The Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History is celebrating its 10th birthday with an evening of family-friendly activities aimed at offering visitors a unique look at the museum and its exhibits.
The inaugural Museum Night: Trains, Planes and Cars, scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, will feature an evening of family- and history-centered activities in addition to providing visitors an up-close look at museum artifacts. The museum will be closing at 3 p.m. on March 23.
During the event, guests will have the rare opportunity to climb aboard the General locomotive made famous during the Civil War’s Great Locomotive Chase. Visitors can also explore the entire museum, see vintage automobiles, participate in interactive games and handle select artifacts – under curatorial supervision – normally off limits to museum attendees.
“Guests who attend Museum Night will see the museum’s exhibits and artifacts in an entirely new light,” said Dr. Richard Banz, the museum’s executive director. “This event will be enjoyable for not only history buffs, but for families who are looking for fun, unique and educational events to enjoy together.”
Additional activities during Museum Night include slot cars, an airplane competition and a railroad camp. The museum will also have an operating model railroad layout and a pair of antique vehicles on display – a 1940 Packard and a 1955 Chevrolet.
Admission for Museum Night is $10 for adult museum members, $15 for adult non-members and $7 for children between the ages of 4 and 12. Museum members can purchase a family pack of tickets (for two adults and up to four children) for $25; the family pack is $35 for non-members.
Museum Night is the first of two new events to be unveiled in 2013. The other – Railroad Rendezvous – is scheduled for July.
The Southern Museum, located at 2829 Cherokee Street in downtown Kennesaw (exit 273 on Interstate 75), opened on March 30, 2003, following a $6 million expansion to the Kennesaw Civil War Museum, where the General resided since April 12, 1972.
To purchase tickets, contact the museum’s director of operations at (770) 427-2117 and for additional details about Museum Night, contact the Kennesaw Museum Foundation at 770-427-2117 ext. 3174.
For more information, visit southernmuseum.org or follow the museum at facebook.com/southernmuseum.
