Best Civil War Museum?

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JerryD

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Aug 23, 2021
As some of you know here, I am a docent at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and I give tours of the Museum to visitors. Recently I had a visitor from Great Britain who asked what was the best Civil War Museum outside of a battlefield. He was looking for a museum that would be more comprehensive than just focused primarily on one battle where he could learn all about the entire war. And to be honest, I was stumped. I mentioned the Civil War Museum down in Appomattox CH that used to be the Museum of the Confederacy, but I did mention that I thought it was still mostly CSA centered. The Smithsonian where I work has a pretty good collection on display on the Civil War, but its not very large. You can pretty much see all of it in less than 30 minutes.

So asking, what would you say is the best comprehensive Civil War Museum?
 
Best Answer
UCVRelics
Hands Down. Confederate Memorial Hall in New Orleans.

confederatemuseum.com

The Home of the New Orleans Confederate Museum - Confederate Museum

confederatemuseum.com

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@JerryD

It has been a while since I was at the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, however, I also recommend it for what this fellow is interested in. It is set up as a chronological tour of the war and has an excellent collection reflecting all aspects of the conflict.

I was spoiled growing up in Washington DC and certainly consider your museum to be the best.

However, that Confederate Memorial Museum in New Orleans that @UCVRelics linked to looks amazing! If I ever get down there it looks to be a "must see!"

It is hard to find good comprehensive museums off of battlefield sites. I would like to visit the Civil War Museum in Richmond. There are lots of smaller museums around the Country that are good, but they are usually not comprehensive. I was really impressed with the collection at the small Stonewall Jackson Headquarters Museum we toured last year in Winchester. I had never been to it, and it was excellent. It does specialize in Jackson of course but does have some other items. They indicated that it is the largest Jackson collection anywhere.

But I do recommend the museum in Harrisburg. It does not hurt that it is close to Gettysburg and relatively close to Antietam!
 
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Jamieva said:
Harrisburg or Richmond (at Tredegar) would be my two votes. The New Orleans museum is an impressive collection but doesn't meet the criteria that OP laid out.
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I can't imagine another topping those two choices. They are clearly the best, though, I will say there are some great smaller ones as well.

I would also include Old Bardstown in Kentucky. That was a nice little gem of a find.
 
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How about the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, PA?

Mind you, I've never been there and I've haven't been back to Gettysburg since it was modernized.

While it doesn't cover the entire spectrum or aspects of the Civil War, the Civil War Soldier's Museum in Petersburg was good if you wanted to see how soldiers lived and fought. Is it even open today?
 
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I volunteer at the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, so I'm very partial to that one.

The museum in Petersburg, Pamplin Park, was really good when I went there years ago. I understand that for a while it was closed down to all but groups that made reservations in advance. While admission is still restricted to groups only four days a week, it is now open for general public visitation Fridays through Sundays from 9 AM to 5 PM.
 
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LCYingling3rd said:
I was really impressed with the collection at the small Stonewall Jackson Headquarters Museum we toured last year in Winchester. I had never been to it, and it was excellent. It does specialize in Jackson of course but does have some other items. They indicated that it is the largest Jackson collection anywhere.
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There is no "one best" museum. All of the answers here so far are great.

I only feel obligated to remind others the Jackson Headquarters at Winchester was made possible by my boyhood crush, actress Mary Tyler Moore, whose great grandfather served as a staff officer to General Jackson and owned the headquarters house. She bought it back and had it restored.

Still love you, Mary! ❤️❤️❤️
 
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Drew said:
There is no "one best" museum. All of the answers here so far are great.

I only feel obligated to remind others the Jackson Headquarters at Winchester was made possible by my boyhood crush, actress Mary Tyler Moore, whose great grandfather served as a staff officer to General Jackson and owned the headquarters house. She bought it back and had it restored.

Still love you, Mary! ❤️❤️❤️
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I love it.

My childhood actress crush was Clara Bow. Lol.
 
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@Drew

Yes, and the museum is quite proud of the connection. And rightly so!

Mary Tyler Moore was also instrumental in funding the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War at my mother's alma mater, Shepherd College (now University) in Shepherdstown, WV. (My grandmother and two great aunts went there too) The idea for the Center for the Study of the Civil War grew out of discussions between the University and the Antietam National Battlefield in 1990. It was developed to house the National Park Service's "Soldiers and Sailors System" online database. Shepherd was already involved in cataloging all of Virginias soldiers.

In 1995 Mary Tyler Moore got involved and donated her great, great, great, grandfathers house, the Conrad Shindler House in Shepherdstown, to the Center. It was then that the name was changed to the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War in honor of her father. She has deep roots in the lower Shenandoah Valley!

And don't forget that she played Mary Todd Lincoln in the 1988 Gore Vidal's "Lincoln" miniseries!

She was a talented and wonderful woman!
 
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LCYingling3rd said:
@Drew

Yes, and the museum is quite proud of the connection. And rightly so!

Mary Tyler Moore was also instrumental in funding the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War at my mother's alma mater, Shepherd College (now University) in Shepherdstown, WV. (My grandmother and two great aunts went there too) The idea for the Center for the Study of the Civil War grew out of discussions between the University and the Antietam National Battlefield in 1990. It was developed to house the National Park Service's "Soldiers and Sailors System" online database. Shepherd was already involved in cataloging all of Virginias soldiers.

In 1995 Mary Tyler Moore got involved and donated her great, great, great, grandfathers house, the Conrad Shindler House in Shepherdstown, to the Center. It was then that the name was changed to the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War in honor of her father. She has deep roots in the lower Shenandoah Valley!

And don't forget that she played Mary Todd Lincoln in the 1988 Gore Vidal's "Lincoln" miniseries!

She was a talented and wonderful woman!
Click to expand...

She was and thank you for your post. She addressed many difficult social issues of her own time but didn't hold her ancestors or our county's history to modern values. A very important lesson.

I will always love Mary. ❤️
 
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FOX 43
Dauphin County
Free admission days announced for veterans to Civil War Museum in November
Officials with the National Civil War Museum announced Thursday, Oct. 31 that they are proud to offer free admission to all veterans on Nov. 9, 10 and 11.
Leah Hall
October 31, 2024

HARRISBURG, Pa. — In honor of Veteran's Day, a Harrisburg museum will offer free admission for those who have served our country. Officials with the National Civil War Museum announced Thursday, Oct. 31 that they are proud to offer free admission to all veterans on Nov. 9, 10 and 11. The special offer is a gesture of gratitude to those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, providing an opportunity for veterans and their families to explore America's Civil War history. Located in Harrisburg, the National Civil War Museum offers a comprehensive view of one of the pivotal times in American history. The museum's Veterans Day weekend offer provides free admission to all veterans, both active and retired military personnel, with valid ID. Regular admission will apply to other visitors.

Full article here - https://www.fox43.com/article/news/...mber/521-a4da92e7-008f-48c5-9078-b680677d338a

Cheers,
USS ALASKA
 
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If we exclude museums at battlefields (which is 99% of them) and exclude one-sided (i.e. Confederate), I think it has to be the National Civil War Museum in Harrisonburg. And I say that based on its reputation; I haven't been there yet!

The American Civil War Museum at Tredegar is a good museum, but it's much smaller than the museum in Harrisonburg.

I visited Tredegar in 2012, before they acquired the Appomattox museum. It looks like they might have added an entire new building to the site since I was there. I guess all the more reason the 2025 CWT Muster should be held in the Richmond-Petersburg area. ;)

Honorable mention to the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, GA.

Pamplin would be in contention except it's technically at a battlefield. If we include battlefield museums then it's probably either Pamplin or the Gettysburg Visitor Center.
 
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Joshism said:
If we exclude museums at battlefields (which is 99% of them) and exclude one-sided (i.e. Confederate), I think it has to be the National Civil War Museum in Harrisonburg. And I say that based on its reputation; I haven't been there yet!

The American Civil War Museum at Tredegar is a good museum, but it's much smaller than the museum in Harrisonburg.

I visited Tredegar in 2012, before they acquired the Appomattox museum. It looks like they might have added an entire new building to the site since I was there. I guess all the more reason the 2025 CWT Muster should be held in the Richmond-Petersburg area. :wink:

Honorable mention to the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, GA.

Pamplin would be in contention except it's technically at a battlefield. If we include battlefield museums then it's probably either Pamplin or the Gettysburg Visitor Center.
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Minor correction - Harrisburg, PA is the home of the National Civil War Museum.

Harrisonburg, VA is the home of James Madison University. It's probably a very nice town, but if people go there looking for the Civil War Museum, they could be disappointed.
 
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