The Corps Museum

The Corps Museum, located in the Corps Leadership and Military Science Building,

is open to the public most weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Corps Museum began in 1985, when Commandant Lt. Gen. Howard M. Lane asked Col. Joseph Reich ’75, then a captain and an Air Force ROTC detachment instructor, to start a Corps museum. Today, it is a diverse collection of Corps memorabilia, including old uniforms and historical artifacts donated by alumni over the years.

Due to construction on Upper Quad, the museum's collection was moved during the 2012-13 academic year to Newman Library. The library donated a beautiful area on the fourth floor to hold the museum’s display cases. At that time, the original Skipper cannon resided in the lobby of Pearson Hall West.

In September 2023, the Corps Museum and Skipper moved again, this time to their permanent home in the newly opened Corps Leadership and Military Science Building.

Thanks to the generosity of the Moore family, the Major General Cecil R. Moore collection will anchor the Corps Museum’s collection, providing new, primary sources for historical research. Hundreds of documents, postcards, and souvenirs populate the collection, along with his military uniforms, photographs, war booty, and diaries. While serving as Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s chief engineer in the European Theater of Operations during World War II, Moore’s command was responsible for maintaining and repairing bridges, tunnels, and rail lines in Europe.

The history of the Corps of Cadets is the history of the university. The mission of the Corps Museum is to tell the story of the Corps’ past, present, and future for current and future generations of cadets and for the public as a whole. The museum strives to preserve and maintain a respectful and accessible collection and presentation of the rich history of the cadets who have gone to serve honorably in the U.S. armed forces and in the private sector.

If you are visiting Blacksburg, please stop by the museum inside the Corps Leadership and Military Science Building to see the Corps items on display. The museum is open to the public most weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Handicapped parking is available on Old Turner Street on the northeast corner of the Corps Leadership and Military Science Building. In addition, the Corps historians can provide tours of the museum dependent on their class schedules, so please contact the alumni office at 540-231-7431 if you are interested.

Items to be auctioned

Occasionally, the Corps Museum will use eBay to auction items that do not fit within the scope of its collection. Examples include medals without the recipient's name, spare uniform pieces, objects that have no connection to Virginia Tech, books, etc. All funds raised through the auctions will remain with the musuem —either for conservation, preservation, or to acquire objects to fill collection needs.