Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History facts for kids
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| Former name | Big Shanty Museum |
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| Established | April 12, 1972 |
| Location | Kennesaw, Georgia |
| Type | Technology museum |
| Accreditation | Smithsonian Affiliate |
| Key holdings | The General (locomotive) |
| Collections | Locomotives, Civil War |
| Collection size | 1,250 items |
| Visitors | 40,000 |
The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History is an exciting museum in Kennesaw, Georgia. It holds many old items and treasures from the American Civil War. You can also discover lots of things about trains from Georgia and nearby states. The most famous item is the General. This was a steam train used in a famous event called the Great Locomotive Chase in April 1862.
The museum also keeps many old company papers and drawings. These show how the railroad industry grew in the South after the Civil War. There are also letters, diaries, and official records from the Civil War.
The Museum's Story
The museum first opened its doors on April 12, 1972. It was known as the Big Shanty Museum back then. This date was special because it was exactly 110 years after the Great Locomotive Chase. The General train was the main attraction from the start. Later, the museum began to include more items from the Civil War.
In the late 1990s, a nearby old factory called Glover Machine Works was going to be torn down. This factory had been empty for almost 50 years. Inside, there were still old records, train parts, and machines for building trains. There was even one complete train that had only been used for a few months. The Glover family, who owned the factory, gave all these items to the museum in 2001.
With so many new items, the museum closed in late 2001 for a big expansion. Workers built a large wooden box over the General train to keep it safe during construction. The bigger and better museum reopened in March 2003. It was then renamed the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. Another expansion happened in 2007 to house a special French train car called the Merci Boxcar.
