South Carolina Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum facts for kids

The South Carolina Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum (SCCRRMM) is a cool place to learn about history! It's located in downtown Columbia, South Carolina, right next to the South Carolina State Museum. This museum first opened its doors way back in 1896, making it the oldest museum in Columbia and one of the oldest in the whole state.

It was started by a group called the United Daughters of the Confederacy, who wanted to remember the soldiers from the Civil War. Families of these soldiers gave many items like uniforms, weapons, and flags to the museum. Over time, the museum grew to tell the story of all of South Carolina's military history. You can find artifacts from the Revolutionary War all the way up to more recent conflicts. In 2022, for example, they had exhibits about how South Carolina armed itself in the 1800s and the state's role in the Vietnam War.

The Museum's Journey

The museum has moved a few times over the years. It first started in the South Carolina State House. Later, in the middle of the 1900s, it moved to the War Memorial Building, which is near the University of South Carolina.

In 1998, the museum found its current home in the Columbia Mills Building. This building used to be an old mill! The museum even grew bigger in 2007, turning an old water tank from the mill into a brand new exhibit space.

Special Programs and Collections

The SCCRRMM is known for its interesting programs. One of them, called Write from the Front, even won a national award from the American Association of State and Local History. This program collects emails and photos sent by service members who were deployed in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. It helps us understand what life was like for them.

The museum also received the Confederate battle flag that was taken down from the grounds of the South Carolina State House in 2015. Besides its Civil War items, the museum has many artifacts from different military times, showing the state's long history of service. The museum's logo today highlights "Military Museum" more than "Confederate Relic Room," showing its wide focus on all military history.