Show the Kids How Christmas Used To Be
Get in the holiday spirit and learn how Christmas was observed during the Civil War at Fort Ward Museum’s annual Civil War Christmas in Camp program on Saturday, December 9, from 12-4 p.m. This popular family-oriented event features a patriotic Civil War Santa Claus, reenactors in winter camp settings, period decorations, fort tours, and kids activities. The suggested donation is $2 per person, and $5 for families.
The program features a Civil War-era Union Santa Claus, based on an 1863 cover of Harper’s Weekly by artist Thomas Nast, who will interact with the public, present readings of “The Night Before Christmas,” and visit soldiers in camp. The Museum will be decorated with festive greenery and a Victorian parlor tree. The reconstructed Officers’ Hut is the setting for soldiers opening Christmas boxes from home and holiday decorations in camp. Reenactors will interpret army life in winter camps, and soldier-led tours of the historic fort will be conducted. Youngsters can also make a Christmas card or ornament. A variety of Civil War books and “stocking stuffers” are available in the Museum shop.
Fort Ward is the best preserved fortification in the Defenses of Washington, an extensive system of Union forts that protected the Federal capital during the Civil War. The Museum offers exhibits and public programs throughout the year. Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site is located at 4301 West Braddock Road in Alexandria. For more information about this program, please call the Museum at 703.746.4848, or visit www.fortward.org.
