Wonderful tour of the Victorian living village by Mr Ed, our very enthusiastic and animated guide. He was having fun sharing and we were too. Lasted 1 1/2 hours! Great info! I cant imagine trying to do the tour in just an hour. He gave us info outside, socially distancing, then we all put on masks to go inside to look around. Still plenty of distancing because there were only 10. The museum of Rockford history was also a 5 star, very spacious, thorough, and well laid out. However, only 1 star for the museum staff! I was disappointed at the hypocrisy of the mask policy. Perhaps it was just the blatant disregard of the maintenance man who spent 20 minutes when we entered with no mask. When I said something to him, he ignored it. So I said something to the desk clerk. She pulled down her mask in order to reply (!!) that he didnt have to keep it on because he was drinking coffee! Wow! He should have gone to the break room. 15 minutes later, I returned to use the restroom. He was still standing in the lobby with no mask, talking to visitors, (who did have masks.) Then later we saw him inside again twice with no mask doing other tasks. The same guy drove his smelly noisy cart right through Mr Eds tour group not once but twice.

I came here for my friends wedding which took place in the barn. The setting was very quiet and spacious. As you make your way to the barn, you pass historic houses, the Rockford Hospital, and a chapel. I loved seeing these structures, but if there were informational signs explaining what the buildings were and who lived there, the interest level would increase greatly. It was so mysterious to try to figure out what I was looking at. I hope they put some funding into naming their buildings and adding at least a plaque or some informational nearby the structure.

Wonderful and absolutely astounding the time and effort put into this event. Aces! The willingness of the participants to share their knowledge and engage with you really made for an interesting and an educational entertaining experience. The grounds and buildings were a great backdrop to explore and to really help with the whole immersive atmosphere. The battlefield reenactment with the speaker explaining was very enlightening, but didnt take away from the heart racing action near the end. Brilliant!

The living museum an hour guided tour was one of the best living village type tour I have ever had. The attached museum was worth a trip all by itself. The interesting and extensive material was presented in a fun way. I was sorry that the more interactive kiosks were shut down due to Covid. Even without them we had a blast. To top it all off the gardens were lovely, they even have a shady picnic bench near parking lot.

A lot of the history of Rockford is chronicled in this museum more complete than any single other place Ive visited. There are a number of activities going on here year round and one of the best is the annual WWII days event held typically in September. Reenactors representing nearly every major country involved in WWII, bring their vehicles and equipment and set up realistic small town with various camps from each military established in the surrounding woods. Everyone is in character and its all very authentic. twice a day, they drive the tanks and other vehicles to the large battle ground area and play out a realistic battle that you can watch it from the sidelines. It has become the largest event of its kind anywhere in the nation. The Midway Village town is transformed into a kind of occupied zone where skirmishes break out between sides trying to retake the village. There are loads of static displays and some excellent collectors items and other souvenir goods on sale as well as great food. Its two days in September I always look forward to.

A place you can spend a little time or a lot. It’s obvious the employees and volunteers really care about preserving this piece of history. Had a very knowledgeable guide that took us on our tour of the grounds.

Interesting tour of a village from the 1800s in Rockford. Tour guide was well versed in the lore and history of the area.

Beautiful walking trail for this time of year. Great natural beauty.

As someone who has done decent traveling, seen a lot of museums, this one is awesome. Ive been to Gettysburg been to a few museums out that way and I loved the Civil war stuff this place had.The museum does thorough job of educating its patrons of Rockfords history. Neat exhibits and friendly staff. Even the lobby is pretty cool. My fiance and I went. Its a place you can totally bring your kids or parents to. Fun for the whole family!My absolute favorite part was the actual village museum. We didnt take any tours of the buildings other than the house by the barn and the police station. We look forward to going back for sureHopefully we can have our wedding there. If youre into History this place is right up your alley. Its got exhibits for just about everyone or any interest.

Very good informative staff, interesting facts and buildings from the 1800s. Beautiful gardens as well. Nice way to spend a n hour or so.

Amazing history and amazing culture throughout this little museum absolutely loved and enjoyed my time in a tour as well!

Beautiful location for a small wedding (at the gazebo). Quaint surroundings, lovely trails to walk, and well-kept lawns. Also ample parking and amenities. Accessibility should be considered though, as some spots are a little tougher to get to for wheel chairs and walkers.

The event was amazing, the reenactment was simply awesome, the shops were superb. I am definitely going again next year.

Im a big fan of the Rockford Peaches and went to see the womens history exhibit. It was great! It was interesting to see the history of manufacturing in Rockford too since my mom moved to Rockford in 1947 for work and worked in those factories where women werent exactly welcome, but she survived and showed some of those men how its done. I hope to make it to the WWII reenactment this year. Midway Village is definitely a Rockford icon!

Great place to visit, the buildings are kept in nice shape and the stuff is knowledgable. My only recommendation would be to clean or replace some of the display cases in the museum as most are made from plastic and have yellowish tint to them after all this time.

We just visited on February 1st and we loved it! The museum is much bigger than I expected. There were several hands-on activities and photo ops. Our favorite exhibits were the Sock Monkey, the Rockford Peaches and the Immigrant Experience. We cant wait to visit again when the Victorian Village is open!

Great place! So much to do here year round. The WWII Days are a lot of fun too

Great place to relax, eat lunch, take a nap or catch a concert.

We thoroughly enjoyed this museum found it to be very interesting about the history of Rockford. Our guide was very informative. Definitely if you are looking for something to do for an afternoon would recommend going.

Its been quite awhile since Ive been here. My parents donated a beautiful old piano back in the late 70s. We were all out there to see it on display in 1980. I was back today for a wedding. It is a beautiful spot for weddings. I will be back again soon. Hopefully for another Wedding

Had an awesome trip and enjoyed the museum. It was a good idea to stop and see the Rockford peaches.

Incredible array of buildings from the turn of the century. If you take the tour you can go into most of them. Tour guides vary in ability and knowledge. Doll House filled with detailed doll houses. Visitors Center includes a great history of Rockford museum. Very well done.

Lots of fun, kids had a blast

Fantastic time at the WW2 reenactment. The rain dampened no one!

I was part of a catering event in the old barn and despite the nasty weather, the event was beautiful. The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly; willing to go out of their way to help. If I ever need to do a big event personally, Midway Village is first on my list.

My family and I have never been here and after the way we were treated and bullied and ignored, now we never will come here. They obviously dont care about their customers/patrons. Just money and what is better for / benefits them.

Great place, overall. Theyre always holding artsy events of some kind or another, too. The Victorian village and the war reenactments are really cool.

Been to a handful of great events here. My brothers wedding was a huge hit.

Midway Villages historical village and events/re-enactments are some of the finest contributions to the Rockford area over the years. I will never forget some of the wonderful experiences I had there as a child, visiting the village, seeing the blacksmith, mill and other buildings as well as the world war 2 and other re-enactments. This is the place where children and adults forge great memories.

You have GOT to go for one of the WWII days events! Huge turnout for one of the largest (if not the largest) WWII reenactments in North America. The tanks, Jeeps, machine guns, motorcycles and soldiers all combine for a large scale battlefield pyrotechnic display worth seeing on person. The whole property is filled with other collectors, reenactors, enthusiasts and vendors that go on and on..and this is just ONE of the many events that Midway Village organizes. Go check it out!

Antique and unique museum like travaling on the past and you feel the past in present time. Real representing the real time in the past. Well done. Its worth visit at least once.

Lots to do! The village tour was really cool! Bring a small fan though when its hot out. No A/C in most buildings. Still cool to see the old buildings!

The exhibitors and World War II displays very well done. But I cannot say anything positive about the large groups of public schooled 8th graders and their chaperones. The children were rude to everybody especially in the one-room schoolhouse. Several boys and girls were making lewd comments. Two boys were seen running around with their pants down around their thighs and underwear hanging out.

Nice layout and interesting local history . The staff is very welcoming

Went for the Halloween event. The kids had a blast. The knight barn was a BIG HIT.

Been here to enjoy WWI ans WWII reenactments. Great period exhibits, they go all out for the events.

Great place. Holds the midwests larger WW2 reenactment every September.

Bathroom toilet tissue is cheaper than the cheapest!!..its like they took a 1-ply roll and made it a 1/2-ply roll..other than thatwe love this place.

Although I prefer visiting when the weather is nice, so I can walk around the outdoor portion, the inside has a lot of fascinating Rockford area treasures to discover.

Excellent place to visit.

My children love attending the special events at the museum. Our favorites are All Hollows Eve and the Sock Monkey Festival. Interactive, informative family fun! As an added bonus, Ive gotten some really great photos for our photo albums. Definitely a thumbs up!

Another Great time...Evening of Illumination was very fun and we learned a lot. Cat wait to go next year

Such a cool place. Full of Rockford history. Always happy when work schedules a meeting or conference here.

It didnt feel stuffy like some museums. Spoke with the curator who was very helpful.

Had a wonderful evening. Enjoyed all the speakers.

It was a very interesting place with lots of information about Rockford and the surrounding area. I would have liked to have taken some time to wander through the Village area however the weather wasnt cooperating. Maybe another time.

Was a nice place for a wedding..needed some chairs when waiting to eat

Definitely a beautiful tourist spot you gotta go there if in the neighborhood

Drove there (over an hour) to experience the WWII reenactment. They cancelled it 5 minutes before we arrived. If they were going to cancel they should have cancelled before it was going to start so people didnt waste their time and gas, plus lost time from work (die to requesting off for this) needlessly. The war did not stop because of a little rain or mud. Very disappointed.

Great place to take the kids. And amazing place for a wedding.

From WWII to the civil war they do it all as well as keeping history real by building a village that you can explore. Great place for pictures and walking.

Place was very quiet, peaceful and pretty! I wish I was living there so I get to see it more often.

Great WWII Reenactment, tanks and armor display on the 3rd weekend in September. Militaria vendors and hundreds of reenactors with a battle. Excellent attendance by the vendors and reenactors make this a good show for history lovers.

Only go if you have a few hours. So much to see!!

Midway Village is a great place to learn about American History. They cater to schools for field trips and have recreated a working Victorian village there with many buildings in it: a blacksmiths shop, Newspaper print shop, a general store, a one room schoolhouse, etc. Its got a few different events throughout the year that represent different time periods. Example: WW2, Civil War, etc. I have been there several times, but only during Civil War days. There are many things to see besides the little village as they set up stations around the property with different actors in period costume to teach children about life and war during Americas history. Everything is interactive. Kids get to help fire a cannon (very cool!), learn how to march in ranks, how to wield a sabre (wooden), enlist in the military, and a multitude of other things. In all the times Ive been there Ive never made it to every station I wanted to within the time frame I was there. (Usually about 4 hours with a short lunch break in there.) One of their best offerings is a headline speaker that talks to the kids as a historical figure. The man they have doing Abraham Lincoln is AMAZING. I could go and listen to him speak as Lincoln for hours. And he looks exactly like him. Well worth the hour bus ride for our field trips!! I enjoy it every year.

Love this place! We have been to the WWII Reenactment each fall for a few years and its amazing. The camps in the woods give you a real feel of what it mustve been like, even German Shepards and German speakong soldiers wandering around. Tanks, guns and everything you could imagine are on display and on use on the grounds. Also a full battle reenactment in the field a few times each day is worth the your time to stop and check it out. Midway Village itself is a beautiful place, like stepping into the past. The buildings are something.

We went for a civil war era event for school field trip and we all had such a great time learning history in this way. In a sense history was brought to life in a cool interactive way.

Such a neat place. I went as part of a field trip, and I definitely plan to go back with the family.

Great place with great character actors. Make sure to bring an umbrella and waterproof shoes or boots if you go on a rainy day.

Great place to take the family when there is an event.

My kids learn a lot about history here. The guests are well behaved and the museum staff is kind. The history is mostly local but it also shows how our local history impacted the rest of the nation. My kids enjoy the fun aspects such as the sock monkeys or learning about traditions from the past.

Such a gem of a place!!! So much history of Rockford throughout the ages!!! So many interesting gatherings and community based information! I love Midway Village and all their offerings. Visit the exhibits, walk the gtounds, learnabout all Rockford has to offer now and a hundred and fifty years ago.

I go there twice a year for the WW1 and WW2 living history weekends, but theres so much more to do there. The collection of historic buildings are a treasure to explore, and the museum is a gem of a place to learn about Rockfords storied history...I learned that this is were the Sock Monkey was conceived and manufactured... theres also a great dollhouse building to check out.. check their website for a list of events and make this a must see stop on your list...

The organizers and people there are wonderful! This is a great experience for kids.

We spent the day with middle school kids. It was a very interesting and engaging trip!

Really enjoyed WWI days, minus the suffragette parade (I found it inflammatory and over the top). The silent movies that evening, accompanied by the wind ensemble, were very entertaining.

Best time

Wonderful place I went here for a couple of field trips a long time ago

Great place alot of local knowledge on the old in Rockford

Love the egg show. Go there every year with my mom.. Great time.

Enjoyed the guided tour of Victorian village. This is a real treasure of living history.

Ww2 days is a must. Best reenactment Ive ever been to

Came for the World War 2 Days. It did not disappoint. The town was made to look like German occupied France. Very realistic. There were battles in the town, forests and battlefields. You could spend the whole day wandering from camp to camp and learning about WW2, talking to the reenactors. Seeing the tanks, jeeps and other vehicles they drove. Definitely an interesting time. Will be back next year too.

Enjoyed a vintage tea hosted by the historical society. A wonderful event, in a very quaint place.

Very good for Rockford history. Not very photo friendly however.

It was pretty good until it started to rain

Great sock monkey festival, perfect venue!

You can spend hours in the Museum. Its the best if you like Rockford history.

Its really cool

The children really liked the presentations in the different buildings and the Abraham Lincoln presentation.

Wow! Beautiful museum and village of old home and shoppes. First class guided tour too! Definitely a place to visit for all ages.

A great place for a wedding!

This place was very cool! If you are a history junkie this is the place for you. The performers were very lifelike and believable. My group saw a performance from one woman who came to be a woman traveling through the underground railroad. You can really imagine what she was saying. Although it is definitely targeted toward younger kids I think anyone could have a really lovely time here.

Our family loves Midway Village Museum. They have great family friendly events throughout the year. Also just a great place to visit in general to learn about Rockford history.

This is a good place to bring your family and especially children to learn about history and see some good artifacts.

Great walking path. Beautiful Vietnam War memorial.

Very cool place to visit. We went during the Main Street Market. Lots of vendors, great atmosphere. Very rustic.

Great place to visit - Nice staff, family friendly activities - fun place to take your family!

Great experience for the whole family. Awesome reenactments throughout the year. Historical information on the region and its settlers.

My family had a celebration of life for my dad here. The facilities were perfect. The staff was very helpful and wonderful to work with.

Summer camp was great. I had never been through the museum before. Highly recommend!

Enjoyed the scarecrow making, horse drawn wagon rides, crafting activities during the annual fall event. The volunteers made the experience fun & we look forward to many more visits. The museum is an interesting way to get to know about Rockfords history.

Took my son for a school assignment on WWII. Enjoyed the interactions with the folks there. Layout felt as though you are really stepping back in time. Well worth the trip.

Amazing place especially during WW2 days in September. This is my favorite event as a 2WW2 reenactor. So much to see in a very cool setting.

A gem in Rockford area. Great artifacts, good events.

This is a great place to ring the family. Be sure to look for special events

Very cool place to relive history

Fantastic displays. Very informative and beautifully designed. Great activities for kids too.

Great place to take the kids and have fun learning. Enjoyed the WWW 2 reenactment.

Great place to visit of youre interested in local history