Fall visitors enjoy Fort McCoy’s historic Commemorative Area in October 2026
Fall brought many visitors to Fort McCoy’s historic Commemorative Area in October 2026, as people took opportunities to explore the installation’s military history, view historic equipment and enjoy the autumn setting.
Dozens of people visited the Commemorative Area during open days Oct. 9 and 23. The area also hosted a scavenger hunt Oct. 26 organized by Fort McCoy’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, providing another opportunity for participants to explore the installation’s history.
Located in Fort McCoy’s historic 800 and 900 blocks, the Commemorative Area serves as a central location for preserving and sharing the history of the installation, which dates to its establishment in 1909.
The site includes the Fort McCoy History Center, five preserved World War II-era buildings, the Fort McCoy Equipment Park and Veterans Memorial Plaza. Together, these attractions provide visitors with opportunities to learn about the Soldiers, missions, equipment and events that have shaped Fort McCoy throughout its history.
Exploring Fort McCoy history
Many visitors begin their experience at the Fort McCoy History Center, which opened in 1999 during the installation’s 90th anniversary observance. The center features artifacts, photographs, uniforms, documents and memorabilia illustrating Fort McCoy’s role in military training and operations over more than a century.
The exhibits cover a variety of periods and missions, including World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the 1980 Cuban Refugee Resettlement mission and more-recent military operations.
The Commemorative Area’s five preserved World War II-era buildings offer another perspective on the installation’s past. The structures represent buildings found in Fort McCoy’s cantonment area during the major expansion that began in 1942.
Three of the buildings — a barracks, dining facility and administrative building — contain displays depicting aspects of Soldier life during the 1940s. Exhibits include bunk beds, footlockers, uniforms, mannequins, stoves and other items that help visitors better understand the conditions experienced by Soldiers who trained at Camp McCoy during World War II.
Equipment and memorials
Outside the historic buildings, visitors can explore the Fort McCoy Equipment Park, an outdoor display featuring more than 70 pieces of military equipment from different eras. The collection includes helicopters, howitzers, trucks, trailers and other equipment representative of systems used at Fort McCoy and throughout the military.
Visitors also can spend time at Veterans Memorial Plaza, which was formally dedicated June 13, 2009, during Fort McCoy’s centennial celebration.
The plaza honors generations of service members through statues representing major periods of military service associated with the installation’s history. It also serves as a location for military ceremonies, commemorative observances and other installation events.
The combination of historical buildings, artifacts, equipment and memorials makes the Commemorative Area an educational resource for military personnel, veterans, families, community groups and members of the public.
Continuing to share Fort McCoy’s history
The October visits and scavenger hunt continued the Commemorative Area’s role as a place where visitors can connect with the installation’s past while enjoying its surroundings during Wisconsin’s fall season.
The Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office supports the Commemorative Area as part of the installation’s historical preservation and community outreach efforts.
The Equipment Park and Veterans Memorial Plaza are generally available to visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting. Visits to the History Center and preserved buildings can be arranged by appointment for civilian groups and military units, subject to staff and installation availability. Visitors should contact the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office to confirm current access procedures and hours.
Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.” The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”
And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online athttps://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
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