The Joliet Arsenal — originally constructed in 1940 just south of Joliet, Illinois — stands as a silent but powerful testament to America’s industrial might and the human cost of conflict. Established by the U.S. Army Ordnance Department at the onset of World War II, the Joliet Arsenal was a sprawling complex designed to produce high explosives and artillery shells in large volumes — a crucial supplier for the growing demands of the war.
The site was divided into two major facilities:
The Elwood Ordnance Plant, responsible for loading, assembling, and packing artillery shells with high explosives.
The Kankakee Ordnance Works, which manufactured raw explosive compounds, notably TNT.
Together, these two facilities employed more than 10,000 workers — many from nearby Joliet, Wilmington, and Elwood — and kept production lines constantly filled to aid the war effort.
On June 5, 1942, tragedy struck when a catastrophic explosion rocked Building 10 at the Elwood Ordnance Plant. The blast, which killed 50+ workers and injured many more, was one of the worst industrial accidents in Illinois’ history. The shockwave was felt for miles, reducing much of the building to rubble and adding a permanent note of danger to the stories that surround the Arsenal today.
The incident forced a dramatic reevaluation of safety procedures and resulted in tighter controls over explosive materials — a precedent that would influence ordnance production for years to come.
After World War II, the Joliet Arsenal remained an active munitions manufacturer.
During the Korean War (1950–1953), production was kept up to aid the ongoing conflict, and when the Vietnam War intensified in the 1960s, the Joliet Arsenal was called upon once again to produce large-caliber artillery shells and explosive components for the U.S. military.
This sustained activity kept many locals employed and contributed to the growing industrial base of the region.
As the Cold War drew toward its conclusion, production at the Joliet Arsenal began to diminish. The facilities fell into disrepair, and many were placed on inactive status in the 1970s and 1980s.
Ultimately, the Joliet Arsenal was decommissioned in the 1990s — a process that resulted in the transfer of much of its land back to the federal government.
Today, much of the former Joliet Arsenal’s land is preserved within the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, a vast nature refuge that stands in dramatic contrast to its industrial past.
Some buildings remain — abandoned, overgrown, and slowly decayed — serving as a powerful physical reminder of a bygone era.
These ruins tell a story not just of war and production, but of the human cost, the community’s resilience, and the transformation from a bustling wartime factory to a place where nature is slowly healing the landscape.
Exploring the Joliet Arsenal today is a step back in time — a chance to connect with a forgotten piece of history that played a crucial role in America’s wars and in the lives of the people who kept its production lines running.
This video invites you to uncover its stories, its secrets, and its ghosts.
This is the very first video we've ever made, and despite its flaws, we hope you enjoy it. The section of buildings we explored is just one of four in this area—and only a small part of the entire Joliet Arsenal property.
We plan to explore many more buildings at this historic ammunition plant, and we’re also excited to check out a variety of other interesting locations in the future.
To help us keep going, please like and subscribe!
A few improvements we plan to make for our next exploration:
Bring flashlights
Bring gloves
Bring masks
Use a head-mounted camera instead of a chest mount (to keep arms out of the frame)
Capture steadier, more focused footage
Bring extra camera batteries
Improve editing overall
If you have any other suggestions, we’d love to hear them!
Thanks for watching—and we hope to see you in the next video. Peace! ✌️
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