The Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site’s annual Christmas in Camp program returns this Saturday, offering a glimpse into Civil War-era holiday celebrations.
The event includes historical reenactors interacting across the museum’s decorated winter camp settings, according to the Office of Historic Alexandria. The educational program lasts from noon to 4 p.m. at the museum — one of the Union Army’s best-preserved forts in the Defenses of Washington — located at 4301 W. Braddock Road.
A new Union Navy exhibition opened at Fort Ward Museum (4301 W. Braddock Road) on Oct. 2, and will be on display through 2026.
The “Aboard Ship with the Jack-Tars of the Union Navy” exhibition is being held in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Navy on Oct. 13, 1775, according to the city. Thousands of sailors, nicknamed jack-tars, helped blockade the 3,500 miles of Confederate coastline, catapulting the unit into the largest navy in the world. Hallmarks of the exhibition include examples of tools, clothing, weapons and personal items from the sailors. It also features a profile on Commander James Harmon Ward, the namesake of the fort, who was the first Union Naval officer to die in the war.
The Office of Historic Alexandria wants your help with a national study on how museums impact society. It’s one of 40 institutions chosen for the Museum Social Impact in Practice (MSIIP) study, and it needs at least 150 people to visit three museums and share their thoughts.
This study, backed by the American Alliance of Museums and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, runs until July. If you participate and complete the survey, you’ll get a special gift, an invite to hear about the results in November and free membership to the ALXHistoryLovers Society.
