National Civil War Museum facts for kids

The National Civil War Museum is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is a special place that helps keep alive the history of the American Civil War. This war happened in the United States from 1861 to 1865. The museum also looks at what happened after the war, especially how veterans (soldiers who fought) formed groups to help each other.

The museum is the main office for the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. This group is made up of descendants of soldiers who fought for the Union (the North) during the Civil War.

Museum History

The idea for the museum was supported by Stephen R. Reed, who used to be the mayor of Harrisburg. It cost about $32 million to build. The museum is privately owned and first opened its doors in 2001.

In 2009, the museum became a partner with the Smithsonian Institution. This means it works with the famous Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. In 2015, the museum even published a book about a U.S. General named Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.

Where to Find the Museum

The museum is in a two-story brick building. It is located inside Reservoir Park in Harrisburg. When you visit, your self-guided tour starts on the second floor. This floor has the first ten exhibit rooms.

Then, you go downstairs to the first floor. This is where you will find the last seven exhibit rooms and a theater. The first floor also has a gift shop and a special gallery for temporary exhibits. Outside the museum, there is a "Walk of Valor." This path is made of red bricks. Each brick has the name of a Civil War veteran on it.

What You Will See: Exhibits

The museum's exhibits are made to help you learn about the American Civil War. They show how people struggled during this time and how the country tried to heal afterward. The exhibits cover the years from 1850 to 1876. They focus most on the war years, from 1861 to 1865.

The museum has more than 24,000 items. These include old objects, photos, documents, and other papers. About 3,500 of these are actual objects, like uniforms or weapons. Around 850 of these objects are on display in the museum's main galleries. The rest are kept safely for future exhibits or for people to study.

The museum has many different exhibit rooms, called galleries:

• How the Country Split Apart (1850–1860): This gallery looks at the events that led up to the Civil War. It highlights a famous speech by Abraham Lincoln in 1860. In this speech, Lincoln said that "a house divided against itself cannot stand."
• Slavery in America (1850–1860): This section shows how people in the 1800s viewed slavery.
• The First Shots of War (April 1861): This gallery focuses on the first battle of the war at Fort Sumter. This battle marked the start of the Civil War.
• Building the Armies: Learn how both the Union (North) and Confederate (South) armies found, trained, and equipped their soldiers.
• Weapons and Gear: See many real weapons and other items used during the war. While disease caused most deaths, new weapons and larger armies led to more casualties.
• Early Battles (1861–1862): Explore the first campaigns and how armies used tactics and strategies.
• Battle Maps: How Land Affected War (1861–1862): This exhibit shows how the land and geography influenced how troops moved during battles.
• Camp Curtin: A Huge Union Camp: Discover more about Camp Curtin, which was the largest Union army camp during the Civil War. It was located right in Harrisburg.
• Why Soldiers Fought (1861–1863): This gallery explores the reasons why soldiers on both sides chose to fight in the war.
• Music of the Civil War: See musical instruments from the time and listen to Civil War-era music.
• Gettysburg: A Major Turning Point (1863): Learn about the Battle of Gettysburg, which was a very important moment in the war. Nearly 50,000 soldiers were killed or wounded, making it the biggest battle ever fought in North America.
• Women's Roles in the War: This exhibit shows the many different ways women helped during the war.
• The War at Sea: Focuses on battles that happened on the water.
• Later Battles (1864–1865): Covers the final years of the Civil War.
• Later Battle Maps (1863–1865): Shows how battles progressed from Stones River to Appomattox.
• Abraham Lincoln and Remembering the War: This gallery looks at how the Civil War, Lincoln, and veterans were remembered after the war ended.

There is also a video called We the People. It tells the stories of ten different people from all walks of life. You can watch parts of this video in different galleries, and the full story finishes in the museum's theater.

Amazing Artifacts

The museum has many original items from the Civil War. These include weapons, uniforms, and personal belongings of soldiers. Here are some of the cool things you can see:

• General Winfield Scott's portable writing kit.
• A Sharps carbine rifle and a pike head from the raid on Harper's Ferry.
• The last battle map used by Robert E. Lee during his final campaign.
• The pen used to order John Brown's execution.
• Abraham Lincoln's leather hat box from his 1860 election campaign.
• Two of J. E. B. Stuart's sabers (swords).
• A sleeve from George Pickett's coat, worn when he was wounded at the Battle of Gaines' Mill.
• Items belonging to Stonewall Jackson, like hair from his horse, "Little Sorrel."
• George B. McClellan's saddle.
• Robert E. Lee's hat cord and his Bible, which he used for almost 20 years.
• A sword belt given to Ulysses S. Grant after his victory at Vicksburg.
• Stonewall Jackson's gauntlet (a type of glove) from earlier in the war.
• A Bowie knife taken from one of "Mosby's Rangers."
• Doeskin (deer skin) riding gloves that belonged to Robert E. Lee.
• A chair from the captured White House of the Confederacy.
• A Kepi (a type of cap) belonging to George Pickett.
• A lock of hair and a painting of George Pickett that were passed down through his family.
• A fence post from Gettysburg with bullet holes in it.
• Many other rifles, revolvers, officer's swords, and old ammunition found on battlefields.
• Rare chains, iron shackles, and bracelets used in the slave trade.
• A wooden saddle and tack box used by Ulysses S. Grant.
• Souvenirs from Civil War veterans' reunions.
• A collection of items related to Lincoln's assassination. This includes a lock of Lincoln's hair, a sash from his funeral train, the original telegram ordering the arrest of John Wilkes Booth, and a ticket to the play Lincoln was watching that night.
• The key to Libby Prison, a prison used for Union officers.
• Lead bullets with teeth marks, given to patients to bite on during painful surgeries before modern medicine.
• A plaque from David Farragut's stateroom (cabin) on his ship.
• A china plate from the Lincoln White House and a lantern from Lincoln's home in Illinois.

See also

• American Civil War Museum
• National Civil War Naval Museum
• African American Civil War Memorial Museum
• National Museum of Civil War Medicine
• Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center
• New England Civil War Museum