CIVIL WAR MUSEUM
of Philadelphia

  • ">Opening Celebration of

     Opening May 9, 2019

  • ">Opening Celebration of
  • ">Opening Celebration of

    Opening remarks by Jeff Rosen, Mark Bender and Henry Louis Gates

  • ">Opening Celebration of

    Opening remarks by Jeff Rosen, Mark Bender and Henry Louis Gates

  • ">Opening Celebration of

    Civil War Museum of Philadelphia Board Members (L to R) Joseph Coleman (Secretary), James Giles (Vice Chair), Philip Price, Jr., Terry Gillen, Mark Bender (Chair), Jon Sirlin and Oliver Franklin (Chair Emeritus)

  • ">Opening Celebration of
  • ">Opening Celebration of

    slave shackles and mandolin made by a slave

  • ">Opening Celebration of
  • ">Opening Celebration of

    David Bowser's restored portrait of President Abraham Lincoln

  • ">Opening Celebration of

    General Meade's sword, scabbard, spurs and spectacles. General John Reynolds officer's sash

  • ">Opening Celebration of

     Surgeon's kit

  • ">Opening Celebration of
  • ">Opening Celebration of
  • ">Opening Celebration of

     (L to R) Jeff Rosen, Henry Louis Gates and Oliver Franklin

  • ">Opening Celebration of

     Professor Henry Louis Gates

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Chartered in 1888 by the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, the mission of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia is to interpret the struggle for freedom, equality, and national unity in the mid-19th century; tell the story of the Civil War from the perspectives of the individuals who shaped it; and inspire a renewed dedication to the Nation's founding principles today.

Living our Mission

Connecting the Past and Present

  • Saturday, 2 November 2024
  • Posted By: Satish Regunathan

 Connecting the Past and Present, Archives are for Everyone by Keeley Tulio, Founding Forward Archivist & Collections Coordinator, October 18, 2024

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CWMP in the News

  • Tuesday, 22 October 2024
  • Posted By: Satish Regunathan

Preservation & Progress - A publication of the Gettysburg Foundation

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CWMP Essay Contest deadline is extended

  • Monday, 21 October 2024
  • Posted By: Satish Regunathan

 We are pleased to announce that the CWMP Essay Contest deadline has been extended to 5 pm EST on Monday, February 17, 2025 (President's Day).

Additionally, eligibility has been expanded. All high school students as of the extended deadline date are now eligible to submit essays.

 The Essay Contest Winner and…

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Live from the National Constitution Center: Juneteenth and the Fight for Abolition

  • Tuesday, 18 June 2024
  • Posted By: Mark Bender

Celebrate Juneteenth

Live From the Museum: Juneteenth and the Fight for Abolition

Tuesday, June 18 | Noon ET

Run time: 40 minutes


Students are invited to prepare for Juneteenth in Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality, as one of our museum educators leads viewers through the exhibit. Learn…

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Lecture: “Let Love, not Hate Prevail” St. Joseph’s, Philadelphia, During the Civil War

  • Friday, 3 May 2024
  • Posted By: Mark Bender

 Philadelphia’s local Jesuit missions of the Civil War Era reveal a surprisingly pro-Union and pro-Lincoln milieu within the otherwise divided (if not pro-Confederate) Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. This presentation will focus on St. Joseph’s “College” and “Prep,” Old St. Joseph’s Church, St. Joseph’s Hospital, and the African American…

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Meet the Heroes of Slate Hill Cemetery - Bucks County PA by Paul Bradley

  • Friday, 3 May 2024
  • Posted By: Mark Bender
Paul F. Bradley, For the Herald

Thousands of Civil War veterans are buried in cemeteries near the well-known battlefields where they perished. Headstones typically identify the date of death, rank and unit affiliation. Many other unidentified soldiers were interred in mass graves. Battlefield preservation and research efforts continue to discover remains…

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A City Divided: The Civil War, Philadelphia, and the Union League

  • Monday, 6 March 2023
  • Posted By: Mark Bender

 A City Divided: The Civil War, Philadelphia, and the Union League is currently on display in The Sir John Templeton Heritage Center through June 2024. The Heritage Center is home to the Legacy Foundation; the space is a celebration of the rich history, heritage and traditions of The Union League of…

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Recent Conservation Work


 Items from the Collection

    • Lincoln portrait

    • This portrait of Abraham Lincoln, by David Bustill Bowser, will receive conservation treatment (funded by a Save America's Treasures grant)

    • The armed slave (Spang)

    • The Armed Slave, by William Spang, currently on loan to the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

    • 863851
    • 86203 4
    • 8633
    • 862420
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    • bullet struck pocket watch of sgt john o foering 86 20 3 1

    • Bullet-struck pocket watch of Sgt. John O. Foering, 28th Pennsylvania Infantry

    • bullet struck pocket watch of sgt john o foering 86 20 3 2

    • Bullet-struck pocket watch of Sgt. John O. Foering, 28th Pennsylvania Infantry

    • bullet struck pocket watch of sgt john o foering 86 20 3 3

    • Bullet-struck pocket watch of Sgt. John O. Foering, 28th Pennsylvania Infantry

    • bullet struck pocket watch of sgt john o foering 86 20 3 4

    • Bullet-struck pocket watch of Sgt. John O. Foering, 28th Pennsylvania Infantry

    • bullet struck pocket watch of sgt john o foering 86 20 3 5

    • Bullet-struck pocket watch of Sgt. John O. Foering, 28th Pennsylvania Infantry

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    • calfskin knapsack of pvt john s greer (86.12.44)

    • Calfskin knapsack of Pvt. John S. Greer, Co. C, 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters

    • calfskin knapsack of pvt john s greer (86.12.44.2)

    • Interior of calfskin knapsack of Pvt. John S. Greer, Co. C, 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters

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CIVIL WAR MUSEUM
of Philadelphia