Caterpillar Visitors Center, Peoria

About Caterpillar Visitors Center

The Doug Oberhelman Caterpillar Visitors Center in Peoria showcases heavy equipment and the company's history through interactive exhibits. Visitors begin with a virtual ride in a massive Cat 797F Mining Truck, then learn how two companies merged to form Caterpillar. The center features hands-on activities where guests design their own Cat machines using engineering tools. Simulators let visitors experience operating equipment as professional operators do. A highlight involves climbing into an actual track-type tractor. The Antique Tractor Walk displays rare vintage machines from the company's past, including models spanning decades of manufacturing. The facility offers direct engagement with industrial machinery and design processes, allowing visitors to understand the engineering principles behind Caterpillar's equipment and the innovation that shaped the company's development over time.