The Story of Yellow Iron

People know the yellow iron. Now they can understand the history, technology and global team behind it. A once-empty block on the Peoria, Ill., riverfront is now occupied by the Caterpillar Visitors Center, which offers a wide range of interactive exhibits to thousands of visitors every week. Just six weeks after opening on October 20, 2012, the Caterpillar Visitors Center had already counted more than 20,000 visitors.

To commemorate the opening, a time capsule was placed in the globe of the Visitors Center lobby. The capsule includes 78 different items, such as a Cat^® D73 machine blueprint, diesel exhaust fluid tank cap and a pair of Cat^® work boots, to be revealed in 38 years on the 125th anniversary of Caterpillar.

Rock Solid

history

Recognized at the time as the largest showroom of its kind anywhere in the world, the Building HH Showroom in East Peoria, Ill., was 308 feet long, 108 feet wide and featured at least one sample of every machine Caterpillar built at any given time. Opened in 1929, thousands of people visited the showroom each year, including dealers, customers and the public. In 1938 alone, the showroom saw 14,566 visitors.

The Center itself is a state-of-the-art, LEED-certified building and provides a fascinating look at the company, the iron and the rock solid people making sustainable progress possible around the world. With nearly 50,000 square feet to explore, employees, retirees, dealers, customers, suppliers and the general public learn the story of Caterpillar through 28 exhibits, 53 videos, and approximately 775 photographs throughout the experience.

Possibly the most notable feature is the massive, life-size Cat^® 797 Mining Truck at the heart of the building. Each visitor's journey begins in the bed of the Cat 797, which is home to a 62-person, rumble-seat theater. The featured video begins with stories from Caterpillar customers who talk about the work they do and how it impacts the world around them — every day, across the globe. These customers are the heart of Caterpillar's business — and the spotlight of the Visitors Center.