Richmond Civil War Museums join forces

[gwb123]

My brother the Civil War buff and tourist sent me this...

 

http://news.msn.com/pop-culture/2-civil-war-museums-in-va-team-up-for-new-center

 

Basically, the Museum of the Confederacy is going to share material and exhibits with the new American Civil War museum located at the historic Tredegar Ironworks, where cannons were forged for the South.

 

The opening paragraph pretty much sums it up about this odd pairing:

 

"One museum has among its vast Confederate-centric collection Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's sword and the flag that flew at Robert E. Lee's headquarters. The other museum strives to tell the story of the Civil War through the eyes of Northerners and Southerners, freed and enslaved blacks, soldiers and civilians."

 

Aside from the hype, it sounds like a sensible decision. We've discussed the troubles of the Museum of the Confederacy before here on the Forum:

 

"While the Civil War Sesquicentennial has drawn visitors to the museum, overall it has seen a sharp decline in attendance through the years as the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and related facilities have grown around it, enveloping both buildings. Finding the museum can be a challenge even for city residents."

 

"The James River location for the new attraction, a little more than 1 mile from Museum of the Confederacy, offers a more expansive and accessible site. It's also home to the National Park Service's Richmond Visitor Center, already is a popular destination for Civil War buffs. Concerts and other events also draw city-dwellers and tourists to the grassy grounds along the river."

 

Those who have followed this story are aware that the Museum of the Confederacy is also sharing exhibits with a new museum located near Appomattox Courthouse, which also draws a significant number of Civil War visitors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ScottG]

I visited the Appomattox site in April and I think the article is misleading in some aspects. The folks in Richmond and Appomattox said that the museum is dividing the collection among 4 locations. Obviously the two listed and the other that I recall was Norfolk/Virginia Beach. I thought they said Fredericksburg but perhaps it was Tredegar. In any event, the premise was that Richmond could only display 20% of the collection at any given time. So, the new buildings would do the same with Norfolk focusing primarily on the Confederate Navy. The remaining 20% was theoretically manageable and would then be rotated as special exhibits to keep things "fresh".

The new center in Appomattox was great and I highly recommend it. They were focusing on the unit colors when I was there and it was really awesome to actually see them up close and in person. So, hopefully the party line is true an they are merely expanding and not having troubles. Scott