As President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address encompassed the emotions of  the American struggle, The National Civil War Museum portrays this struggle as a time line,  from the issues straining the nation through the war's conclusion at Appomattox Court House.  Nowhere can you find a better understanding of the Civil War, its effect on the nation and on the people.  Come walk our halls.  See  and feel the emotions rise and fall as you embrace Bull Run, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, Antietam and Gettysburg; once ordinary places transformed in a few hours to hallowed ground.

The National Civil War Museum incorporates collections of artifacts, manuscripts, documents, photographs, and other printed matter that exceed 24,000 items. Although many items have been donated to The National Civil War Museum since its opening, the vast majority of its collections were acquired by the City of Harrisburg between 1994 and 1999 under the auspices of Mayor Stephen R. Reed.

Three-dimensional objects (artifacts) comprise about 3,500 items, of which one-fourth (850 items) are on display in the permanent galleries of the building. The balance is held in secure storage for future exhibits and for scholarly research, the latter by appointment only.

  Because The National Civil War     
  Museum's mission encompasses 
  the period from 1850 through
 1876, its' collections vary widely in
  scope and years of manufacture.
  For the pre-War period,
  collections include artifacts that
  reflect on the nature of sectional
  controversies and in particular
  slavery. The four actual years of War incorporate items from the civilian as well as the military venues of the conflict. Our emphasis is on "the human side" of the conflict. We exhibit and collect materials on the common soldiers, men and women on the home front and the experiences of African Americans. The military artifacts encompass all aspects of soldiers' experiences: from the personal equipage and weaponry of the War, to wounds, disease, prisoner-of-war experiences, and the emotional drain of the conflict.  Whenever possible, emphasis has been placed on obtaining artifacts that are identified to specific combatants of the War, and according to availability, the prominent personalities of the war. Post-War artifacts primarily reflect the impact of the War on western expansion.

The National Civil War Museum continues to look for selective items to fill and enhance its displays and research collections. Please consider sharing your collection or artifacts from your ancestor's contributions to the Union or the Confederacy. Help us develop and enhance The National Civil War Museum and our collections. If you are looking for a safe and secure "home" for Civil War or related objects that may be in your possession, please think of us and consider the advantages of donating your object(s) to The National Civil War Museum.    

History:  It's a Blast!  

Visit The National Civil War Museum to find out why...   

Janice I. Mullin - Museum Director Stephen R. Reed - Founder

Board of Directors:

Jim Nulton - Chairman PPL Corporation     Robert DeSousa - Vice Chair Vartan Group James Allan Stuart - Secretary Harrisburg City Government Center Paul B. Whipple - Treasurer Dawood Engineering, Inc. Margie Adelmann MS Society  Gene Barr PA Chamber of Business & Industry William F. Christ Retired Officer - Hershey Foods Corp. Thomas C. Dilworth M&T Bank Alisa E. Harris-Daniels Exelon Corporation   J. Robert Hanlon Meyer, Unkovic and Scott Toni Hess   Peter J. Keim, MD Retired - Gateway Health Plan of PA  Kelly Lewis, Esq. The Technology Council of CPA Jim Ludlow IMIRAGE Theiry Malley PA Area Council of Boys&Girls Club   Bob Philbin Hershey/Philbin Associates James I. Scheiner, P.E. Benatec Associates, Inc.    Susan Sherwood e'lan Media LLC Neal West Harristown Development Corp.    Advisor to Board:   J. Randall Grespin, Chair of Advancement Committee Board of Trustees, Harrisburg University of Science & Technology       Advisory Council:   Stacy Allen, Shiloh National Military Park Rick Beard, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum Dr. Gabor Boritt, The Civil War Institute Susan Corbett, Gettysburg Foundation Dr. Mary DeCredico, Bucknell University Robert Dodson, Fort Sumter National Monument Dennis Frye, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Ron Gancas, Soldiers & Sailors National Military Museum Richard J. Goedkoop, Ph.D, LaSalle University Scott Hancock, Ph.D, Gettysburg College John N. Howard, Antietam National Battlefield Jack Leighow, PA Historical & Museum Commission Professor James McPherson, Princeton University Mike Perry, Army Heritage Center Foundation Carol A. Reardon, Ph.D, The Pennsylvania State University Bruce Smith, National Civil War Naval Museum Sharon A. Smith, Civil War & Underground Railroad Museum James Taylor, Imperial War Museum Christopher R. Shires, National Underground RR Freedom Center John Verrill, Manassas Museum Terry Winschel, Vicksburg National Military Park George C. Wunderlich, National Museum of Civil War Medicine

     

 Funding for this Website Development was provided by:

www.NARFoundation.org