The Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum in Rantoul, Illinois, occupied the former Chanute Air Force Base and interpreted the life of aviation pioneer Octave Chanute, the base’s history, and aviation in Illinois. Opened in 1994 soon after the base closed, it became one of the earliest reuse projects for the site and was widely regarded as the state’s largest aviation museum. Housed in the former missile maintenance training facility, it displayed more than 40 aircraft, authentic Minuteman training silos, a Wright Flyer replica, flight simulators, and veterans memorials. Financial difficulties led to its closure in 2015, after which exhibits and archives were dispersed or preserved elsewhere.