Civil War Road Show to Be Installed at State Museum of PA After Tour Ends

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Exhibit components from the Civil War Road Show will be installed at The State Museum of Pennsylvania after its final tour ends in September, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) said today.

"Giving these components a home at The State Museum will allow a greater number of people to see and enjoy this important exhibit," said State Museum Director David Dunn. "They will enhance our existing Civil War-related displays, and we know our visitors will appreciate the opportunity to see and learn from them."

The Road Show was launched in April 2011 as part of Pennsylvania Civil War 150, a multi-year series of programming marking the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. To date, it has made 31 stops at fairs, festivals and special events and has received nearly 81,000 visitors.

Housing the exhibit at The State Museum will make it more accessible to visitors year-round, including the 40,000 school children who visit each spring. It will also allow for cross promotions with nearby Civil War-related attractions such as the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg and Gettysburg National Military Park in Adams County. The exhibit is expected to be on view through 2015.

Currently housed in a 53-foot expandable trailer, the Road Show's exhibits tell the compelling personal stories of the many different ways Pennsylvanians experienced the American Civil War—on both the homefront and the battlefield. Interactive features include stereoscopic photographs, original compositions of Civil War-era music and sound effects, hands-on objects and animated stories.

The Civil War Road Show was made possible, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The Road Show will complete its 2012 schedule which includes a visit to Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland, administered by the National Park Service, to help commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam. While there, the Road Show will join with Virginia's Civil War 150 HistoryMobile to provide visitors an interactive look into the impact of the Civil War on both states.

The Road Show's Sept. 28–30 visit to DelGrosso's Amusement Park in Tipton, Blair County, will be the public's final opportunity to tour the traveling version of the exhibit.

Pennsylvania Civil War 150 is the state's official program commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, being observed from 2011 to 2015.  The PA Civil War 150 Committee, convened by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) in partnership with the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation, Harrisburg, the Senator John Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, is a statewide alliance of history, heritage, arts and cultural organizations from throughout the state.  PA Civil War 150's mission is to leverage the considerable strengths of these institutions and bring quality programming to the commonwealth's commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. PA Civil War 150 includes a wide array of statewide initiatives, and facilitates numerous activities and events at the regional and local levels.

Find more information online at www.PACivilWar150.com.

Media contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639

SOURCE Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

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