An indoor Civil War Encampment at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum will bring the past to life for visitors. Civil War re-enactors from the 140th New York Volunteer Infantry and the 21st Georgia Volunteer Infantry will set up camp at the museum, where visitors can talk with them, ask questions about the life of the soldiers and Civil War history, and watch the troops practice drills and fire their muskets.
Tintype photography by Mark Richards will be available for purchase during the encampment. Visitors can pose in their own Civil War costume or choose from a variety of the museum’s Civil War costumes and props, then pick up their tintype after touring the museum.
The encampment kicks off the museum’s 2011 Civil War Exhibit, which runs from Saturday, March 5, through Monday, Sept. 5. “Heroes to the Hilt” will feature sabers and swords used in battle, as well as the soldiers who carried them. Two local Civil War heroes, U.S. Army Brigadier General William Woods Averell from Cameron, Steuben County, and Confederate States Army Brigadier General Walter Husted Stevens from Penn Yan, Yates County, will be highlighted in the exhibit. Works by local artists Ted Williams and Ron Tunison will be displayed. A newly acquired 3-inch ordnance cannon will also be unveiled.
According to Executive Director Trafford Doherty, “The Civil War Exhibit is always one of our most popular events. In honor of the 150th anniversary of the war, we have planned our biggest exhibit ever. Anyone interested in the Civil War or local history will enjoy and learn from the displays.”
Admission to the Civil War exhibit is included in the regular museum admission of $7.50 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4.50 for students ages 7 to 18 and $20 for families. Children ages 6 and under are admitted free. The museum, which is located at 8419 State Rt. 54 in Hammondsport, is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm and every Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm.
The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, which is located in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State, celebrates the life and accomplishments of Glenn Curtiss, who is remembered as the father of naval aviation and the founder of the American aircraft industry. The museum is home to a collection relating to early aviation, bicycle and motorcycle transportation and local history.
For more information: GlennHCurtissMuseum.org
