Virgil “gus” Grissom Memorial

About Virgil “Gus” Grissom Memorial

The Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom Memorial sits just outside the gatehouse of Spring Mill State Park near Mitchell, Indiana, honoring the hometown boy who became one of America’s first astronauts.

Mitchell’s Most Famous Son

Gus Grissom was born and raised in Mitchell, Indiana, and went on to attend Purdue University before becoming a military test pilot. He was selected as one of the original Mercury Seven, the elite group of astronauts who pioneered America’s space program in the early 1960s, and became the second American to fly in space in 1961.

Grissom’s career reads like a string of near-misses and hard luck. He flew after Alan Shepard became the first American in space but before John Glenn became the first to orbit the Earth. His Mercury capsule sank in the ocean after splashdown. He commanded the first Gemini mission and was set to command the first Apollo mission — until a fire broke out in the capsule during a prelaunch test on January 27, 1967, killing Grissom and his two crewmates.

A Memorial Built to Honor Him

The museum was dedicated in July 1971, ten years after Grissom’s first flight and four years after his death. Mitchell chose to honor its most famous son with a memorial located at the entrance to Spring Mill State Park, a 1,358-acre park established in 1927 south of Bloomington.

The memorial’s centerpiece is the actual Gemini 3 spacecraft, nicknamed “Molly Brown,” that Grissom piloted. Alongside the capsule, exhibits display his original space suit and a range of NASA artifacts and personal items that trace his life and career from Mitchell native to national hero.

Open to Everyone, Free of Charge

Unlike most of Spring Mill State Park, the Grissom Memorial sits just outside the gatehouse, so no park entrance fee is required to visit. The memorial is open daily year-round, closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, and admission is completely free.

A paved, handicap-accessible trail loops around the memorial and connects into the park’s Donaldson Nature Preserve, giving visitors a chance to combine a piece of space history with a walk through the Indiana woods that surrounded Grissom as he grew up just a few miles away.

More information on the Virgil “Gus” Grissom Memorial; Click here https://on.in.gov/springmillsp

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