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National Civil War Museum, Harrisburg, PA
MuseumsHistory BuffFamily Favorite

National Civil War Museum

1 Lincoln Cir · Harrisburg, PA

Why you should go…

The National Civil War Museum is a nonprofit institution in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's Reservoir Park dedicated solely to the American Civil War. Its collection includes more than 25,000 artifacts, manuscripts, documents and photographs, with roughly 850 three-dimensional objects on permanent display. Exhibits span two floors and 66,000 square feet, covering the causes of the war, its battles and its postwar legacy.

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  • #museum
  • #civil war
  • #artifacts
  • #family

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to National Civil War Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Pennsylvania Tourism Office

    Free

    Pennsylvania's state tourism office in Harrisburg, publisher of the official Visit PA travel guide and website.

    1.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Shopping
    Family Favorite

    Bass Pro Shops

    Free

    A 200,000-square-foot outdoor store with a 60,000-gallon aquarium of Pennsylvania fish and an indoor trout stream.

    2.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Shopping
    Local Gem

    Antique Marketplace of Lemoyne

    Free

    Pennsylvania's largest antique mall, with hundreds of dealers inside a historic 1913 bakery building.

    2.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Museums
    History Buff

    AACA Museum

    Under $25

    Three floors of historic cars, buses, and motorcycles near Hersheypark.

    8.9 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    The Hershey Story

    Under $25

    A museum on Chocolate Avenue telling Milton Hershey's life story, with a hands-on Chocolate Lab where you make your own bar.

    10 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    LancasterHistory

    Under $25

    Lancaster County's history museum and the historic Wheatland estate of President James Buchanan.

    32 mi awayMore like this