Civil War Museum of Philadelphia, History museum in Center City, Philadelphia, United States.
The Civil War Museum of Philadelphia is a history museum in Center City, Philadelphia, holding around 3,000 objects from the American Civil War. The collection covers military uniforms, weapons, photographs, and personal belongings of Union soldiers.
The museum was founded in 1888 by veteran officers from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, making it the oldest chartered Civil War museum in America. It was created to record the experiences of soldiers who had lived through the conflict firsthand.
The collection includes military escutcheons and a cast of Abraham Lincoln's hands, two objects that draw many visitors on their own. These pieces reflect how Philadelphia saw itself as central to the Union cause during the war years.
The physical museum closed in 2008, but books and archival materials can still be accessed through the Heritage Center of the Union League of Philadelphia. It is worth contacting them in advance to confirm what is available and when the archives are open.
The museum once displayed the mounted head of Old Baldy, the horse of General George G. Meade, which survived several major battles alongside him. This rare exhibit pointed to how closely bonded soldiers were with the animals they relied on in combat.
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