Step Into History. Lead Into the Future.
The Sullivan Museum and History Center is one of the most unique features of Norwich.
Whether you’re beginning your Norwich journey or continuing it, discover how legacy, leadership, and learning come alive here. Here, you can see artifacts connected to Captain Alden Partridge, the visionary who started it all, along with thousands of pieces that bring the Norwich story to life. Whether you're a student, alum, visitor, or just curious, the museum invites you to explore the people, events, and ideas that shaped two centuries of history.
Step beyond the classroom and into a living story. At the Sullivan Museum, artifacts aren’t locked behind glass — they’re touchpoints for conversation, discovery, and inspiration.
The Sullivan Museum and History Center is a place where history feels personal. You’re encouraged to dive in, ask questions, and discover something new with every visit. Many exhibits are tied to student work, campus events, or broader themes in American and world history. Whether you're visiting in person or browsing from home, the museum is here to engage your curiosity and welcome you into the past, present, and future of Norwich University.
The Sullivan Museum & History Center, named for Norwich alumnus GEN Gordon R. Sullivan ’59, is your gateway to Norwich’s living legacy. As Vermont’s only Smithsonian Affiliate, we bring you access to national-level artifacts, rotating exhibits, and immersive experiences you won’t find anywhere else in New England. From cadet uniforms to full-scale rockets, every artifact is a touchpoint for the story of Norwich — and the story you’ll help write.
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
The museum is closed during all university closures, including the following holidays: Labor Day (September 1), Thanksgiving Break (November 26-28), Winter Break (December 24-January 2), Spring Break (March 2), Memorial Day (May 25), and Independence Day (July 4).
Admission:
Free; accessible via Kreitzberg Library or the front entrance at the Bicentennial Stairs.
Address:
158 Harmon Drive, Northfield, VT 05663
Parking:
Lot G: View on our Interactive Map
Contact Us:
802-485-2183
smhc@norwich.edu
norwich.edu/museum
Museum staff are available to assist you during regular operating hours by phone, email, or voicemail.
If you contact us outside our operating hours or on weekends, please leave a voicemail or email with your name, phone number, and the reason for your inquiry. We will get back to you as soon as possible once the museum is open.
There’s a lot that happens behind the scenes at the Sullivan Museum. From special events and speaker series to membership opportunities and ways to give, we invite you to take a closer look. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, we also connect you with resources and experiences that go beyond our walls. Whether you're looking to learn, support, or get involved, there’s always more to explore.
Contributions: Your support helps us preserve, share, and grow the Sullivan Museum’s one-of-a-kind collections. Every contribution makes a difference.
To make a gift, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 802-485-2300.
Gifts to the Collection: If you’re considering donating items to the Sullivan Museum and History Center, the museum staff would like to hear from you. While not every object is most appropriate for our collection, we are particularly interested in artifacts that help us tell the Norwich University story.
Please contact Museum staff at 802-485-2183 or smhc@norwich.edu to provide us with information about your potential gift.
The Friends of the LAM serve as the basis for a membership program supporting the Kreitzberg Library, the University Archives, and the Sullivan Museum.
Supporters who donate $25 or more to the Friends of the LAM will become members with all requisite membership benefits.
Supporters who donate to the Friends of the LAM are eligible for a Smithsonian membership for only an additional $25.
Norwich University students are eligible to receive a complimentary Friends of the LAM membership. Please contact the museum at smhc@norwich.edu.
Learn about the Friends of the LAM
The Sullivan Museum offers a range of educational programming throughout the academic year.
These include in-person and virtual Lunch and Learn sessions, evening events with guest speakers, gallery talks and guided tours led by museum staff or subject experts, and collaborative programs with academic departments and other university offices.
Museum events are open to students, faculty, staff, and the public, and are designed to encourage conversation, curiosity, and deeper engagement with history and current topics.
View upcoming events at the Sullivan Museum and History CenterThe Sullivan Museum and History Center is the only Smithsonian Affiliate in Vermont—connecting local stories to national history.
Vermont Interludes: Light, Memory, and the Architecture of Everyday Life
The Sullivan Museum and History Center presents Cara Armstrong exploring how drawing shapes our understanding of architecture, place, and memory.
A moving tribute of courage and sacrifice, "On the Road" was featured at Norwich’s Sullivan Museum and History Center from June 2025 through January 2026.
As the Marine Corps nears 250 years of service, step inside its story, told not through textbooks but through the eyes and hands of those who lived it. Through paintings, sketches, sculpture, and posters, this exhibit offers a deeply human look at conflict, resilience, and duty.
"On the Road" is a national traveling exhibit that was on loan from the National Museum of the Marine Corps and sponsored by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. It featured original works by Marines and combat artists who served beside the action.
Engaging exhibits, artifact displays, audio, and visual installations bring the story of Norwich and its alumni to life. Our exhibitions tell the story of the Norwich founder, Capt. Alden Partridge (1785 -1854), the career of Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan (Class of 1959), former chief of staff of the Army, and namesake of the museum. Exhibits throughout the museum present Norwich objects related to military history, academics, music, and sports.
View a selection of objects, artifacts, and artworks from our growing collection of over 20,000 items online. The Sullivan Museum collection is continually evolving, and our knowledge of the collection changes as we research particular areas such as uniforms, ephemera, military service, artists, and more. Contact us to learn more about our collections or to locate a particular item at smhc@norwich.edu.
Are you interested in works on paper? Photographs? Visit Norwich University's Archives to view and learn more about their managed collection.
The Sullivan Museum and History Center is named in honor of GEN Gordon R. Sullivan, USA ’59. GEN Sullivan was the highest-ranking alumnus of Norwich University and served as the 32nd Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1991 to 1995.
GEN Sullivan retired in 1995 after thirty-six years of active military service. He continued to honor active-duty personnel and veterans of the United States Army as President and Chief Executive of the Association of the United States Army and as Chairman of the Marshall Legacy Institute. As Chairman of The Army Historical Foundation, he oversaw a successful capital campaign spearheading the construction of the Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, VA. Here, at Norwich University, GEN Sullivan served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1995-2016.
The Sullivan Museum and History Center owes a profound debt of gratitude to GEN Sullivan. GEN Sullivan served as the President of the Museum Associates, the affinity group for the Sullivan Museum and History Center, and he worked with museum staff to grow membership, to increase awareness in and of the institution, and to support initiatives to preserve the memories of all Norwich alumni.
GEN Gordon Sullivan passed away on Jan. 2, 2024, and his contributions to the United States, to Norwich University, and to the Sullivan Museum and History Center will not be forgotten. Plan a visit to the museum to learn more about GEN Sullivan’s career, his commitment to the museum, and his dedication to the citizen-soldier ideal championed by Norwich University founder, CAPT Alden Partridge.
Your membership to the Friends of the LAM helps fund a variety of initiatives in the Kreitzberg Library, the University Archives, and the Sullivan Museum. Learn about the Friends of the LAM.