Civil War Museum
Workshops

In-Person Workshops

He Had No Army

He Had No Army: The Hornets Nest At Shiloh

Saturday, January 18 | 1pm – 2:30pm | Instructor: Tom Arliskas | $12 ($15 for non-members) | Register Here

Author Tom Arliskas’ workshop will consider how the Federal Army was able to hold the position of the infamous Hornet’s Nest at the center of the Union lines for 6 hours during the first day of the Battle of Shiloh while the rest of the Union Forces fell back to the Tennessee Riverbank. Arliskas will use the words of those who were there that day–Generals Benjamin Prentiss, W.H.L. Wallace, and Steven A. Hurlbut, their Brigade Commanders and their Colonels–to tell what happened. Were the Confederate forces untrained and poorly armed as described by their commanding General Albert Sidney Johnston? Was it the fighting spirit of the Western Soldier or was it Rifles vs. Smoothbores and Artillery that ruled the day?

Genealogy

Finding Your Ancestry through Genealogy

Sunday, January 19 | 1pm – 2pm | Instructor: Jean Hoffman | $20 ($25 for non-members) | Register Here

If you wonder if you have a Civil War Ancestor, or if you’re trying to find their military records, this workshop is for you. The instructor has 5 “Yanks” and 2 “Rebs” in her family tree! Find out about U.S. pension files, state records, military rosters, battlefield markers, and other sources of information that help you “follow in the footsteps” of your Civil War ancestor. Bring any information you have to the workshop.

Food Preservation

Saturday, February 8 | 12pm – 2pm | Instructor: Emily Martinsen | $16 ($20 for non-members) | Register Here

Food preservation has gone from an essential practice to a fun hobby. Join Civil War Museum Educator Emily Martinsen for a family-friendly, hands-on workshop about the history of food preservation. Try your hand at making butter and “quick pickles” and take home historic and modern recipes and even some samples for later.

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 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.

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 | 6:30pm-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.