The 19th Illinois and 6th Wisconsin Units, Living Historians known as Civil War Reenactors, are returning!

They teach history through living it. Come walk through displays of equipment that soldiers used and see demonstrations of camp life and cooking rations. At this hands-on event, visitors can handle equipment, try on uniforms and taste a little 1860s cooking. 

Joining the soldiers this year are:

• A collodion photographer will be demonstrating time-tested photography on tin plates. Watch while photos are taken and the images are processed - right in front of your eyes!

• The band, Last Night’s Fun, will play civil war era folk music. Wearing period attire, they utilize a variety of instruments in a style typical of the mid-19th century. Sit a spell and enjoy the tunes!

The Durant-Peterson House Musuem will also be open. The Sholes one-room School, just up the road from the encampment, will be open too. The teacher, dressed in peiod clothing, will share stories of what the school day was like back then. Visitors can sit in the old wooden desks, write on the slate with a slate pencil and listen to what the teacher is teaching. But, if you don’t learn your lessons, you may have to sit on the Dunce Chair. (Just kidding.)

Suggested donation $3/adults and $1/child 18 and under.