Civil War era photo

The entrance to the Fiery Trial exhibit is marked by the iconic statue of a Civil War soldier

 

Kenosha Public Museums

 

Upcoming Events

The Civil War Museum offers many educational activities throughout the year. Here is the upcoming schedule.

What Caused This War?

Thursdays, May 9 & 23, 2013; Noon-1pm

Dr. Eric Pullen, professor of history at Carthage College, leads four group discussions based on a set of readings provided by Carthage College and the Civil War Museum, focusing on the causes of the Civil War. Participants pick up the readings, free of charge at the Civil War Museum's front desk or resource center after April 1, and come to the meetings to share their views on what they have read. Registration is not required.

Themes for each session:

May 9 - Northern Attitudes Toward Race and Secession
May 23 - What was the War About? Discussing the Causes

Second Friday Lunchbox Lecture Series

Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, these free programs are held in the Museum's Freedom Hall and sponsored by the Milwaukee Civil War Roundtable and the Iron Brigade Association. Bring your own lunch. Snacks and beverages are available in the Museum vending machines.

Follow the 113th Illinois from mustering in to marching through the swamps of Mississippi to service as provost guard in Memphis. Look into the lives of individuals that served including five Medal of Honor recipients. Presenter Rod Miller is an historian, living historian, educator, and volunteer curator of the Civil War collection at the Iroquois County Museum in Watseka, Illinois.

Occurring on July 1, 2, and 3, 1863, Gettysburg was the only northern battle of the war. This battle was a central piece of Robert E. Lee's ambitious strategy to move the war north and for the Union to sue for peace. The Union held its line, resulting in a significant setback for Lee and the Confederate Army. Presenter professor Sandra Moats discusses what occurred on the battlefield and its long- term significance for the war.

Long Road Home is a story of two Southern soldiers - one from Alabama, the other from Tennessee. They escape capture and destruction at Fort Donelson only to struggle at Island No. 10. Presenter Richard Zevitz's historical novel about Civil War prisons and battles, tactics and strategy, is a journey of identity and self-discovery.

Memorial Day Commemoration

Saturday, May 25, 2013; Freedom Hall

9am-11am - Veterans coffee, kringle, and conversation: All veterans and soldiers are welcome to stop in for hospitality.

11am - Memorial Day ceremony: Honoring all those who have served and those who serve.

5th Annual - A Salute to Freedom

Friday, June 7, 2013; 4pm-8pm
Saturday, June 8, 2013; 10am-5pm
Sunday, June 9, 2013; 10am-4pm

A weekend of musical performances, special exhibits, and living history.

Cosponsored by Milwaukee Civil War Roundtable, Iron Brigade Association, Civil War Roundtable of Chicago, and the Northern Illinois Civil War Round Table.

Friday, June 7, 2013
4-6:30pm "Lantern Tour" of The Fiery Trial exhibit. Bring your flashlight and experience a guided tour "at dusk." Tours will begin every 20 minutes. Advance registration is not required, but each tour is limited to 25 people.
7pm Kenosha Pops Outdoor Concert - Fountain Plaza west of the Civil War Museum. Bring your lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the Pops patriotic selections.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
10am-4pm

- Outdoor living history encampments on the grassy areas east of the parking lots.
- Living history groups from around the Midwest present a variety of first-person programs.
- Gettysburg Address by President Abraham Lincoln portrayed by George Buss.
- Games and activities tent on the grounds.
- Inside the Civil War Museum view the "pop-up" exhibits that highlight the clothing of the 19th century woman and Civil War technology.

Sunday, June 9, 2013
3pm Civil War Museum Theatre Program presents "Caroline Quarlls," the inspirational story of an escaped slave.

 

Annual Train Extravaganza

Saturday, June 29, 2013; 10am-5pm; Kenosha Public Museum and Civil War Museum
Sunday, June 30, 2012; Noon-4pm; Kenosha Public Museum and Civil War Museum

Visit the annual train extravaganza and see all makes and all models. On view at the Kenosha Public Museum and the Civil War Museum.

Sponsored by the G-Scalers Model Train Club.

The 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg

July 1, 2, 3, 2013; 1pm each day

Acclaimed author Lance Herdegen discusses the role played by the Iron Brigade of the West during the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Curator Doug Dammann tells the stories of the 16th Michigan and a group of Chicago men serving in the 44th New York in the midst of the battle to save the Union line on Cemetery Ridge.

James Heinz explains how a newly commissioned artillery officer from Delafield, Wisconsin, played a vital role in the Union victory at Gettysburg.

Celebrate America

Thursday, July 4, 2013; Kenosha Public Museum and Civil War Museum

The Kenosha Public Museum and Civil War Museum will be open 1pm-5pm. Participate in special craft activities 1:30-4:30pm. Make a patriotic pinwheel at the Kenosha Public Museum and a flag fan at the Civil War Museum.

Vintage Base Ball Day - A Doubleheader

In game 1 of the doubleheader, watch the Milwaukee Cream Citys take on the Oregon (Illinois) Ganymedes! Prior to the match, the Cream Citys host a demonstration of the rules and equipment of vintage base ball. The Cream Citys are fashioned after the Milwaukee Cream Citys Base Ball Club which was a highly successful amateur club from 1865-1870, winning the state amateur championship three times.

Honoring the women of the All-American Girls Baseball League (AAGBL), the league portrays women's baseball as it was played by the AAGBL during their first season of play in 1943 when underhand windmill pitching and a 12-inch softball was the rule.

Popcorn and beverages will be available for purchase at the games.

Living History Saturdays

Union General Ulysses S. Grant stops by the Civil War Museum to introduce himself and recall his celebrated campaign to capture Vicksburg, Mississippi. These two first-person, interactive programs will answer all your questions about this famous man who lived in Galena, Illinois, before the war.

Sponsored by the Milwaukee Civil War Round Table and Iron Brigade Association.

Check out these family-friendly reenactors dressed and "in character" as Civil War soldiers. Ask them about their gear, Civil War battles, and what it took to be a Civil War soldier. Join us at Noon for a 45-minute interactive presentation designed for families or just stop by anytime after that to chat.

Presented by Steven Quick, this very interactive program dives deep into the workings of the Confederate Navy and the inter-workings of the Confederate submarine, the H.L. Hunley. From the men who crewed the submarine to how it was built, rebuilt, steered, and lost, Quick brings this rarely seen historical interpretation back to the surface. Participants take on the roles of the crew and do their best to operate one of the Confederacy's greatest weapons.

Sponsored by the Milwaukee Civil War Round Table and Iron Brigade Association.

Museum Crawl

Friday, July 12, 2013; 6-10pm

Join us for a progressive party at the Museums! We'll have gourmet snacks, microbrews and wine, amazing entertainment, and goodie bags.

6pm Pick up your wristband and goodie bag at the Kenosha Public Museum east entrance or at the Dinosaur Discovery Museum.
6-7:30pm Dinosaur Discovery Museum: Food and beverages by Franks Diner, music by Rosie Beane
7-8:30pm Civil War Museum: Food and beverages by Kaiser's Pizza & Pub; entertainment by Four Comedians and a Mic.
8-10pm Kenosha Public Museum: Food and beverages by Captain Mike's Beer & Burger Bar; music by Matt Meyer


Exhibits, galleries, and gift shops will be open! Crazy games and prizes at each Museum! Park in the Kenosha Public Museum or Civil War Museum parking lots and take the streetcar to the Dinosaur Discovery Museum. Get a free ride back with your wristband anytime before 8pm. Tickets are limited to the first 150 people. For tickets, call the Museum at 262-653-4140. $25 FOM/$30 non-members. (Must be 21 years or older and present a photo I.D.)

Riding for the Union - The 8th Illinois Cavalry

Thursday, July 18, 2013; 5:30pm - Dinner; 7pm - Program

The Civil War Museum will host an evening dinner and program with esteemed Civil War historian Marshall Krolick. Krolick is America's foremost authority on the 8th Illinois Cavalry and an expert on the Battle of Gettysburg. He has a long affiliation with the Civil War Round Table of Chicago and was awarded the group's prestigious Nevins-Freeman Award for Civil War scholarship in 1990. He has authored numerous articles for Civil War publications and proudly serves as a volunteer at the Civil War Museum during his many summertime visits to Chicago.

Event #0920756306 / $35 ($30 FOM) Dinner and Program; $15 ($10 FOM) Program Only

An Evening with Marshall Krolick

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Celebrate the "Campaigns of '63" Exhibit Opening. Marshall Krolick is America's foremost authority on the 8th Illinois Cavalry and an expert on the Battle of Gettysburg. Krolick has a long affiliation with the Civil War Round Table of Chicago and was awarded the group's prestigious Nevins-Freeman Award for Civil War scholarship. He has authored numerous articles for Civil War publications and proudly serves as a volunteer at the Civil War Museum during his many summertime visits to Chicago.

 

6th Annual Great Lakes Civil War Forum - The 1863 Campaigns of Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Port Hudson

Saturday, September 14, 2013

The 6th Wisconsin at the Bloody Railroad Cut Lance Herdegen
Port Hudson: The Most Photographed Battlefield of the Civil War Dr. Lawrence Hewitt
The Hospital Ships of Vicksburg Betsy Estilow
1863: Children, Youth, and the Year of Big Battles Dr. James Marten

Registration will be 8:30am - 9:30am. The first lecture is at 9:45am, and the lecture portion of the forum will end at 3:30pm. A catered lunch is included.

Class # 0420355401 / Cost $60 ($50 FOM).

 

 

 

The Shiloh Campaign

In April 2012, esteemed Civil War historian Ed Bearss returned to the Civil War Museum with his encyclopedic knowledge of the Civil War and unique style to discuss the Shiloh campaign of April 1862. Here is a link to the program Bearss presented.