It was an organization set up to support those who fought for the Union during the Civil War.
Now decades after it faded out of existence, the Grand Army of the Republic is remembered through the museum established in its honor in Springfield more than 50 years ago.
After a temporary shutdown last year, the GAR Memorial Museum at 7th and Cook reopens this week. New curator Chuck Hill hopes visitors will make their way to see original Civil War weaponry and ammunition, as well as pieces that pay tribute to the Grand Army of the Republic and its role in American life from the 1860s to the 1940s.
The GAR museum is open Thursdays through Saturdays from April to October, and admission is free.