HARRISBURG – Visitors to the 2012 Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg can experience the Civil War Road Show, featuring interactive exhibits and special programming marking the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. The commemoration began in 2011 and will continue through 2015.
Installed in a 53-foot expandable trailer, the Road Show tells the compelling personal stories of the many different ways Pennsylvanians experienced the American Civil War—on both the home front and the battlefield. Interactive features include stereoscopic photographs, original compositions of Civil War-era music and sound effects, hands-on objects, and animated stories.
Visitors will be invited to take a self-portrait at the Road Show in the style of a Civil War-era photograph that can be uploaded and incorporated into a customizable digital scrapbook.
Throughout the four-year anniversary, the Road Show will travel to all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. The Road Show will be at the Farm Show Complex from Jan. 7-14. Hours of operation are: Jan. 7, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 8, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 9-13, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Jan. 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the Road Show is free.
The Road Show is also unearthing Civil War stories and artifacts through a “Share Your Story” recording booth. Visitors to the Road Show are invited to share their own Civil War-era photographs, artifacts and stories through “Share Your Story.”
Pennsylvania Civil War 150 is the state’s official program commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, being observed from 2011 to 2015. The PA Civil War 150 Committee, convened by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) in partnership with the Pennsylvania Heritage Society (PHS), the Senator John Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, is a statewide alliance of history, heritage, arts and cultural organizations from throughout the state. PA Civil War 150’s mission is to leverage the considerable strengths of these institutions and bring quality programming to the state’s commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. PA Civil War 150 includes a wide array of statewide initiatives, and facilitates numerous activities and events at the regional and local levels.
Find more information online at www.PaCivilWar150.com.
About the Pennsylvania Farm Show
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the largest indoor agricultural event in the nation, featuring nearly 6,000 animals, 10,000 competitive exhibits and 290 commercial exhibitors. The eight-day show is Jan. 7-14, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg. Admission is free and parking is $10. For more information, visit www.farmshow.state.pa.us.
