camp moore confedrate museum

I had passed this place multiple times but never had the opportunity to give it a look. There is a walking self-tour that is well designed and presented, with nice write-ups on what you are looking at and what happened where. There are excellent exhibits on two floors of a modern building put up by the state of Louisiana. The exhibits describe not only the role of Camp Moore but also several campaigns of the Civil War in Louisiana. There is a small library, too; the attendant helped be find records of a could of my ancestors who had been brought up from New Orleans for training.

Camp Moore was the largest Confederate training camp located in Louisiana during the Civil War. While the camp was destroyed, the land and cemetery has been preserved. The museum, staffed by volunteers, was rich with artifacts. It is only open Wed - Sat 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM; closed on major holidays. $3.00 for adults. There was a fee for children, but I didn't take note of it. The grounds are open daily from dawn till dusk, but the museum is a definite must-see, so be sure to visit when it is open.The weekend before Thanksgiving an annual reenactment is held on the grounds. Camp Moore is 75 miles north of New Orleans, 60 miles NE of Baton Rouge, and 100 miles south of Jackson, MS. Taking exit 57 off of Interstate 55 - it is about a 5 minute drive. Very easy to find; located on Hwy 51.If you have an interest in History, I highly recommend. Visit campmoorela.com for additional information.

Camp Moore is worth the fairly short drive from New Orleans. While this is not a large museum it is steeped in history, having been one of the main training sites in Louisiana during the Civil War. This is also the birthplace of Wheat’s Tigers, one of the more colorful Zouave units in the war. A bit of research on this unit prior to visiting Camp Moore will add some additional context to your visit.Unfortunately most of the buildings that originally stood are long gone but the museum does a good job of documenting the original camp through photos and artist renderings. While not as large as the museum of the confederacy in New Orleans the history of the site makes it unique and interesting. It also does a better job of showing a day in the life of the average soldier and the hardships they endure. The Museum of the Confederacy tends to focus more on the senior officers and the more famous figures from the war.The camp was the site of several minor skirmishes as the Union wanted to shut down the camp and eventually they drove the Confederates away. The history of the camp is told in a video downstairs. It is definitely a dated piece but very informative.

It is worth a side trip to this small Civil War site near Hwy 51. The museum has interesting displays of Civil War (known as the War of Northern Aggression in the south) artifacts and a film to watch in the lower floor. Learn about the Confederate training camp, which was moved from New Orleans due to the temptations of that city, north on the railroad line. Most poignant of all is the cemetery behind the museum, with its beautiful monument to the unknown Confederate soldier. The gravestones seen are only a small percentage of the burials, those which have been confirmed. Interesting books and other souvenirs are on sale in the small shop.