Springfield Armory National Historic Site

Picnic on the Armory Grounds

The Armory Grounds are a perfect place to reconnect with nature and escape the hustle and bustle of the urban center, if only for a short time. Find a picnic table, bench or a tree to sit beneath and take a break and enjoy a snack. What do you hear? Do you hear the workers milling about? Horses moving supplies and firearms? Or just the squirrels and birds?

Take a Stroll Behind Quarters 1

Take a walk behind Quarters 1 to escape the urban center and reconnect with nature! Behind Quarters 1 there is a large grassy lawn where one can sit and relax and look out over the City of Springfield. The Armory Victory Garden is also located beside Quarters 1; take a look at our garden and all the vegetables and flowers we grow there.

Visit the Springfield Armory Museum

Visit the Springfield Armory Museum located in the Main Arsenal (Building 13). The Museum tells the story of the workers and details the technological innovations of firearms, the mechanization and specialization in precision manufacturing, and the production of small arms that occurred at the Armory. The Museum shows a short film about Springfield Armory and has a gift shop.

Walk around the Armory Grounds

Take a trip back in time and visit the Armory when it was was producing firearms and learn about the site that shaped the City of Springfield and the United States. As you walk around Armory Square, stop and read the various wayside signs that provide information about the various buildings and those who lived and worked at the Armory.