News

Soldiers Plan Big Shanty Festival Invasion

03/22/2007

While the Big Shanty Festival draws thousands of visitors to downtown Kennesaw, it also attracts Union and Confederate soldiers who encamp nearby and periodically shoot their weapons.

“We’re not sure what draws the soldiers to the festival, but it’s a great opportunity to see what camp life was like during the Civil War,” remarked Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History Education Director Jennifer Legates.

The soldiers are expected to fire their weapons throughout the weekend of the popular Big Shanty Festival April 21 – 22.

Legates revealed the Southern Museum will provide another interesting way to experience history in April. “We’ve teamed with Kennesaw State University’s Department of Theatre & Performance Studies to host theatrical performances that illustrate the history of the Glover Machine Works from Marietta factory to Southern Museum exhibit,” she said.

Performances will be held April 27 and 28 at 7 PM and April 29 at 2 PM. The unique stories were developed by KSU students through oral history interviews with factory workers, the Glover family, and historians who preserved the collection and brought it to the Southern Museum. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $5.50 for children 4-12, free for children 3 and under. Free admission for Museum members and Kennesaw State University faculty/students with ID.

A variety of other fun and educational events are scheduled throughout the month of April, including:

Homeschool Days

April 9 • 10 AM – 2 PM
Homeschool students explore the Museum's exhibits and enjoy hourly educational programs for a special rate. Reservations not required. (Please
note: the Museum does not provide group tours on Homeschool Days.) $4 per
student (4-12 years), $6 per student (13+) and adults, children 3 and under
free.

Mommy & Me Children's Program Series

April 12 and April 26 • 10 – 11 AM
Parents and pre-schoolers (ages 2-5) imagine, explore, and create using the
Southern Museum's history, themes, and exhibits as a fun and exciting
starting point for educational activities. Free with Museum admission. No
reservations required.

Historical Society Lecture Series: Stealing the General

April 14 • 2 - 3 PM
Local author Russell S. Bonds will discuss his exciting book, Stealing the
General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor, followed
by a book signing. Free. Visitors who would like to tour the Museum before
or after the lecture should enter through the front entrance.

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; a full-scale replica of a locomotive factory that helped rebuild the South after the war; and through May, a traveling exhibit featuring photographs of the people who dedicated their lives to the railroad.

The Southern Museum is located 20 miles north of Atlanta, off I-75 at exit 273. Click here for visitor information, or call (770) 427-2117.