Civil War Museum
Workshops
In-Person Workshops
Civil War Museum Media Club
Civil War Museum Media Club: The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson
Tuesday, February 25 | 6:30pm – 7:30pm | Instructor: Doug Dammann | $8 ($10 for non-members) | Register Here
Master storyteller Erik Larson offers a gripping account of the chaotic months between Lincoln’s election and the Confederacy’s shelling of Sumter – a period marked by tragic errors and miscommunications, inflamed egos and craven ambitions, personal tragedies and betrayals. Lincoln himself wrote that the trials of these five months were “so great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them.”
Wisconsin Walks Into a Bar
Wisconsin Walks Into a Bar
Friday, March 7 | 6:00pm – 7:00pm | $16 ($20 for non-members) | Instructor: Dr. Karl Brown | 21+ only | Register Here
Wisconsin and beer go way back. In this talk, we’ll focus on Wisconsin’s role in three key episodes in brewing history – the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, Prohibition, and the rise of the craft brewing industry today – as we discuss what it means to “Drink Wisconsinbly”. Program includes one drink ticket to enjoy during the program.
Wisconsin Walks Into a Bar
Beginning Genealogy
Sunday, April 6 | 1:30pm – 3:30pm | $20 ($25 for non-members) | Instructor: Jean Hoffmann | Register Here
At this workshop, attendees will learn the basics of family history research. What’s the difference between genealogy, ancestry, and lineage? What does first cousin once removed mean? We’ll discuss the answers to these and other questions, as well as how to prepare to visit an archive, choosing a genealogy computer program, and downloading your genealogy on the Web. Handouts will include a family group sheet and research aids developed by the instructor.
Civil War Engineers
The Role of Civil War Engineers
Saturday, May 31 | 1:00pm – 2:30pm | $20 ($25 for non-members) | Instructor: Brian Conroy | Register Here
Engineers were a vital part of the military during the Civil War, helping to move the army and repair infrastructure vital to the war effort. This workshop class will discuss the roles that engineers played, the equipment that they possessed, the tools that would have been used, what they would have built, and a small project at the end to illustrate what a Civil War engineer’s role was.
The Civil War Museum After Dark Tours
The Civil War Museum After Dark: Wide Awakes
Wednesday, October 30 | 7:00pm – 8:00pm | Presenter: Doug Dammann | $16 ($20 for non-members) | Register Here
Who were the Wide Awakes and why did they participate in nighttime torch-lit parades wearing special costumes? Why did the wounds of some soldiers glow after the Battle of Shiloh? Did Mary Todd Lincoln attend seances at the White House?
Curator Doug Dammann will lead a lantern-lit tour of the Civil War Museum’s Fiery Trial gallery that explores these and other strange and odd stories of the Civil War.
Walking Tour of the Grounds of the Milwaukee Soldier’s Home
Saturday, May 6 | 10:00am – 12:00pm | $12 ($15 non-members) Register Here
Participants must provide their own transportation to the site.
The Civil War Museum, in collaboration with volunteers from the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance, is excited to offer a walking tour of the buildings and grounds of the newly rehabbed Milwaukee Soldiers Home. Highlights of the tour include the interior of Old Main and the building’s history exhibit as well as exterior stops at the Home’s historic Theater, Church, Library, and Cemetery. Our guides will also concentrate on the personal stories of the Civil War veterans who made the Soldier’s Home their home after the war.
The group will meet at the grounds at 10am to begin the walking tour. Parking is available.
A portion of the proceeds from the tour will be donated to the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance.
Virtual Workshops
Hayes and Garfield: The War Years
Tuesday, February 4 | 6:00pm-7:30pm | Presenters: Joshua Dubbert and C.W. Goodyear | $12 ($15 non-members) | Register Here
Join the Civil War Museum online for an in-depth discussion led by Joshua Dubbert and C.W. Goodyear about Rutherford B. Hayes and James A. Garfield and their lives during the Civil War Years.
Joshua Dubbert is the Historian at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums. His research focuses on Victorian America, particularly its culture, art, architecture, and the era’s presidents. He enjoys giving public programs and tours of the Hayes Home, and sharing the fascinating history of Hayes, his presidency, his family, and his era, with the public.
C.W. Goodyear is an author and historian based in Washington, D.C. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and grew up abroad before graduating from Yale University. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, and his latest book, President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier, is a critically acclaimed biography of America’s 20th president.
Six of the eight presidents to serve after the Civil War fought in the war itself, including Rutherford B. Hayes and James A. Garfield. The two men had many other things in common—both were Ohioans, Republicans, and U.S. Congressmen. Their mettle was tested in battle and their politics were shaped by their leadership roles during the great conflict. This program examines Hayes and Garfield’s individual war experiences, presented by Joshua Dubbert, historian at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, and C.W. Goodyear, author of the recent acclaimed biography President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier.
Participants will be sent a link the day-of to access this live virtual workshop at their home computers.
Cancellations and Refunds
A full refund will be issued if the Kenosha Public Museum, Dinosaur Discovery Museum, or Civil War Museum cancels a workshop or camp.
All refunds requested within 72 hours of the program are subject to a $10 processing fee.
No refunds are offered on or after the day a workshop or camp begins.
Class cancellations can happen if enrollment minimums are not met two days prior to the event. You will be contacted via phone or email if your event is canceled.
If unforeseen circumstances (i.e. weather, power outages, instructor illness) occur within 72 hours of the workshop or camp and the program must be canceled, the museum will do its best to reschedule or provide a voucher to take a program of a similar or same cost.
