At the height of the Vietnam War in the winter of 1967-68, a museum dedicated to the citizen-soldiers of the Commonwealth was being constructed in Boalsburg, Centre County. Situated on the grounds of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division Shrine, this construction project was the final goal in a 48-year quest.
The location of the Shrine and future museum dated to 1919, when at their first reunion, the men of the Society of the 28th Division American Expeditionary Force (A.E.F.) established what was to be known as the 28th Infantry Division National Shrine. Discussion on the construction of a military museum took place throughout the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. On July 8, 1957 custody of the Shrine and its grounds was given to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC).
Despite some false starts with highly publicized ground breaking ceremonies in 1963, 1964, and 1965, actual construction began in the fall of 1967. The exhibits retained the WWI focus then exemplified by the 28th Division Shrine.
Throughout the 1970’s and 80’s, the museum told the story of our nation’s conflicts through the eyes of the citizen soldiers of the National Guard. In 1999, former Lt. Governor, Mark Schweiker announced the authorization of state funding to completely renovate the museum. The original 1967-68 structure did not allow for the proper storage of collections or administrative growth. A number of studies and focus groups convened in the 1990s supported this need for an architectural, landscape, and interpretive theme makeover. A floor to ceiling and wall-to-wall re-design more in accordance with accepted museum standards began in the fall of 2003.