Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit is on permanent display at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. But Peoria Riverfront Museum officials say the next best thing is right here in Central Illinois.
One of 15 3D-printed replicas of the suit Armstrong used to walk on the moon is now on permanent display in the museum.
Museum curator of sciences Renae Kerrigan says it is incredibly realistic.
“You’ll even be able to see that it’s dirty. The spacesuits got very dirty on the moon. Lunar dust clung to everything. So you can see that represented here as well. And all the little hose connectors and nozzles, all highly accurate," she said.
The replica was previously at Wrigley Field. It’s the only one in Illinois.
“It is pretty darned exciting that the Smithsonian has now designated the Peoria Riverfront Museum to be the permanent home of one of the exact replicas of one of the most important artifacts in our nation’s greatest museum," said Peoria Riverfront Museum CEO John Morris.
Unlike a lot of museum artifacts, touching and selfies are encouraged with the spacesuit replica.
