Fort Worth thankfully has many museums to chose from whenever you’re in the mood for a little adventure. If you are interested in history, the National Cowgirl Museum or Fort Worth Museum of Science and history never disappoints. But if you are looking for something a little different then you might enjoy the Texas Civil War Museum. Unlike the other history museums here, this one focuses on the Union and Confederate artifacts from the Civil War.
The exhibits are expansive and show the upmost respect for the soldiers and their families on both sides. The massive collection includes, General Grant’s coat, worn during the surrender at Appomattox, Presentation Sword of General U.S. Grant, The Sheridan Exhibit, Personal belongings of Jeb Stuart, confederate 6 Pound Smoothbore Cannon, Confederate States Safe, and even Scarlett O’Hara’s Hat from Gone with the Wind. The building itself is almost an optical illusion because from the front you may not be obvious how large it is. The museum is home to over 10,000 items and artifacts, each more fascinating then the next.
The Judy Richey Victorian Dress Collection: Dress belonging to a Kentucky women
The self-guided tour allows guests to compare weapons, medical equipment, and supplies from the confederate and union armies. The stark difference between medical equitant alone gives visitators a troubling insight of the harsh condition’s soldiers suffered. But it is not all doom and gloom. The Judy Richey Victorian Dress Collection takes us back to a time when fashion wasn’t a quick stitch but a beautiful art and show of character through exquisite fabrics, buttons, and accessories. Even more amazing was the stories and artifacts from individual soldiers, letting their personalities shine through the gruesome reality of the civil war. It can be easy to forget that these were real people with families, friends, careers, and not just characters from our school history books.
The Texas Civil War Museum is worth visiting and is only $7.00 for adults $4.00 for kids. The gift shop also offers a huge selection of books about the civil war at great prices. Museums so specially curated like this are important to our future generations and always deserve the community’s support