Civil War Weekend

    

This past weekend, we had the wonderful opportunity to attend a Civil War Days Weekend at a railroad museum. This was our first experience of this kind and we really didn't know what to expect. When we arrived at the museum, it was as if we had stepped back in time!There was a Civil War camp set up in the field. Dozens upon dozens of people dressed as soldiers, wealthy businessmen, wives, etc... greeted us and proceeded to converse with our children as if they were living during the Civil War. At first, the kids didn't know what to say or how to respond. But after a while, they became more comfortable and played along too!

After touring the camp, we boarded the Union train along with many of the Civil War characters and went on a journey to take payroll safely to its destination. The excitement built as we tried to figure out which passengers were the spies for the Confederacy. Our oldest daughter especially enjoyed this part of the trip and was able to figure out who most of the spies were.

Suddenly, the train came to a stop and a battle enfolded that was like something right out of an old movie! It was very realistic. Our son was completely impressed by it and decided he wanted to be Civil War soldier when he grows up (too cute!).

We were very impressed by the knowledge of all the people playing the parts during the reenactment. They knew everything about the Civil War and were able to explain it to our children in a way that made it so interesting. While on the train, various Civil War passengers would come by and talk to us about their attire or their weapons.

This was definitely a field trip well worth the drive. Our kids were so excited about what they saw and they were able to experience a part of history in a "hands-on" way that they will remember for a long time!