The Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History is celebrating its 10th birthday with an evening of family-friendly activities aimed at offering visitors a unique look at the museum and its exhibits.

The inaugural Museum Night: Trains, Planes and Cars, scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, will feature an evening of family- and history-centered activities in addition to providing visitors an up-close look at museum artifacts. The museum will be closing at 3 p.m. on March 23.

During the event, guests will have the rare opportunity to climb aboard the General locomotive made famous during the Civil War’s Great Locomotive Chase. Visitors can also explore the entire museum, see vintage automobiles, participate in interactive games and handle select artifacts – under curatorial supervision – normally off limits to museum attendees.

“Guests who attend Museum Night will see the museum’s exhibits and artifacts in an entirely new light,” said Dr. Richard Banz, the museum’s executive director. “This event will be enjoyable for not only history buffs, but for families who are looking for fun, unique and educational events to enjoy together.”

Additional activities during Museum Night include slot cars, an airplane competition and a railroad camp. The museum will also have an operating model railroad layout and a pair of antique vehicles on display – a 1940 Packard and a 1955 Chevrolet.

Admission for Museum Night is $10 for adult museum members, $15 for adult non-members and $7 for children between the ages of 4 and 12. Museum members can purchase a family pack of tickets (for two adults and up to four children) for $25; the family pack is $35 for non-members.

Museum Night is the first of two new events to be unveiled in 2013. The other – Railroad Rendezvous – is scheduled for July.

The Southern Museum, located at 2829 Cherokee Street in downtown Kennesaw (exit 273 on Interstate 75), reopened on March 30, 2003, following a $6 million expansion to the Kennesaw Civil War Museum, where the General resided since April 12, 1972.

To purchase tickets, contact the museum’s director of operations at (770) 427-2117 and for additional details about Museum Night, contact the Kennesaw Museum Foundation at 770-427-2117 ext. 3174.

For more information, visit southernmuseum.org or follow the museum at facebook.com/southernmuseum.

CALENDAR LISTING: The Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History is celebrating its 10th birthday with an evening of family-friendly activities from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, March 23. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to climb aboard the General locomotive made famous during the Civil War’s Great Locomotive Chase. Additional activities include slot cars, an airplane competition and a railroad camp. The evening will also feature an operating model railroad and a pair of antique vehicles on display – a 1940 Packard and a 1955 Chevrolet. Admission for Museum Night is $10 for adult museum members, $15 for adult non-members and $7 for children between the ages of 4 and 12; family ticket packs are available. For more information, call (770) 427-2117, visit southernmuseum.org or follow the museum at facebook.com/southernmuseum.

A $40,000 grant from the Robert and Hazel Eubanks Foundation will help fund the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History’s research center.

Marietta resident Gary F. Eubanks, a member of the museum foundation’s Board of Trustees, presented the gift to Dr. Richard Banz, the museum’s executive director.

The research center includes the Southern Museum’s collection of materials related to railroads in the South, including documents about Glover Machine Works, the Great Locomotive Chase and the Southern Railway, through the Southern Railway Historical Association (SRHA) archives.

“This grant will help support one of the museum’s primary missions: aiding researchers,” Banz said. “We are grateful to Gary Eubanks and the Robert and Hazel Eubanks Foundation for their continued support of the Southern Museum.”

Eubanks, who originally developed his deep interest in railroad history in high school, has been involved with the museum for five years.

“I had to write a paper in a senior history class, and I chose to write about railroads in the Civil War,” Eubanks said. “My research led me to understand how, for the first time in history, railroads played a significant role in the outcome of the war.

“With the construction of the new building, this Research Center has the potential to be the best of its kind,” Eubanks added. “With my long interest in railroads, the Southern Museum was a natural choice for a grant.”

The Robert and Hazel Eubanks Foundation supports organizations with educational, historical or religious missions. Gary Eubanks created the foundation to honor and continue the work of his late parents, Hazel and Robert Eubanks of Atlanta, who had a long history of supporting such organizations during their lifetimes.

By mid-year, the Southern Museum is expecting to announce plans to grow the research center’s collection and footprint.

More than 2,200 people turned out Saturday for the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History’s third annual Trains, Trains, Trains event.

Museum visitors explored model train layouts, vendors selling train-themed wares and various activities geared toward families.

“This event is so much fun because kids have the opportunity to get up and close with trains,” said Dr. Richard Banz, the museum’s executive director. “We’re grateful to everyone who came out, and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone at our future events, including next year’s Trains, Trains, Trains.”

The museum’s next major event, “Museum Night,” is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, March 23. The night will include refreshments at the museum and an evening of family- and history-centered activities.

During the event, visitors can explore the entire museum, see vintage automobiles, climb aboard The General locomotive, participate in interactive games and handle certain artifacts – under curatorial supervision – normally off limits to guests.

To view photos from Saturday’s event, visit www.facebook.com/southernmuseum.

For more information, call (770) 427-2117, visit southernmuseum.org or follow the museum at facebook.com/southernmuseum.

The Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History’s third annual Trains, Trains, Trains! event is going strong and continues today until 4 p.m.

“We’re excited about the turnout at today’s event and the enthusiasm of attendees,” said Dr. Richard Banz, the museum’s executive director.

The family friendly event features operating model train layouts, railroad music and vendors selling a variety of train-related items.  During the event, the Museum is also unveiling a new O gauge layout. Located in the Jolley Education Center, the layout is the first step of the museum’s plan to add more operating model train exhibits.

To view photos from today’s event, please visit the Museum’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/southernmuseum.

The Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History’s third annual Trains, Trains, Trains! event kicked off this morning.

The family friendly event will be held until 4 p.m. today and features operating model train layouts, railroad music and vendors selling a variety of train-related items.

During the event, the Museum is also unveiling a new O gauge layout. Located in the Jolley Education Center, the layout is the first step of the museum’s plan to add more operating model train exhibits.

“We’re excited about this year’s event and are pleased with the early turnout,” said Dr. Richard Banz, the museum’s executive director. “We’re expecting a great turnout as this event is of interest to die-hard railroad enthusiasts, history buffs and also families and children who are interested in trains – both full-sized and scaled-down versions.”

To view photos from today’s event, please visit the Museum’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/southernmuseum.

The first 100 attendees to the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History’s Trains, Trains, Trains! event on Saturday will receive a free railroad-themed T-shirt.

The family friendly event will be held from 9:30 until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19, and features operating model train layouts, railroad music and vendors selling a variety of train-related items.

In addition to the day’s special events, visitors have an opportunity to explore the museum’s permanent exhibits to learn about the Great Locomotive Chase, one of the Civil War’s most thrilling episodes. The museum also includes a full-scale replica of Glover Machine Works, a locomotive factory in nearby Marietta that helped rebuild the South after the war.

Museum admission is $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, $5.50 for children ages 4-12 and free for children three and under; coupons and discounts will not be accepted on the day of the event. The museum is located at 2829 Cherokee Street in downtown Kennesaw (exit 273 on Interstate 75).

In advance of January’s annual “Trains, Trains, Trains” event, the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History is building a new model train layout.

The new O gauge layout, located in the Jolley Education Center, will officially be unveiled in January during “Trains, Trains, Trains.” The layout is the first step of the museum’s plan to add more operating model train exhibits.

The family friendly “Trains, Trains, Trains” event will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19, and will feature crafts, tips and techniques for building a home layout, and a variety of operating model train layouts. The daylong event will also include interactive activities, including a train-themed story time, railroad music and vendors selling a variety of train-related items.

About The Southern Museum

A Smithsonian Institution affiliate, the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History features collections of rare Civil War weapons, uniforms and other personal items; an exciting exhibit about the Great Locomotive Chase, including the General locomotive; and a full-scale replica of a locomotive factory that helped rebuild the South after the war. The Jolley Education Center features a variety of hands-on exhibits to inspire a love of learning in children. During the sesquicentennial, 150^th anniversary of the Civil War, the Southern Museum will be hosting numerous events that will explore topics relevant to this tumultuous time in history. Visit the Museum’s calendar of events at southernmuseum.org for a list of activities and events.

The Southern Museum is located 20 miles north of Atlanta, off I-75 at exit 273. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, $5.50 for children ages 4-12, and free for children three and under.

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The Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History will kick off its packed 2013 calendar of events with a family day focusing on all aspects of trains and featuring a model train expo.

The family friendly “Trains, Trains, Trains” event will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19 in the museum’s Jolley Education Center and throughout the museum, and will feature crafts, tips and techniques for building a home layout, and a variety of operating model train layouts. The daylong event will also include interactive activities, including a train-themed story time, railroad music and vendors selling a variety of train-related items.

In addition to the day’s special events, visitors have an opportunity to explore the museum’s permanent exhibits to learn about the Great Locomotive Chase, one of the Civil War’s most thrilling episodes. The museum also includes a full-scale replica of Glover Machine Works, a locomotive factory in nearby Marietta that helped rebuild the South after the war.

Museum admission is $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, $5.50 for children ages 4-12 and free for children three and under; coupons and discounts will not be accepted on the day of the event. The museum is located at 2829 Cherokee Street in downtown Kennesaw (exit 273 on Interstate 75).

On Facebook? Let us know if you’ll be attending. In advance of the event, be sure to let us know your fondest train memories.

The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History’s next Homeschool Day is scheduled for Jan. 15.

For more information or to register, please contact the Education Department at 770-427-2117 ext. 3173 or children@southernmuseum.org. Attendees must be registered by Jan. 8.

Bondage, Bullets and Ballots: The African American Experience, 1861-1877
Ages: 8-13

This January join us in celebrating the 150^th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued on Jan. 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln to end slavery in the Confederate states. We will examine the African-American experience in America, starting with the outbreak of the Civil War and ending with Reconstruction. Topics explored will include the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation, the lives of African-American soldiers, and the political events and social changes that impacted African-Americans during the Reconstruction era.

* Please note that this program will be geared toward 3^rd through 8^th grades, but all grade levels are welcome at the discretion of the parent.

Time: 10 am – 12 pm
Special admission rates: $5 per person.
Reservations are required.

To learn more about Homeschool Days at the Southern Museum, including the schedule for the rest of the 2012–2013 school year, please visit our website.