PA Historical and Museum Commission Announces 2012 Civil War Road Show Schedule

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Visitors to fairs and festivals throughout Pennsylvania—as well as the historic Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland—can experience the Civil War Road Show, featuring interactive exhibits and special programming marking the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War.

The Road Show kicks off its 2012 tour on June 30, at the Kutztown Folk Festival in Berks County and concludes at DelGrosso's Amusement Park in Tipton, Blair County on Sept. 30.

Installed in a 53-foot expandable trailer, the Road Show tells the compelling personal stories of the many different ways Pennsylvanians experienced the American Civil War—on both the home front and on the battlefield. Interactive features include stereoscopic photographs, original compositions of Civil War-era music and sound effects, hands-on objects, and animated stories.

The Road Show encourages residents to share their own stories and artifacts, by participating in the "Share Your Story" booth that accompanies the exhibit. The booth allows visitors to add an oral history to the exhibit, which in turn will be available online at www.PACivilWar150.com.

Additionally, visitors will be invited to take a self-portrait at the Road Show in the style of a Civil War-era photograph that can be uploaded and incorporated into a customizable digital scrapbook.

A highlight of the 14-week tour will be the Road Show's September visit to Antietam National Battlefield, administered by the National Park Service, to help commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam. While there, the Road Show will join up with Virginia's Civil War 150 HistoryMobile to provide visitors an interactive look into the impact of the Civil War on both states.

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 Society (PHS), 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 regional and local levels.

Find more information online at www.PaCivilWar150.com.

Editor's Note: The following is a list of Road Show venues and dates for the exhibition. Schedule subject to change.

Civil War Road Show 2012 Schedule

6/30-7/8 -- Kutztown Folk Festival, Kutztown, Berks County

7/20-7/22 -- Capitol Complex/State Museum of PA, Harrisburg, Dauphin County

7/30-8/4 -- Schuylkill County Fair, Summit Station, Schuylkill County

8/12-8/18 -- Fulton County Fair, McConnellsburg, Fulton County

8/21-8/25 -- Perry County Fair, Newport, Perry County

8/28-9/3 -- Great Allentown Fair, Allentown, Lehigh County

9/7-9/9 -- Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, Northampton County

9/14-9/17 -- Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland

9/21-9/23 -- Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Adams County

9/28-9/30 -- DelGrosso's Amusement Park, Tipton, Blair County

Media contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639

SOURCE Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission