Battlefield Military Museum: a review

As you are leaving Gettysburg on the Baltimore Pike, just as you pass  Evergreen Cemetery, you will encounter on your left an imposing brick structure with the sign Battlefield Military Museum.  Frequent visitors to Gettysburg may have driven past it many times without giving it a thought;  next trip, however, its definitely worth stopping by for a visit.

Let me say just a couple of things before we get started; the first is that as I was shooting through glass most of these photos don't do justice to the objects in the cases; the other thing worth mentioning is that I was a museum curator for a dozen years at a very large midwestern museum, and although I'm not a snob I am aware of "best practices" in the museum industry.  So let's get started.

The Museum has three floors, two of which are open to the public.  The lower (below ground) level is dedicated to collections spanning the World Wars and will be profiled over in my helmet blog.  The focus of the first floor is the American Civil War and the post-Civil War era.  

The museum is idiosyncratic and very much reflective of the collecting tastes of its owner and proprietor.  With over ten thousand objects on display this museum truly is "one man's vision" and is obviously a labor of love that has taken many, many years to bring to fruition.

The galleries are shotgun-style with exhibit cases lining the walls with additional casework down the middle of the wide aisle.  Museum conservators be warned; the galleries have much too much light for museum standards, but it certainly does make it easy for visitor to drink in the wealth of materials before them.  As a matter of fact there is little about this museum that will meet with the approval of a museum conservator; visitors, on the other hand...

find themselves engrossed.

Upon entering the main gallery one is immediately struck by the richness of the collection, the wealth of original objects, many with distinguished provenance.

Like, for instance...

Custer's boots.

Although the Civil War is the focus of this gallery...

there are many choice post-war artifacts as well, including...

 this gorgeous quartet of 1881 helmets; from left to right 7th Cavalry, Artillery, Indian Scouts, and 1st Infantry. (yes I know, the helmet on the far left isn't an 1881, its an earlier incarnation from the 70's)

Much of the signage and labels are very professionally done, though many others are hand lettered, and some are pretty old-school...

and frequently stuck directly onto the artifact - ouch!

There is also a nice representation of veteran and GAR materials, including...

uniform items and...

commemorative medals and ribbons.

Note that some of the mannequins are right out of GQ magazine (killer cheekbones).

I was really surprised by the wealth of Confederate items on display including this hat in a remarkable state of preservation...

Several rebel uniforms are on display... 

including this really cool battle shirt.

The firearms collection is representative rather than comprehensive.

On display is this remarkable set of crutches with the initials and unit of the owner 

carved into the wood.

Despite its conservational shortcomings, the museum is a gem and I'd highly recommend you take it in on your next visit to Gettysburg.

From just north of Boonsboro (and on a two-week vacation),

Ranger Mannie

Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum review

Perhaps the most iconic structure of Gettysburg is that of the Lutheran Theological Seminary, the cupola of which is part of the American mythos as the place from which John Buford sized up his situation on the afternoon prior to the Battle of Gettysburg.  It is a beautiful building and has only recently, and just in time for the sesquicentennial, opened to the public as a museum interpreting the building's role in the battle, the aftermath, emancipation, and spiritual life during the Civil War era.  It does an exceptional job of telling those stories

Save for the clutter of the parking lot the building appears much as it did during the battle.

In contrast to the structure the signage is modern though effective.

Upon entering the building, one pays admission (more later), gets oriented by very pleasant visitor use assistants, and takes the elevator to the fourth floor where the visit begins.

The former common areas of this building provide open space, visitor seating, and well-done interpretive videos.

The common area of each floor branches off into separate galleries tied together by the central hallway.

The fourth floor concerns itself with the battle, and that is examined through a modest, though very fine, collection of artifacts as well as effective murals throughout the museum.

Admission to the museum is $9.00 Which seems steep considering that the Gettysburg Foundation/National Park admission for the visitor centere museum is$12.50 which includes the museum, the film, and the cyclorama.

If you wish to climb the steps to the cupola however...

It will cost you a whopping twenty dollars extra!

Neither my trick knee or pocket book was up to the challenge.

A visitor looking off into the distance for that double saw-buck that just sailed away.

Ouch!

The third floor of the Museum interprets the Seminary building as a Civil War hospital, serving the wounded immediately after the battle, and this it does particularly well.

The vignettes are quite compelling with excellent recorded interpretation provided 

at the push of a button.

The mannequins are particularly convincing and well-sculpted

In a somewhat misguided effort to, I assume, spare children the historical images of the battlefield dead, these hopper-like enclosures surround the monitors displaying period photographs of the dead and maimed, however...

for people in wheelchairs, or the more diminutive visitor (note tip-toes) the experience was significantly diminished or even unavailable.

And oddly, children are not shielded from graphic vignettes of mangled limbs being sawed off.  That must have been an interesting exhibit planning meeting.

The level of detail in the vignettes is superb...

right down to the details of bloody fingerprints on the door jamb.

On the second floor are interpretive moments focusing on faith and social justice...

including the role of African-Americans in the war...

as well as significant religious movements of the era.

Both are done particularly well.

The "hands on" experiences include "lift the rifle" and "lift the pack", or in this instance,

 lift the hat.

There's also lift the bucket of clear resin, which seems considerably heavier than a bucket of water.  As "hands on" experiences these left much to be desired.

One of the coolest things about making this venerable old building accessible to the public is to be able to soak in some of the details of the building including...

niches,

newel posts,

hearth grates,

and an elegant entryway;  all very beautiful.

There was one interactive which I found particularly satisfying and meaningful, it allowed visitors, using provided pencils and post-it notes, to articulate their hopes for a more perfect Union.

World peace and same-sex marriage were the dominant themes...

with equally worthy wishes as well.

As far as visitor amenities there is an elevator, spacious and clean bathrooms, and, as all modern museums do, the last stop is...

the gift shop.

I think this museum is a new, and very well done, addition to the overall experience for the Gettysburg visitor.  I enthusiastically recommend it for your next trip to the Keystone state.

From just north of Boonsboro,

Mannie