The National Museum of Ship Models and Sea History
Our building: The museum's 5000 square foot display space is housed in a brick building that served as the first general store in Champaign County more that 100 years ago. The building was painstakingly renovated, and has become the permanent home of our collection. The maple flooring, 12 ft. ceilings, and stained glass lamps provide a charming environment for browsing our exhibits.
The first floor displays include the original models from the golden age of Hollywood cinema, including movies such as Ben Hur, the Battle of Trafalgar, Tora Tora Tora, and Cleopatra. Some of these models are more than 15 feet long! The second floor exhibits smaller models, dioramas, displays of passenger ships, steamboats, warships, submarines, and exhibits on the era of Chinese clipper ships.
A model-building area and gift shop are in the rear of the building, and the library is just upstairs.
The Town: Sadorus is a quiet farming town of about 1,000 people. It is easy to get to, about 10 miles South of Champaign, and 4 miles from the I-57 Pesotum or Monticello exits. In addition to the museum, there is a nice restaurant and a delightful antique store.
