The Cantigny Visitors Center is the best place to start your tour of the Cantigny estate.  Built by Colonel McCormick as one of his horse stables, the Visitors Center served as the First Division Museum from the early 1960's until the new museum was opened in 1993.

As you enter the Visitors Center and walk into the main gallery, your attention is drawn to the 1/25th scale floor map.  Built to accurately reflect the Cantigny estate, visitors are encouraged to walk over the map to appreciate a birds-eye view of Cantigny.  After walking over the map, your next stop would be the Visitors Center Theater and a 10 minute orientation film that highlights the attractions at Cantigny.  Outside the theater, a large painted collage chronicles Colonel McCormick's life.

Across the main gallery is the Joseph Medill Room.  Joseph Medill was the grandfather of Colonel McCormick and he was the original owner of the estate.  It was known at that time as Red Oaks Farm, but the Colonel renamed it Cantigny after the World War I battle that his unit help support.