Visiting The National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg

The National Civil War Museum in association with the Smithsonian Institution is located at One Lincoln Circle in Reservoir Park, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. You'll find it conveniently located off of Interstate 83, Interstate 81 and US Route 15.  It's open 7-days a week, closed on major holidays.

2018 Admission Rates:

Children 6 and Under - FREE
Active Duty Military - $10.00
Students 6 years & up - $10.00
Adults 18 & up - $12.00
Seniors 60 & up - $11.00

The American Civil War was one of the bloodiest conflicts in history, especially American history. The National Civil War Museum bring the war to life with artifacts, videos, exhibits and more. Experience the drama that made up the war, from slavery to the soldier's camp life, from the politics involved to struggle of both sides.

You'll find 2 floors within the museum to explore. You'll begin your tour up on the second floor where you'll follow the Civil War to the Civil Rights Trail. Up on the second floor you'll find 10 main exhibit areas which are as follows:

1. A House Divided, 1850-1860
2. American Slavery, 1850-1860
3. First Shots, 1861
4. Making of Armies, focuses on recruitment, training & equipping.
5. Weapons & Equipment
6. Campaigns & Battles of 1862
7. Battle Map, 1861-1862
8. Camp Curtain located in Harrisburg
9. Why Men Fought, 1861-1863
10. Civil War Music

On the first floor of the museum you'll explore 8 main areas which are as follows:

11. Gettysburg, 1863
12. Costs of War
13. Women in the Civil War
14. Navy
15. Campaigns & Battles of 1864-65
16. Battle Map
Theater Room: Award-winning video on the end of the war.
17. Lincoln: War and Rememberence

There is a temporary exhibit gallery that features changing exhibits on a variety of Civil War topics. If you want to learn more about the temporary exhibit, you can check out their official website or give the museum a call.

On the day that we visited we paid our admission at the gift shop (located near the entrance) and was given a Gallery Guide and Map, to help guide us around. What was really nice was that we went during a weekday afternoon and there were only 20 to 25 other guests in the museum at that time. We were able to take our leisurely time looking at all of the exhibits.

Here are a few museum & Civil War facts that were printed on the Gallery Guide:

- Since opening in 2001, the museum has greeted over 850,000 guests from all 50 states and 39 countries.
- There are over 4,000 artifacts and 21,000 archival documents.
- Join and become a member for unlimited visits, behind the scenes tours, quarterly newsletter and discounts in the gift shop.
- General Robert E. Lee's father fought in the Revolutionary War.
- After the Battle of Gettysburg, 35,574 rifles were recovered & sent to Washington to be reissued.

We spent a total of 2 hours wondering around the museum and exploring all of the exhibits. There was an employee there dressed up as a Union Soldier who answered a few questions that we had. He showed us some of the artillery used during the Civil War and left my husband hold one of the riffles at the museum. That was one of his highlights from our day!

Afterwards we headed back into the gift shop to do a little shopping. I picked up a few inexpensive souvenirs for our grandchildren and a book for my husband. Once outside we spent another 35 minutes or so walking around Reservoir Park and enjoying the beautiful water fountains that they have on the park grounds. Overall, a really nice visit to the National Civil War Museum.

Having Fun on the Wildwood Boardwalk

The Wildwood Boardwalk is one of the best boardwalks in the entire state of New Jersey. The boardwalk covers 38 blocks along the oceanfront and is lined with gift shops, arcades, restaurants, boutiques, entertainment venues, an aquarium, tattoo parlors, water parks, amusement rides, candy stores and more!

It's a family-friendly, award-winning boardwalk that's hustling and bustling with activity during the late spring, summer and early fall seasons. Day or night...there is always something fun to do, something fabulous to see and something delicious to eat...rain or shine! 

One of the most iconic things you can see on the Wildwoods Boardwalk is the famous "Sightseer Tram Car" that rolls up and down the boardwalk. You'll often hear the recording "Watch the Tram Car Please" as you stroll along the boards. The tram car is a great way to get around if you have mobility issues or just want to see the entire boardwalk while riding on your seat. 

When it comes to food...you'll find all kinds of restaurants, pizza shops, diners, etc. offering up cheesesteak, seafood, French fries, steaks, subs, bbq chicken wings, soups, salads and more. When it comes to ice cream...you'll find a whole lot of that too! Every time we visit, we stop by Kohr Bros. to get our favorite soft-serve ice cream. 

If you enjoy bike riding, you'll find that the boardwalk has a bicycle riding lane and you're permitted to ride bikes ONLY in that lane and ONLY during the posted hours (in the morning). Please be respectful and stay in those lanes! Way too often we're up on the boardwalk in the morning and we're constantly being hit by bicycle riders who're not paying attention to where they're going. Just my two cents on that!

As someone who visit's the Wildwoods several times every year, I personally enjoy being on the boardwalk early in the morning (between 10am and 12pm) and then early in the evening (between 7pm and 10pm) before it gets overly-crowded and a little crazy. During the middle of summer, it gets EXTREMELY crowded up on the boardwalk, especially in Wildwood. It's less crowded on the North Wildwood side.

We always have fun as a family when we're up on the boardwalk. The grandchildren enjoy riding the rides at Morey's Piers and playing games in some of the arcades. For myself personally, I enjoy shopping and visiting some of my favorite stores. If you're looking for the best French Fries in Wildwood, you'll find them at Curley's Fries...which also has some of the best fresh-squeezed lemonade in town.

The Wildwood Boardwalk offers something for everyone, from the very young to the young-at-heart. No visit to the south Jersey Shore would be complete without visiting the boardwalk! 

October Events at the Museum of the American Revolution

It can be a challenge finding the perfect activity to make for a fun family day that creates lasting memories, is an educational experience and one that the entire family will enjoy.  Philadelphia and the surrounding area offers a lot of fun, educational activities and at the top of your list should be a visit to the Museum of the American Revolution.

During the month of October you'll find some family-friendly, educational events taking place at the museum. Now is the time to mark your calendars and to plan a fun-filled visit.

Hamilton Was Here: Rising Up in Revolutionary Philadelphia
Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018 through Sunday, March 17, 2019
Free with regular Museum admission.

This fall, journey through Hamilton’s Philadelphia as the Museum of the American Revolution presents Hamilton Was Here: Rising Up in Revolutionary Philadelphia from Oct. 27, 2018 – March 17, 2019. The interactive playscape reveals connections between our own city and Alexander Hamilton’s extraordinary contributions to the nation’s founding. Through playful interactives, scenic environments, and facilitated games, visitors will actively engage in the challenges of founding and maintaining a country and will be inspired to carry these lessons forward as they face the challenges of citizenship today. The experience also will serve school groups with a facilitated program. It is sponsored by Bank of America.

Occupied Philadelphia: The British Are Coming Back
Saturday, Oct. 20 and Sunday, Oct. 21
$12 for the tour only; $27 for tour with Museum admission, $25 for seniors, students and military, $20 for youth, free for kids 5 and under.

The Museum will commemorate the anniversary of the British occupation of Philadelphia with a two-day living history event that recreates the dark days of the fall of 1777. Visitors will enjoy walking tours of the neighborhood, special programs, and family-friendly activities that bring to life the days when British forces controlled Philadelphia, the Revolutionary capital. Inside the Museum, guests can cast their vote – is the British presence an occupation or a liberation? – and explore the galleries, including a recreation of Independence Hall when it was occupied by the British and served as a prison for American prisoners-of-war. Walking tours are offered every half hour on Saturday (10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.) and Sunday (10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.).

You can learn more about the Museum of the American Revolution by visiting their official website online and by connecting with the museum over on Facebook. You can order your admission tickets online (to save time) or at the door.