Bob Hope Takes Center Stage At Special Cantigny Park Exhibit

WHEATON, IL — A new exhibit honoring Bob Hope's legacy of entertaining soldiers is coming to Cantigny Park. "So Ready for the Laughter: The Legacy of Bob Hope" will feature rare images and videos, artifacts and interactive elements starting Sept. 19.

During World War II, Hope performed for soldiers throughout the United States and overseas. He also performed for soldiers during the Vietnam War.

Hope's performances included shows for the Army's First Infantry Division. Colonel Robert R. McCormick, who was a benefactor for Cantigny Park and its First Division Museum, served with the First Infrantry Division during World War I.

“From the first time my father, Bob Hope, entertained the troops at March Field in 1941, he knew he had discovered a most meaningful audience,” Linda Hope said in a statement. “He truly appreciated the men and women who were sacrificing to defend America on the Homefront and abroad. It was his honor, along with the entertainers with whom he collaborated, to connect these individuals with a touch of home and let them laugh -- even if only for a brief moment."

She added, "Bob Hope knew this was the ‘Greatest Generation’ even as he entertained subsequent generations of troops around the world across six decades. In his memory, the Bob Hope Legacy is thrilled to sponsor So Ready for Laughter, an exhibition which celebrates Bob's spirit and honors the courageous men and women who served our country during the perilous time of World War II."

Visitors to the exhibit can also see letters shared between Hope and soldiers and watch an 11-minute documentary, Bob Hope: The Road to Laughter, directed by John Scheinfeld.

The "So Ready for the Laughter: The Legacy of Bob Hope" exhibit will be open through Dec. 7.