The Rock Island Arsenal Museum was established on July 4, 1905. It is the second-oldest US Army Museum in the US after the West Point Museum. The museum has been closed twice, during World War I and World War II, to provide more space for manufacturing facilities. Exhibits focus on the history of Rock Island Arsenal and Arsenal Island's use as a Union prison camp during the American Civil War and its role as a military industrial facility. The museum also contains the second largest collection of small arms weapons in the U.S. Army, and an outdoor vehicle display.
Indoor exhibits include (as of June 2012):
| Weapon name | Country of origin | Period |
|---|---|---|
| M1 75mm Pack Howitzer on M8E1 Mount | United States | 1927-present |
| M40A1 106mm Recoilless Rifle with 50 caliber spotting rifle | United States | 1950s-present |
| M45 Quadmount "Quad 50" 50 caliber machine gun turret | United States | World War II-1980s |
| M-14 conversion display to M-14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (RI) | United States | 1959-present |
Outdoor exhibits include (as of June 2012):
| Weapon name | Country of origin | Period |
|---|---|---|
| M65 Atomic Cannon | United States | 1953-1963 |
| M198 155mm towed howitzer | United States | 1979-present |
| M119 105mm towed howitzer | United Kingdom United States |
1989-present |
| M115 8 inch towed howitzer | United States | 1931-1950s |
| Type 59-1 130mm Field Gun (Chinese version of Russian M46) | People's Republic of China | 1954-present |
| M22 or T9E1 Locust Light Tank | United States | World War II |
| M4A3 Sherman Medium Tank with battle damage from the Battle of the Bulge in WWII with the 4th Armored Division | United States | World War II |
| M50 Ontos Self-propelled Anti-tank Gun | United States | 1956-1969 |
| M51 Skysweeper Towed Anti-aircraft gun | United States | 1953-1975 |
| M1 Bofors 40mm Anti-aircraft Gun | Sweden | World War II |
| D-44 85mm Field Gun | Soviet Union | 1945-1953 |
| M2A1 105mm Howitzer | United States | 1941-present |
| XM123A1 Medium Auxiliary Propelled 155mm Howitzer (experimental model of M114 howitzer) | United States | 1961 |
| XM124E2 Light Auxiliary Propelled 105mm Howitzer (experimental model of M2 or M101 howitzer) | United States | 1962-1965 |
| M114 155mm Howitzer | United States | 1942-present |
| M2A2 Terra Star Auxiliary Propelled Howitzer with tri-star wheels | United States | 1969-1977 |
| Nebelwerfer 41 Multiple Rocket Launcher | Nazi Germany | World War II |
| XM70E2 Rocket Launcher | United States | 1959-1963 |
| M5 3 inch Anti-Tank Gun | United States | 1943-present |
| M102 Lightweight 105mm Howitzer (Airmobile) | United States | 1964-present |
| T66 or M16 4.5 inch Multiple Rocket Launcher | United States | 1945-1954 |
| M3A1 37mm Anti-tank Gun | United States | World War II |
| M1 57mm Anti-tank Gun | United Kingdom | World War II |
| M3 105mm Light Howitzer (Airborne) | United States | 1943-present |
| M55 Self-propelled 155mm Howitzer | United States | 1970s |
| MGR-1 Honest John Surface-to-surface Missile | United States | 1954-1973 |
| MGR-3 Little John Surface-to-surface Missile with XM80 launcher | United States | 1961-1969 |
| ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" Self-Propelled Anti-aircraft gun | Soviet Union | 1962-present |
| BMP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicle | Soviet Union | 1966-present |
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