News

All Aboard the Southern Museum Event Express!
02/05/08

KENNESAW, Ga. (February 2008) –All aboard for exciting events, excursions, exhibits, and educational opportunities at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History!

Witness live artillery demonstrations and board miniature trains. Take a guided bus tour bound for Georgia Civil War sites or experience a thrilling train journey through the Colorado Rockies! Learn through hands-on educational opportunities for history buffs of all ages.

“We’re offering more than ever before in our children’s educational programs,” said Jennifer Legates, director of education. “Preschool programs include Mommy & Me, Kreative Kids, Games for Learning, and Share a Story. Our hands-on Children’s History Workshops and the Museum’s Homeschool Days series provide engaging opportunities for older students.”

Adult educational offerings include a special lecture in conjunction with the “Liberty on the Border: A Civil War Journey In Time” Exhibit. The Museum’s Historical Society Lecture Series will offer new perspectives on the Civil War and railroads.

EXHIBITS

Liberty on the Border: A Civil War Journey In Time Exhibit ongoing through September 7, 2008. Explore the physical, cultural, ideological borders that contributed to the American Civil War through computer programs and interactive artifact reproductions. Examine the effect slavery had on the country. By looking at the way borders were drawn and perceived before, during, and after the war, visitors develop a deeper comprehension of the different and sometimes contentious meanings of personal "liberty." A production of the Cincinnati Museum Center. Free with museum admission. For more information contact 770-427-2117.

EVENTS

March on Big Shanty March 8, 10 am – 4 pm, June 7, 10 am – 4 pm. The 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry will be encamped on the Museum’s front lawn and hold weapons firing demonstrations throughout the day. The event is free of charge.

Assault on Big Shanty April 19, 10 am – 4 pm, April 20, 12 noon – 4 pm.
Soldiers blue and gray will hold an encampment and conduct weapons firing demonstrations throughout the day as part of the annual Big Shanty Festival in downtown Kennesaw. Event is free. Click here for more information or contact the Education Department at 770-427-2117 ext. 3177 or education@southernmuseum.org.

All Aboard Days May 17, 10 am – 5 pm, May 18, 12 pm – 5 pm. Join us for this annual family festival celebrating the wonder of trains sponsored by the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. Activities include miniature train rides, children’s railroad stories, model railroad displays, and more. Admission: $5 per person (4 & up), includes unlimited train rides. Special half-price Museum admission with event hand stamp. Click here for more information.

Children’s Program “So you want to be a Civil War soldier?” June 16, 10 am – 12 pm. Ages: 4-6 years. June 17, 10 am – 12 pm. Ages: 7-11 years. Cost: $40 per child; Museum members $30. Space is limited; Advance registration required by June 6. Learn about the life of a Civil War soldier by experiencing it first hand! After enlistment, “new recruits” will learn about military issued equipment and then experience the thrill of drilling like a real Civil War soldier. “Soldiers” will experience first hand a Civil War camp and learn a song popular for the boys in blue and gray. Registration fees include take home materials so participants can practice their skills at home. A downloadable registration form is available here.

EXCURSIONS

Bus Tour - Port Columbus Naval Museum & Andersonville - April 12, 8:30 am – 7:00 pm. Cost: $100, $75 Museum members/Kennesaw State University students/faculty. Space Limited; Advance registration required by March 20, 2008. Sponsored by the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History and the Center for The Study of the Civil War Era at Kennesaw State University. Explore the fascinating role two areas of southern Georgia played in the Civil War. The day will include a guided tour of the Port Columbus National Civil War Naval Museum, Andersonville National Historic Site and the National Prisoner of War Museum. Dr. John Fowler and Dr. Bryan McGovern from Kennesaw State University will be the expert step-on tour guides for the day. The tour will depart/return from KSU Center and includes a boxed lunch. A downloadable registration form is available here.

Trains of the Colorado Rockies Trip - September 20 - 28. Advance registration required by May 20, 2008. Join members of the Southern Museum, the Smithsonian Institution and their partners, and Collette vacations on a thrilling train journey of the Colorado Rockies. This 9-day adventure will allow you to experience the beauty of the Colorado Rockies, a landscape replete with Alpine lakes, towering peaks, and rolling meadows. Behold the majestic San Juan Mountains aboard the 1881 steam train, the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Travel along the world’s highest Cog Railway to the top of Pikes Peak aboard the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. Then, visit the fascinating Spruce Tree Cliff Dwellings and view the famous Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park. Explore one of the grand landscapes of the American West at the Colorado National Monument. Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures offers the best in educational travel worldwide. For more information on this exciting Smithsonian travel opportunity please contact Membership Coordinator Cindy Dadyala at (770) 427-2117 x 3182 or cdadyala@kennesaw-ga.gov.

EDUCATION

Preschool Programs

Mommy & Me Children’s Program Series - February 7 & 21, March 6 & 20, April 3 & 17, May 1, 15 & 29, June 12 & 26. 10 am – 11 am. Designed for pre-school age children ages 3-5 years old and their parents, the museum’s history, themes and exhibits provide a fun and exciting starting point for educational activities. Free with museum admission. No reservations required. Sponsored by Gas South. Click here for more information.

Kreative Kids Program Series - February 2, March 1, April 5, May 3, June 7. 10 am – 11 am. Designed for pre-school age children ages 3-5 years old and their parents. The museum’s exhibits and themes provide the historical perspective for creating. Learn about and make your own essential piece of a Civil War soldier’s equipment. Free with museum admission. No reservations required. Click here for more information.

Games for Learning Program Series- February 19, March 11, April 8, May 13, June 10, 10 am – 11 am. Designed for pre-school age children ages 3-5 years old and their parents. The museum’s exhibits and themes provide the historical perspective for playing games. Free with museum admission. No reservations required. Click here for more information.

Share a Story Program Series- February 27, March 26, April 30, May 28, June 25. 10 am – 11 am. Designed for pre-school age children ages 3-5 years old and their parents. Come listen to a story and then act it out using props! Free with museum admission. No reservations required. Click here for more information.

EDUCATION

Student Programs

Homeschool Days - March 3, April 7, May 5. 10 am – 2 pm. Children of all ages who are homeschooled can explore the Museum’s exhibits for a special rate. Educational programs will be offered hourly giving everyone the chance to learn more about history. Click here for schedule. Reservations not required. (Please Note: The Museum does not provide group tours on Homeschool Days.) Special admission rates: $4 per student (4-12 yrs), $6 per adult, Children 3 and under are free.

Children’s History Workshops- February 16, March 29, April 26, May 31, June 28. 10 am – 12 pm. Cost: $10 per child; Museum members $7 per child. Space is limited; Advance registration is required. This series of hands-on workshops helps bring history to life for children ages 7 and up. A downloadable registration form is available here.

EDUCATION

Programs for Adults

Lecture: “The American Civil War: A War for Liberty” February 12, 7 pm.
Celebrate Lincoln’s birthday at the Southern Museum with Dr. John Fowler, Associate Professor of History, Kennesaw State University for a fascinating discussion of how the Civil War answered the question of liberty for all Americans. Be sure to also visit the Southern Museum’s newest traveling exhibit Liberty on the Border: A Civil War Journey In Time from the Cincinnati Museum Center. Admission: $7.50 adults, $5.50 children 4-12, Museum members, KSU Faculty and students free with ID.

Historical Society Lecture Series: “Bill Arp: A Confederate Journalist during the Civil War” March 8, 2-3 pm. Sponsored by the Kennesaw Historical Society and the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. Join David B. Parker, Professor of History at Kennesaw State University for a discussion of an unknown story of the Civil War. Visitors who would like to tour the museum before or after the lecture should enter through the front entrance. The event is free of charge.

Historical Society Lecture Series: “The Nashville, Chattanooga and Saint Louis Railway” May 10, 2-3 pm. Sponsored by the Kennesaw Historical Society and the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. Join local author Joe Bozeman for a discussion of this fascinating historic railway line. Those who would like to tour the museum before or after the lecture should enter through the front entrance. The lecture is free of charge.

Historical Society Lecture Series: “A Brief History of the Pennsylvania Railroad” June 14, 2-3 pm. Sponsored by the Kennesaw Historical Society and the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. Join local historian Robert Jones for an examination of the fascinating history of the Pennsylvania Railroad line. Those who would like to tour the museum before or after the lecture, should enter through the front entrance. The event is free of charge.

A Smithsonian Institution affiliate, the Southern Museum features collections of rare Civil War weapons, uniforms, and other personal items; an exciting exhibit about The Great Locomotive Chase, including a short movie; and a full-scale replica of a locomotive factory that helped rebuild the South after the war.

The Southern Museum is located 20 miles north of Atlanta, off I-75 at exit 273. For more information, call (770) 427-2117, extension 3177.