert R. McCormick died in 1955 at age 74. His will established the Robert R. McCormick Charitable Trust and designated Cantigny as a public space for education and recreation.
Spotlight Guests: Hank Wilcox, Exhibit Expert, First Division Museum at Cantigny, and Will Buhlig, McCormick House Director
