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Museum Tour & Exhibits Museum TourFort Ward Museum, erected in the 1960s, was patterned after wooden, board and batten style military structures built in the camps and forts around Washington during the Civil War. Note the white, curved trim on the two-story building called gingerbread, a popular feature used on Victorian houses during the 1800s. Inside the Museum you will see many original Civil War period objects which curators and other staff care for, conserve and display. Among the objects on view are uniforms, diaries and letters belonging to Union soldiers, weapons and military equipment, surgeons' tools, musical instruments, and photographs. These authentic objects and images are displayed in thematic exhibits on topics such as medical care, the artillery, and the common soldier. When in the Museum, be sure to stop at the three-dimensional model of Fort Ward to see a small scale version of how the site looked during the Civil War. Also see the large map which outlines the extensive ring of forts comprising the Defenses of Washington, called "Mr. Lincoln's Forts." An orientation video provides an excellent overview of the history of Fort Ward, the best preserved of all the Civil War forts around Washington, and the wartime defense of the Union capital. Historic site and exhibit brochures are available at the Museum. The Museum shop offers books, postcards and reproduction items for sale. Exhibits Visitors to Fort Ward can view continuing and changing exhibits in the Museum, a reconstructed Officers' Hut with period furnishings, and the restored and reconstructed historic fort. Tour the Museum first to obtain background information on the Defenses of Washington and Fort Ward, and then take the self-guided tour of the historic site. View some Collection Highlights. Permanent Exhibits Officers' Hut The reconstructed Officers' Hut is based on a period photograph of a living quarters at Fort Ward. It is located adjacent to the Museum, on a site behind the fort where barracks and other support buildings were built. Visitors view the interior display through the small building's windows. Interpretive signage near the hut provides information on the building and its purpose. The hut is largely furnished with reproduction military and personal objects which illustrate an officer's lifestyle in the Defenses of Washington. Among the objects used to create this period setting are an officer's cot, articles of clothing, grooming accessories, food and mess equipment, and an officer's folding table, chair and field desk displayed with replica military documents. The hut interior is changed periodically to reflect different aspects of camp life such as playing cards, writing letters and military reports or receiving a Christmas box from home. The Common Soldier The typical Union foot-soldier carried with him all of the equipment necessary to fight and survive. In this exhibit, objects from the Museum's permanent collection illustrate the daily life of the typical Union soldier. Among the equipment displayed are examples of Springfield and Enfield rifle-muskets, cartridge and cap boxes, a knapsack, mess utensils, and a variety of personal objects used for leisure-time activities. Of special interest is a protective vest called body armor and a denim shell jacket with Federal eagle buttons which is recorded as having been worn by a black soldier in the U.S. Army. The Art of the Artilleryman Many artillery regiments were stationed in the Defenses of Washington. A well-drilled artillery crew could fire a typical Civil War cannon two to three times a minute. In this exhibit, discover the tools and equipment used by artillerymen to aim, load and fire a cannon. Brochure available. Current Exhibits Schedule Historic Fort Ward | Fort Ward Museum | Fort Tour | Parts of Fort | Fort Ward Map |
