Drum Barracks, Military memorial site in Wilmington, Los Angeles, United States.
Drum Barracks is a former Union Army post in Wilmington, Los Angeles, whose surviving junior officers' quarters now houses the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum. The original 19-building compound on 60 acres is gone; the powder magazine stands three blocks away on private property behind a chain-link fence.
Construction of Drum Barracks began in 1862 on 60 acres donated by Phineas Banning and Benjamin Wilson, and cost about $1 million. It became the Union Army headquarters for Southern California and New Mexico, and in 1862 some 2,350 soldiers of the California Column marched from the post to fight at Picacho Pass, the westernmost battle of the Civil War. Deactivated in 1870, the site was auctioned in 1873, when Banning bought five buildings for $2,917.
The museum presents educational programs about military life, regional defense strategies, and the social dynamics of Civil War-era California.
The museum occupies the surviving junior officers' quarters; the powder magazine is on private property three blocks away, behind a chain-link fence, and is not part of the visit. Tours are arranged by phone or online, and a museum store sells Civil War items. The building is a historic structure, so expect stairs and tight spaces.
The site has gained attention for reported ghost sightings of Civil War soldiers, with visitors and staff describing encounters over the years. These accounts have caught the notice of television programs focused on paranormal phenomena, adding to its reputation as a place with unusual stories.
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