I really hate to hear this museum is closing. It is such an amazing find. We spent HOURS here and it had a ton of people visiting it. It was definitely my favorite part of our trip to the area! I couldn't believe all the artifacts it possessed. Texas played a significant role in the American Civil War Secession: Texas joined the Confederacy in early 1861, a few weeks before the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter. Texas declared its secession from the Union on February 1, 1861, and joined the Confederate States on March 2, 1861, after it had replaced its governor, Sam Houston, who had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. Military: Nearly 90,000 Texans served in the military. Leaders of the Texas forces included legendary figures John Bell Hood, Albert Sidney Johnston, John Bankhead Magruder, Patrick Cleburne, and Ben McCulloch. Battles: Texas forces fought in many major battles, including Gettysburg, Antietam, Second Manassas, Wilson's Creek, The Wilderness, Vicksburg, Corinth, Shiloh, Chickamauga, Glorieta Pass, Pea Ridge, Gaine's Mill, Franklin, and Mansfield. Texas also defended its own coastline, repulsing Union invaders at Brownsville, Sabine Pass, Galveston, Corpus Christi, and Laredo. Blockades: The Union blockaded Galveston, Houston, and other ports, making it difficult for farmers to export their crops. Closing: The surrender of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy at Galveston on June 2, 1865 was, as Capt. Benjamin Franklin Sands of the United States Navy noted, "the closing act of the Great Rebellion." Just a few weeks later on June 19, Gen. Gordon Granger, commander of U.S. troops in Texas, arrived in Galveston and ended slavery in Texas by issuing an order that the Emancipation Proclamation was in effect in Texas later to become known as Juneteenth. read more

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I was in tears seeing and reading the stories behind the uniforms and memorabilia! This museum hit me HARD and I wasn't even expecting it. It is so extraordinary how many personal pieces and artillery/weapons are on display for us to experience. The very last exhibit included Victorian dresses on display! So fascinating to see in detail the stitching and different types of fabric that these dresses boasted. It also detailed the different bustles and corsets women used. Regarding the Museum, there is ample parking and restrooms are located near the entrance. The gift shop has cool items that are reasonably priced. It is unfortunate they will be closing in December 2023 though. read more

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I've been wanting to check this museum and was pleased to be able to do so this week. There are plenty of places to park and a small monument and tombstones dedicated to those who died during the war. The civil war museum was rich in history about the confederacy and the union. They had a scavenger hunt for the kids, a couple of videos discussing gun procedures back then. There were numerous artifacts displayed behind glass paired with descriptions of the artifacts. They had buttons in the first room that you could press to hear various sounds such as battlefield songs back then. They had replicas of cannons inside and outside of the civil war museum. My favorite part of the museum was the room dedicated to dresses from the Victorian age which were beautiful. The dresses were in glass displays marked with different time periods. On the walls and inside the glass displays were information about the attire and influences of the styles. The descriptions also explored the purpose behind the colors and material of the clothes. They have a gift shop filled with souvenirs such as books, candy, t-shirts etc. The museum did a great job of preserving the original artifacts, which was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately the civil war museum will close its doors in December, they have a donation box as well by the register. I picked up a couple of souvenirs and was greeted by Dennis at the check out station, who offered more insight into the war between the union and confederacy. read more

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This place is great and everyone should come here (and ASAP as I here it's shutting down in December)! I'm surprised more schools don't take field trips here but they should! This really is one of those places with something for everyone! If you like guns, cannons, knives and swords they got em! If you like dresses, shirts, skirts and dollhouses they have those too! Lots of cool artifacts with lots of history... info about war, early America, Texas and all sorts of stuff you should know... interesting, sad, comical and sobering stuff all in one big, awesome place run by super nice and knowledgeable people! They have several good videos and a cool gift shop / book store too! $7 for adults and $4 for kids age 6+ is a steal in my opinion! read more

I have been here several times, both alone and with family. Saw on the website the museum would be closing permanently this upcoming December. To be honest, I was furious at the news and figured it was the fault of the Trump Deranged Liberal Leftist who can't stand some of the more disagreeable aspects of our history. It's there...live with it! Thankfully the staff on duty informed the board of directors had a change of heart and would keep the place open. Of course there will be a price of admission increase, along with a hike in price of gift shop items, to help offset expenses. Completely understand and willing to pay more to help keep this place open. As with the last time I visited, I'm not sure there were any new exhibits, but I did enjoy the movie and the installations nonetheless. Apparently a TCU arts class had a field project there today. What fun to see a bunch of kids taking in history. Anyway, come support the Civil War Museum. I plan on volunteering in the immediate future. See you soon! read more

Texas Civil War Museum - Museums Near Me - Fort Worth, Texas

Forth Worth (Tarrant County), Texas. Timestamp: April 2021. Location: East Jim Wright Fwy between Silver Creek & Glenn. Parking: Large private lot. Hours: Closed Sunday to Weds. Thurs - Sat 10a-5p. Cost: $5 Handicap: Handicap friendly. Flat, small and plenty spaces to navigate with a chair. Museum Type: Civil War History. Confederacy & Union are on opposite sides of the hall making things easier to distinguish. Notable Exhibitions: Armaments: Many many many guns, cannons and weaponry. Flags: Various types used. Fashion: Military for men & lifestyle for women. Miniature Battles: Couple makeshifts scenes. Amazing details, and craftsmanship. Overall, a great museum. Texas was part of the confederacy during the nasty civil war but more importantly, Texas sought to be their own country and independent in 1836. My initial assumption was wrong about being a museum to stock up on confederate related items. This museum depicted what life was like during the 1850s and surrounding time frames with the main exhibit dedicated to the Union & Confederate daily life as a soldier or officer. The DFW has many history museums. This civil war one organized well without trying to convince, persuade or justify what the exhibits are displaying. History develops while art stands still. www.cleeshyun.com @cigarcpa @cleeshyun read more

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Enter through the gift shop (make sure you buy some reasonably priced souvenirs when you finish with the museum), there is a video in the theater on the left and museum entrance on the right. Lots of amazing artifacts from both the Confederate and Union side. Items in great condition and a variety of flags. A great museum to check out. read more

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Calling all history and Civil War buffs, the Texas Civil War Museum is a hidden gem. Start with a movie about Texas' role in the Civil War. The museum's artifacts collection is incredible. The collection of the Confederacy is on the south wall and the Union is on the north wall. Both the North and the South are equally represented with mirroring artifacts and descriptions. This museum balances both sides to tell the story of the Civil War. The artifacts leads to Civil War artillery, but the beautiful surprise is the collection of Victorian dresses. I enjoy reading all of the description placards, as it tells a wonderful story. Because I read everything, our visit took about three hours. Those who walked past the artifacts for a quick glance spent less time. The docents are friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. Browse the gift shop for unique trinkets and t-shirts. This museum is the Richey's labor of love , and it shows from all of the details. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Richey for sharing your passion with us so that we, too, may enjoy this beautiful piece of history! read more

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Lots of great reviews here. Any parent could make a day of it with their kids. All I could think about was how awesome it would be to coordinate with my child's teacher and find out when his class would be learning about this time in our Country. Throw in an extra credit report maybe? Children retain so much more if they can relate their learning with "real life" images. Do try to see the 20 minute video before you move in for the museum. Had my 85 year old Uncle visit and this was the excuse I had been needing to visit the museum. He enjoyed it very much. There are many exhibits, so don't go in thinking you will get through it all in 30 minutes. Was nearly two hours for us. I do wish there were a couple of chairs in each room to accommodate those who need to take a break from standing for a minute. We would have probably stayed even longer with a break here and there. Something for everybody here. Children can actually see garments worn by children their own age. Lots of fun reactions when they are face to face with the reality of those times. The Victorian dresses are amazing and make throwing on a pair of jeans proof of how easy we have it. A lot of Military weapons and personal items. Seeing actual medical equipment used is eye opening. The displays of miniature "toy" soldiers and battles is mind blowing. The community must be sure to keep this place going! Such a treasure. read more

First time here. The museum has a lot of nice artifacts from the Civil War including dresses. It does take on the confederate point of view during the short film and explains how Texas basically maintained its independence while fighting and was able to go back to business as usual when the war was over. read more

My boyfriend and I are big history buffs and we recently l made the trip out to this little unsuspecting museum. Before we even got in we were drawn in by the cannon outside. Entry was only $6 and it was well worth it! This place is a history lovers dream! To be clear, this museum takes the stance, position, and perspective of the Texas side of the Civil War. So, this is not what I would consider a look at both sides, but more the side of Texas. I think it's an interesting perspective and from the 20 minute film they show about TX involvement in the war, battles in TX, and the reactions in Texas was very interesting. This museum has loads of Civil War artifacts it's fantastic! The museum is even split up into north and south side to take a full look at the Union and Confederacy. You can compare their uniforms, artillery, medical kits, musical instruments played on the battle field, and even personal items from Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis and many other notable figures. I do think that the film shown and many items in the museum need a big upgrade, but these types of things are privately funded. This is not a fancy bells and whistles museum, but it delivered more than I expected. My only complaint is that the woman at the front when we bought our tickets didn't really give us any help on how to navigate the museum. It was only until we got to the end that we saw that they gave out maps. It would've been more helpful if she had done that. She didn't even tell us about the 20 minute film or when it would be showing. I wish she had been a little more helpful. However, the man we encountered at the end was so pleasant and really restored my faith in the customer service there. I'd definitely recommend this place to schools, families, and those passing through. read more

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I was disappointed by this museum. The artifacts were incredible...I can't remember seeing so many authentic Civil War relics anywhere. I have been a Soldier for a couple of decades (currently a reservist), and this museum rivals many of the museums on Active Duty installations. Where the museum lacks artifacts, it supplements with narrative. This is particularly true in the film and some of the things sold in the gift shop. As an educator (my full time job), I find the lack information about slavery disturbing. This museum (in my opinion) romanticizes the Confederacy, and only mentions slavery as an afterthought at the end of the film. Slavery was ugly...it was evil, but it is part of the narrative. The stories of African Americans, in Texas during the war, is part of the narrative - even if there are no artifacts. If the museum only had the artifacts, my thoughts would be different. But the museum chooses to tell a story that is incomplete, revised, and intellectually dishonest. I don't know who the target audience is for this museum...I don't know it's mission. If the mission is to celebrate Texas history with all Texans and visitors, you guys have some work to do. If it's mission is to celebrate the confederacy, carry on and ignore this post, because this museum was never meant for me or my kids in the first place. read more

Great museum if you like civil war stuff 100% would recommend going. It's more a war museum then anything else so 90% of the stuff there is guns what they wore during the war. They have a artillery room and some of grants and Lee's stuff. read more

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Different view of the war of yankee aggression. Very clean and maintained, all the different guns, outfits, photographs from that era. Allowed photos of everything and anything. Also had some wardrobe accessories (mostly women's clothing)from the era. Easy access to the museum from the highway. Enough room so everything is visible to all. read more

Texas Civil War Museum - Welcome to Texas! - Museums Near Me - Fort Worth, Texas

Very informative, well maintained. Great place for a Saturday out with your father or grandfather. Spent about two hours and still didn't feel like I saw everything. read more

As a history buff in general, I have had my eye on this place since it opened. I studied Civil War history in college so you would think that, when a Civil War Museum opens so close to me, that I would jump to go check it out. But for some reason or another, I did not check this place out until recently, when a groupon offer finally forced my hand. With my dad in tow (our ancestor fought in the Civil war, so we both enjoy studying the era) we made it over to the Texas Civil War Museum. Quite simply put, I was blown away. In no way, shape or form did I expect such a quality museum. They have myriads of top grade relics, weapons, personal affects, and uniforms from the War Between the States. This is not just stuff from the average infantryman either. They had affects from J.E.B Stuart, U.S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, and countless minor generals and officers. Most impressive was their collection of weapons and rare ones at that. Some rare weapons I noted: a LeMat revolver (this brand gained fame as J.E.B Stuart carried one), a Henry repeating rifle, a Spencer repeating rifle, and countless small run European and Confederate made items. Also interesting were the donated items from descendants of soldiers; so some displays have have not only a complete uniform and weapons, but also the soldiers' back story and more personal items as well. The exhibit is set up nicely too, with the Union items on the left and the Confederate items on the right. Information placards adorn the walls of the exhibits as well, noting such things as the manufacturing capability of each faction and other useful tidbits. At the back end of the museum, they also have a large selection of Victorian Era dresses, so this isn't just a museum for Dad and Jr. to run off to. Plenty of cool things to check out in the gift shop as well, so this place has something for everyone. If you are at all interested in the Civil War, heed this history buff's advice and check this gem of a museum out! read more

Loved this wonderful place!! First time to visit the Civil War Museum, and my 89-year-old Mom was with me. We have relatives that fought in the Civil War, so it's an extra special place for us. We donated a coffee cup that my great-great grandfather carried through the war. The sweet lady in the office was very appreciative of the cup, and was interested in the history of the cup. I am thankful that it's a place to see our history, and understand that our past really is important! read more

This is an impressive little museum filled to the brim with items from the Civil War, a really enjoyable stop to help bring history to life. They also have a lovely collection of Victorian dresses and other items as well which I enjoyed seeing. There was even a live band playing music of the era when we went. I saw signs saying they were soon expanding, and will have an area showing items about the medical areas of the Civil War. I hope to go back again to see it when it is all done. The other reviews summed it all up nicely, so I won't waste time saying all the same things, as you really just need to go and experience it for yourself. It was a fascinating look back into such a dark time in America, and well worth the tiny cost of admission to experience. read more

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Such a nice place to visit! A fellow Yelper enthusiastically recommended the Texas Civil War Museum a few months back, but the wife and I kept putting a visit off... we're not really ever around White Settlement, and we also kind of felt we lacked the historical perspective to appreciate the museum. I read (and enjoyed) The Killer Angels in school, and we both loved Daniel Day-Lewis in 'Lincoln'... and that's about the extent of our Civil War exposure. Like David R., it was a Groupon that forced our hand - I'm glad it did! The good: - The building is easy to spot from the highway, and there's ample parking. - You absolutely don't need to know a lot about the Civil War going in to enjoy the museum. There's a thirty-minute film that loops in one room near the entrance, and it helps establish context for the rest of the exhibits. - The museum provides some really fun activity sheets (think word searches and scavenger hunts) near the entrance for groups with kids in tow. - Like a lot of the other reviews have mentioned, the layout of the museum is pretty great - matching Union and Confederate items face each other, so you can walk back and forth and compare. We found that super instructive, and it also means you have room to maneuver if another group is kind of hovering in "your spot" or being noisy. - Super comprehensive collection of artifacts, with thorough informational placards. We learned about artillery shells and women's fashion and Sam Houston and revolver production levels across states and a bunch of other things. - If you've worked up an appetite during your visit, White Settlement boasts two well-reviewed Thai restaurants only minutes away: Bangkok House and Happy Bowl. Yum! Nitpicks: - I really wish we had saved the film for the end of our visit. We walked in super excited to see everything, but when the film started the lights turned down low and everyone started speaking in soft, soothing Southern accents... we got drowsy. - You're allowed to take as many pictures as you'd like for personal use, but I found it hard to get clear shots through the reflective glass most exhibits are cased in. A polarizing filter might help. All said, the Texas Civil War Museum is an easy recommendation. Go! read more

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Great little museum!! Definitely worth stopping and spending an afternoon learning more about the Civil War. There is a short film to view & lots of artifacts to view. Guns, uniforms, shells, cannons & more. Great for students, home schoolers & anyone interested in learning more. There is also a section on ladies fashions& dresses. read more

We finally decided to visit this museum just yesterday. I have mixed feelings about this museum and I'll explain. The price is affordable, so points for that. The museum includes a generous amount of civil war memorabilia. Much of it is apparel, however. But it was fascinating (and somewhat eerie) to view the actual clothing worn by civil war soldiers - some were bloodstained and had visible bullet holes. This really lent a personal aspect to the Civil War. When we first stepped up to the desk to pay (inside the gift store at the entry) we approached the young gentleman at the counter. I asked if the museum offers a military discount, since my husband is an Army veteran. I received a curt "no we don't" and that was that. A Civil War Museum, devoted to honoring military members and they don't offer a military discount? Am I the only one who sees the irony in this? I wouldn't go so far as to say the gentleman at the desk was rude, but he was definitely unfriendly. So, I've taken a point off for these two things. This is a Texas Civil War Museum, and the slant is definitely towards the South. Visitors may or may not appreciate this, depending upon where they're from. There's much to see here. It's worth the visit, particularly if you're a Texan. read more

I had been wanting to visit this site for a while, glad I did. Plenty to see here, a lot of history. Fair price on the tickets for the amount of Civil War artifacts that they have here. read more

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What a treasure! Some really nice artifacts! The museum works hard to give each side the fairness and attention they deserve. The Victorian gown collection is one of the nicest I've seen. The highlight for us was the living history historian in his Union soldier garb. This gentleman had a plethora of knowledge and shared it so kindly and generously! He made a great visit into a spectacular visit! read more

What a great find! I thought I would stop in since I was in the neighborhood, and I sure am glad I did. This place has the best, most complete collection of Civil War artifacts I've ever seen anywhere. For an admission fee of only $6.00, this place not only has everything Confederate, but everything Union as well. It is set up so that one side of the room displays artifacts of the South, and the same artifacts from the North are located on the other side of the room for comparison. They have so many guns, knifes, rifles, bullets, uniforms, flags, canteens, doctor's kits, and civilian equipment, they can only display about 1/3 of what they own, and, believe me, that's plenty. Great value! To top it all off, when you get to the end of the tour, there is another exhibit of women's and children's clothing starting with the 1860's, and continuing into the early 1900's. I suppose this part of the exhibit is for the ladies, but I found it even more fascinating than they did. Back then, women did a lot of what women do now, only differently. Instead of injections to make their butts bigger, Victorian women wore "bustles." And, remember those "shoulder pads" of the 1980's? Women were doing something very similar in the 1890's with "balloon sleeves." This entire museum is a complete hoot, and not worth missing. I visited both the Sixth Floor Museum, and the Red Courthouse Museum in Dallas, and this museum was better than both of those put together. You can even take all the pictures you want! We were so pleased, we felt we ripped them off by only paying six bucks to get in, so we threw more money into the foundation jar. read more

Great little museum. The staff is friendly. The displays are fantastic. Fairly cheap to get in. This will not take all day to go theough, two hours tops. With that said, it is worth your time to visit. It is all about the Civil War, do not bring your bad comments with you. The movie is really good. read more

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I was in Fort Worth last week with a few hours to kill when I spotted the Texas Civil War Museum from the freeway. As an collector of late 1800's artifacts, i couldn't resist. I discovered one of the best civil war museums I have ever visited. The collection of rare (and I mean very rare) artifacts is remarkable. The presentation is excellent and educational. The museum visit was truly the highlight of my trip to Fort Worth. read more

A+. Highly recommend. Great exhibits and extremely rare items including an honorary sword given to General Grant. Well worth the trip.

Nice of them to respond to my message but doesn't really change my view of the museum. Even without artifacts that are related to slavery it's a part of the entire story of the war and could be included in the didactic materials. As for presenting what was known at the time, there were plenty of voices at the time decrying slavery. read more

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Good place. Has my. Great. Great. Uncles. Things. Benjamin. Franklin Terry's. Col. 8 th. Texas rangers. I am retired. Master. Sargent. 20 th. Georgia Calvary. 7th. Illinois. Calvary Second Lieutenant. Thank you. God bless read more

Great place! We planned an hour or maybe two to "see it all". Ha! 3 hours later I'm still looking at pieces/ exhibits and explanations. Very entertaining. They have a scavenger hunt throughout that was a really cool way to get the school kids interested/ involved. I was raised near Gettysburg so I thought I knew a lot of US civil war history just by osmosis. Some of the information confirmed what "I knew". There is lots of displays there that taught me a lot. Definitely worth the time. Short drive to NW side of F/W (820). Period medical displays, cannon, uniforms (Grant's frock he wore at Appomattox), ladies dresses, lots of conveniently placed short videos. Guarantee you'll learn something! read more

Super cool to see! Tons of interesting pieces and then really cool newer takes on the civil war like the diorama by a high school! The Victorian dresses were also really neat! read more

Very well done museum with a lot of good artifacts (weapons, clothing, etc) showing both the Union and the Confederate sides. The shop there also is well stocked with a lot of good materials. The only fault I would find is that the focus is clearly from the "Southern" point of view. That is it is continually referred to in the exhibits as "the War Between the States" and how badly outnumbered the Confederacy was in terms of men and materials. Not much attention was given to the central cause of the Civil War, that of slavery and what an inhumane institution that it was. A former history teacher. read more

Who knew Fort Worth had a Civil War museum? Who knew it was worth visiting? I was expecting a very small, homemade feel, and it has some of that charm, but it also contains an extensive collection of uniforms, weapons, and artifacts from both sides of the "war between the states." When we went they even had period-appropriate live music. The perspective is understandably that of Texas, and there's ample emphasis on the odds faced by the South. But all and all the story is appropriately balanced and informative. With the twenty minute video, a visit easily takes an hour, and they're already working on an addition. It may be a deeper cut on the sights to see in Fort Worth, but for any Civil War buff it's essential. read more

The Texas Civil War Museum was fantastic! Our tour guide was knowledgable about everything in the place and answered every question we had for him. I forget his name but if he is reading this I hope he knows that we appreciated his time so much! The price was very reasonable for what you get. I loved the layout of the museum as well and enjoyed seeing the hat from Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind. I'll be taking my dad back here. read more

My husband and I were impressed with the Texas Civil War Museum. It was much bigger than we anticipated, so it was quite a bargain for a $6 admission fee. You can peruse the displays in 2-3 hours; if you read all of the accompanying information, it could take all day. I was particularly amazed that the many, many articles--guns, uniforms, haversacks, knives, etc....were all dated and authenticated. Most items had the provenance attached: who the item had belonged to, the dates of the soldier's birth and service in the war, their personal story, those sorts of facts that are often missing as part of a story surrounding an event or an item on display. This museum also had some very prominent keepsakes, such as General Lee's pocket knife and General Grant's war coat and even one of his (partially smoked) cigars! There was an entire wing of Victorian women's clothing which was beautifully displayed and very complete. It included hoops, bustles, hats, shoes, and parasols, and some children's outfits. The museum did a good job of comparing and contrasting the economic production capabilities of the North and South. The museum highlights the North's vastly superior economic strength to wage a war. There is one item the museum distinctly DID NOT have: any substantive mention of the real reason for the Civil War, which is slavery. Historically, this is a huge omission. What is included in this museum is carefully restored and artistically displayed, and documented. read more

What an awesome museum. The gift shop alone would make us visit again. Especially loved the victorian era dresses. So much history in this museum. read more

My husband and I took two of our Grandchildren age 10 and 8. We all enjoyed all what we seen and read about. My 8 yea old got tired really fast and wanted to sit down. My granddaughter did the scavenger hunt and made a 100. The musicians were great too! Thank you for a wonderful place to come and see what the Civil war was like! read more

We really liked this museum. It had great relics from both sides. I especially enjoyed the display of Victorian dresses. It was educational and enjoyable. read more

Loved visiting this museum! Great exhibits and experts to answer questions.. Was pleasantly surprised to find a small musical group/band playing historical music while wearing period dress! read more

Absolutely marvelous collection! If you're a history fanatic, this place is full of great Civil War artifacts. It's absolutely worth the $6 entry, and I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates American history. I'd definitely come back! read more