CSS Neuse Civil War Museum to hold second annual “Sailors in the Summer: Ironclads and Naval Living History” program
Photo Courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The CSS Neuse Civil War Museum will hold its second annual “Sailors in the Summer: Ironclads and Naval Living History” program Aug. 9.
Experience history firsthand at the CSS Neuse Civil War Museum during the second annual “Sailors in the Summer: Ironclads and Naval Living History” program. The event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 9, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and will showcase the lives of sailors during the Civil War. The CSS Neuse Museum is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The event will showcase a variety of naval-themed exhibits and hands-on activities that bring history to life. Visitors are invited to try their hand at rope-making, learn about ironclad ships and blockade running, build a coastal fort with kinetic sand, and examine real artifacts from the site’s collection. Plus, there's a fun scavenger hunt designed especially for families to enjoy together.
This event will feature naval living history reenactors, CSS Neuse Museum staff, and dedicated volunteers, who will share knowledge about sailors' lives during the war, the weapons they used, the food they ate, the games they played, and more.
A board member from The Friends of the Hunley will be onsite to discuss the history, construction, and conservation efforts to preserve the H.L. Hunley submarine.
The CSS Neuse Museum presents this event as a Blue Star Museums initiative, which offers free admission to active-duty military personnel, and their families this summer through Labor Day.
About the CSS Neuse Civil War Museum
The CSS Neuse is the only remaining commissioned Confederate ironclad above water. It was part of a new technology that the Confederacy used to combat the superior manpower and firepower of the Union Navy. The Confederate Navy launched the Neuse to gain control of the lower Neuse River and New Bern, but ultimately destroyed the vessel to keep it out of Union hands.
The CSS Neuse Museum is located at 100 N. Queen St., Kinston, N.C., and open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: $5/Adult: 13-64 years old, $4/Senior: 65 years old, $3/Child: 6-12 years old, and ages 5 and under are free. As a Blue Star Museum program member, all active-duty military personnel with an ID and their families of up to five members get free admission.
About Blue Star Museums
Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense, and participating museums across America. A list of participating museums is available online at www.arts.gov/initiatives/blue-star-museums.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
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