Civil War Navy Day 2013 Schedule of Events Announced

In honor of Dr. James McPherson's lecture on his new book, War on the Waters: The Union & Confederate Navies, 1861-1865, staff at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum have prepared a day of tours and activities about the Civil War Navy on September 17th, 2013.  Here is a tentative list of the scheduled events:

(VA Civil War 150)

VA Civil War HistoryMobile
Visit the VA Civil War History Mobile outside of Nauticus/Hampton Roads Naval Museum.  The History Mobile will be open the following times the week of the event:

• Monday, September 16th: 12:00pm - 6:00pm
• Tuesday, September 17th (Civil War Navy Day): 10:00am - 6:00pm 
• Wednesday, September 18th: 10:00am - 5:00pm 

(Fredericksburg News)

There are a variety of educational displays and activities inside the HistoryMobile.  They include: a display first-person views on the war (Home Interrupted), the experience of slavery in VA (Journey to Freedom), a film on Virginia's decision to secede (The Whirlwind), and a retrospective look at the aftermath of war in Virginia (Loss-Gain-Legacy).

For more information on the VA Civil War HistoryMobile, please go to their website HERE.

Guided Tours of the Civil War Gallery

HRNM Staff will offer several interactive and in-depth tours of the HRNM Civil War gallery.  Tours will be 45 minutes in length and discuss the role that Hampton Roads played in the overall operations of the Union and Confederate navies throughout the war.

Stay tuned for times and information about the Civil War gallery tours.  

LEGO Shipbuilding: USS Monitor and CSS Virginia

This activity stems from one of the most popular programs and events we have done at the museum: Brick by Brick: LEGO Shipbuilding.  This will be a great activity for both kids and adults.  Test your building skills and recreate the famed ships that fought in Hampton Roads using our own LEGO bricks and instructions.

For more information on our LEGO Shipbuilding program, please go HERE or watch a LEGO building demo (including the USS Monitor on our Youtube site. 

Civil War Weapons Display 

Former docent and friend of HRNM, Larry Floyd, will have a display on naval weaponry/firearms in the museum gallery.  Larry is a well-established firearms expert in the area.  Larry recently gave a presentation on naval firearms at the Hampton Roads Civil War Roundtable in Chesapeake, VA.  

Civil War Navy Trivia Contest 

This activity will be available at the Front Desk of the Naval Museum throughout the week of the event.  Spend a few minutes and answer some easy (and not so easy) questions about the Civil War navies.  Come in and see how many you can get!

The winner of the contest will receive a complimentary copy of the "Civil War at Sea" DVD.  

"Civil War at Sea" Screening

We will be screening the "Civil War at Sea" film throughout the day of the 17th.  According to its description, the video "highlights the U.S. Navy's vital, yet often overlooked, contributions to the preservation of the Union and the End of slavery."  All five sections of the presentation (Naval leaders, naval technology, strategy, African Americans, Civil War sailor) will be screened throughout the day.

The film, made by R.H. Rositzke & Associations, was written by Mark Huffman and advised by staff of HRNM/Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial.  The DVD is sponsored by the Surface Navy Association on the occasion of the Civil War Sesquicentennial.  

View the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial Exhibit Display 

CWN 150 Display at Drewry's Bluff 150th Anniversary

The Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial display will be available for viewing throughout the day and evening of the McPherson event (17th).  The display is an expansive narrative of the entire Civil War navies.  The display discusses everything from the Atlantic blockade to the operations on the Mississippi River.

The display is also well traveled.  It visited several places over the last two years, including the SNA Conference in Washington, D.C., the Drewry's Bluff 150th Commemoration, and the Hampton Roads Civil War Roundtable.  This will be the first time it is displayed at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.  Snap a photo in front of it to soak up all the Civil War naval goodness!  

Civil War Special Edition Daybooks and "Blacks in Blue Jackets" available

Lastly, we will have copies of our Civil War Special Edition Daybooks for you to take.  These copies will be FREE to the public on a first come, first serve basis.  The Daybook is the official publication of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.

Make sure to pick up your copy of the latest Civil War Special Edition of the Daybook, "Sea Stories," on the 17th.  The Daybook is usually a benefit for members of the Hampton Roads Historical Foundation, so don't pass up on this awesome opportunity on good reading!


Should you have any questions, please contact Matthew Eng, CWN 150 Coordinator, at matthew.t.eng@navy.mil or call (757)322-3168.  You can also follow the hashtags #HRNMCW,  #HRNM, #CWN150 on Twitter.  

For more information on the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial, please visit the blog HERE. 

Stay tuned for more information.