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Valerie Buxton, O’Neill Communications
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Civil War and Locomotive Museum to Open at End of March 2003

For immediate release

KENNESAW, GA - The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, formerly the Kennesaw Civil War Museum, will hold a grand re-opening celebration March 30, 2003, after a massive $6 million expansion that has resulted in a facility ten times the size of the previous building.

Located in Kennesaw, GA, the Museum, a Smithsonian Institution affiliate, will continue to house its star attraction, the General, the locomotive stolen during the Civil War’s Great Locomotive Chase, but has greatly expanded the collection to include a brand new film depicting the chase, a Medal of Honor awarded posthumously to one of the Union raiders, and reproductions of the hotel where the chase began, along with Tunnel Hill.

The Museum also houses two other permanent collections, including Railroads: Lifelines of the Civil War and Glover Machine Works: Casting a New South. The railroad collection details how railroads were used to ship troops, weapons, and medical supplies during the war. An integral part of the Railroads Collection are the James A. Liesendahl Collection and the George Wray and Family Collection, which features a wide variety of weaponry, uniforms, personal items, musical instruments, and other items that illustrate life during this period of national strife.

The Glover Collection chronicles the role industry played in rebuilding the South after the Civil War. This interactive collection features the only full-scale belt-driven locomotive assembly line in the country from the Glover Machine Works, a factory reproduction with two locomotives in various stages of completion, a film, various machines and patterns, and extensive Glover archives of personal and business records and documentation.

As a Smithsonian Affiliations program member, the Museum will present exhibits from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), offer periodic guest lectures from Smithsonian Institution historians, and display Smithsonian artifacts within Museum collections. Other distinctive exhibits will also be on display from time to time.

The grand re-opening is set for March 30 from 11 AM - 5 PM and will feature living histories, Civil War-era music from the 8th Regiment Band, community performances, and weapons demonstrations.

The Museum is 20 miles North of Atlanta, off I-75 at exit 273, Wade Green Road. Call 770-427-2117 or visit www.southernmuseum.org for more information.