Museum Staff
David Reisch - Director of Security
Marcus Hayward - Security Team Leader
Lesa Willis - Security Officer

David Patterson - CEO
Janice Mullin - Museum Director
Brett Kelley - Curator of Collections
Trini Nye - Director of Sales and Marketing
Lynn Smolizer - Development and Public Relations Coordinator
Kate McDermott - Grant Coordinator

In case of emergency, please alert one of the individuals listed here.  You will meet the necessary Museum staff you'll be working with upon your arrival, or on Saturday morning if you arrive after 5 pm on Friday evening).

A.) General Guidelines
   1.  Please ensure that everyone attending a Museum living history event is familiar with the guidelines put forth by the museum.
   2.  Re-enactors encamping at the Civil War Museum serve as representatives of the Museum.  Please be welcoming and courteous to visitors at all times.
   3.  Please alert Museum staff members of any issue or problem that should arise during your encampment.
   4.  Pets are not permitted at Museum living history events.  Service animals are welcome!  Horses are also welcome with prior notification.
   5.  Please have all necessary registration and liability forms completed before the living history program begins.
   6.  Please feel free to hand out recruitment flyers to our visitors.
   7.  In case of inclement weather or excessive heat impacting the ability to carry out a demonstration, please consult with necessary Museum personnel.
   8.  Please inform the museum of any changes to reenactor attendance as soon as possible.
   9.  All participating re-enactors will receive FREE ADMISSION to the Museum during their stay.  We do ask, however, that any heel plates be covered with duct tape to prevent damage to the Museum's floor and for personal safety reasons (the Museum will supply the tape).  We also ask that reenactors please leave weapons in camp before visiting the museum.
  10.  Members of your unit who participate in your event at the Museum will receive a FREE ONE- YEAR MEMBERSHIP to our Members organization.  Forms will be available for you during the event, and may be given to a member of the museums staff when completed.

B.) Safety Guidelines
   1.  SHOULD AN INJURY OR MEDICAL SITUATION OCCUR:  Alert a member of our Museum staff immediately and/or call 911.  If an emergency occurs when staff is not on site, please call 911.
   2.  ALL FIREARMS ARE SUBJECT TO INSPECTION, but we trust you to conduct your own inspections.
   3.  Please have a designated member inspect the weapon(s) of each participant, and sign the "Weapon Inspected By:" section of the participants Registration Form.  Inauthentic and/or unsafe firearms are not permitted.
   4.  No one under the age of 16 may carry, load, or clean any weapons.
   5.  all firing demonstrations will take place only in designated areas.
   6.  If you encounter a problem with a musket during a firing demonstration (misfire, etc), and the problem cannot be fixed on the spot, please leave the firing line and move at least 30 feet away from both the public and other re-enactors to tend to the problem at hand.
   7.  Cartridges must contain 60-90 grais of powder.  Please donot double-load.
   8.  If in doubt, do not fire!
   9.  Please ensure that all visitors remain behind the safety line.  Museum personel will assist in this regard.  Visitors are not allowed down range during a firing demonstration, regardless of angle or distance.  If visitors are spotted, firing should not commence until they are safely relocated.
  10.  Visitors may not handle loaded weapons, including ammunition and percussion caps.
  11.  Please ensure that muskets are capped off directly following firing demonstrations, prior to allowing any visitors to handle them.
  12.  Visitors may handle unloaded weapons at the discretion of re-enactors.  Please exercise your best judgement as to which visitors may handle your weapons.  Please carefully supervise visitors that are permitted to handle weapons, and make sure that visitors handling weapons do not point them at other individuals.
  13.  Please ensure that ramrods are not left in the barrel during firing demonstrations, or in the ground after firing demonstrations.
  14.  Antique firearms may be used for display purposes, but may not be used for firing demonstrations without prior approval.
  15.  Please tell Museum staff before the event if you plan to fire any handguns.
  16.  All swords and bayonetts must be dulled and are subject to inspection.  Visitors may handle swords and bayonetts, but should not be allowed to thrust or swing them.  Inauthentic and/or unsafe weapons are not permitted.  No sharpened weapons are allowed at Museum events.
  17.  Bayonetts may be fixed for drilling and firing demonstrations, and for stacking arms.  Please ensure that at least one re-enactor is assigned to keep an eye on the stacks while the camp is open to visitors.
  18.  Bayonetts must not be broken, and must fit securely if attached.  Please ensure that all scabbards have brass ends intact
  19.  For liability reasons, visitors are not allowed to sit on, ride, or lead horses.

C.)  General Encampment Guidelines
   1.  Arrival and setup of the camp may take place on Friday after 10:00 am and 7:00 am to 10:00 am on Saturday.  Please be aware that if you arrive after 5:00 pm on Friday that it is unlikely that Museum staff will still be in the building to greet you.
   2.  Vehicles may be driven to the encampment site for unloading equipment.  Only drive along the outer perimeter of the flattop, NOT in the center.  (See enclosed map for reference).  The City reservoir is underneath the flattop!
   3.  Vehicles must be moved away from the encampment by 9:45 am on Saturday and 11:45 am on Sunday.  Vehicles may not be brought back in to the camp until the Museum is closed for the day. (5:00 pm)
   4.  Encampments are open to the public (generally) between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm Saturday and 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm Sunday. (The Museums weekend hours)
   5.  All participating re-enactors must complete and sign the necessary registration and liability forms before taking part in a living history program at the museum
   6.  Please ensure that your encampment is made safe as possible for all of our visitors, especially children.
   7.  Please keep all sharpened tools (kitchen knives, camp knives, hatchets, axes, etc) properly sheathed and kept away from the public when not being used.
   8.  Please be in period clothing during the hours the camp is open to the public, and be ready to greet our visitors.  Please do not wear/use any non-period items while the camp is open.  This includes earrings, modern jewelry (save for wedding rings), and items such as bandanas, cigarettes, and lighters.  Footwear and eyewear must be period.  Please tell us of any exceptions.  Contacts are acceptable as well.  Please do not keep any non-period items in open view (modern clothing, coolers, cans, bottles, cell phones, modern camping equipment, etc).  Please ensure that any food eaten in view of the public is period, and iwith period utensils.  Modern food, snacks, etc should be eaten in the privacy of one's tent, or after opening hours.
   9.  The Museum will supply straw for bedding if requested in advance.
  10.  Ice is available for your use upon request unless we are running low due to a facility rental.
  11.  A waterline is available for your use on the NE corner of the building.
  12.  Porta-potties are available for your use during non-business hours located near ramp to flattop (or during business hours you may use the facilities inside the Museum).
  13.  The Museum does have shower facilities, which are available for your use contingent on facility rentals, on Saturday between 3:30 and 5:00, or prior to 12:30 on Sunday. (See Security Staff to make arrangements)

D.)  Campfire Guidelines
   1.  Campfires must be contained to a self-made fire-pit that is at least 6" - 8" deep.  Please place all sod to the side so that it can be re-planted at the end of the weekend.
   2.  The museum will supply firewood for living history encampments.  Please take only what you need, when you need it.
   3.  Please ensure that someone monitors your campfire, and keeps visitors (especially children) away from it.
   4.  Please have a period container with water near the fire (or a non-period container of water or fire extinguisher hidden, but ready) should the fire spread.
   5.  Please do not burn garbage in the fire-pit.
   6.  After the encampment, please ensure that the fire is completely out and that the sod is replaced.

E.)  Demonstations and Programs
   1.  Firings demonstrations are to take place at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm on Saturday, and 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm on Sunday unless otherwise arranged.  These demonstrations will be announced to Museum visitors at the designated times throughout the day.  Firing weapons at unscheduled times is prohibited, unless pre-arranged with Museum personnel.

F.)  Civilians
   1.  Please tell us of any demonstrations you have for/involving children or any domestic demonstrations that you do so that we can include this in our announcements and/or publicity material (i.e spinning, butter churning, cooking demonstrations, doll making, Victorian childrens games, etc)
   2.  Please tell us if you have any women disguised as soldiers in your regiment.  Women acting as Vivandiers or cantineers are welcome.
   3.  Please make sure that children with your group are supervised, and they are given period activities to play with.
   4.  Children under 16 may not take part in firing demonstrations

G.)  Smoking at the Museum
   1.  Smoking is not permitted in the Museum, but you may smoke in your period cigars and pipes in your encampment.  Please ensure that every precaution is taken, especially on hot, dry days.
   2.  If you would like to smoke a cigarette during the hours the camp is open, please do so away from the camp and out of sight of visitors.  Please dispose of cigarette butts properly.
   3.  Re-enactors may chew tobacco, but please consider your spitting.  Period cups and containers are highly encouraged.


Living History Guidelines                      last updated 7-23-10