CSS Neuse Civil War Museum

CSS Neuse Civil War Museum CSS Neuse Confederate ironclad ship and the history of Lenoir County and eastern NC in the Civil War. Queen Street on June 23, 2012. Vernon Avenue.
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The CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center showcases the State’s largest historic artifact and state of the art exhibits. The remains of the CSS Neuse and the associated artifacts were relocated to a fully enclosed and climate controlled facility at 100 N. After years of planning and hard work the museum held its grand opening on March 7, 2015. The CSS Neuse was a Confederate Ironclad that was us

ed in the Kinston, NC area during the Civil War. The ship was built at White Hall (now Seen Springs, NC) in 1862 and was completed in Kinston in 1864. The Gunboat was involved in the Battle of Wyse’s Forks (just outside of Kinston headed toward New Bern) before being scuttled by her own crew on March 11, 1865. The ship was recovered from the Neuse River by a few local men with help from the community between 1961-63. The State of North Carolina acquired control of the CSS Neuse in 1964 and the site officially opened in 1966 at 2612 W.

Our artifact of the week is this little glass bottle. Many of these may be found where armies had camp sites during the...
08/29/2026

Our artifact of the week is this little glass bottle. Many of these may be found where armies had camp sites during the war. What did it hold? Amost certainly medicine or drugs of some kind - possibly pills of some sort, or possibly some kind of liquid. Even a century and a half ago, there were "patent" medicines well known from one end of the country to another, for almost any kind of ailment. Some worked, but many were having an effect entirely due to the temporary euphoria given by mixtures of o***m and alcohol.

Come and be part of our team! Volunteers needed! More details below.
08/28/2026

Come and be part of our team! Volunteers needed! More details below.

Fun Fact Friday August 28th, 1862. Second Battle of Bull Run (also known as Second Manassas) fought in Virginia. The Man...
08/28/2026

Fun Fact Friday August 28th, 1862. Second Battle of Bull Run (also known as Second Manassas) fought in Virginia. The Manassas Gap railroad assists Gen. Thomas Stonewall Jackson a second time. During the first battle in 1861, the Manassas Gap Railroad became the first railroad in American history to move troops to a major battle. General Stonewall Jackson's brigade were transported to the O&A's Manassas Junction and debarked to join the fight. This time a corporate battle and financial hardship for the railroad years earlier would provide Gen Jacksons troops a prepare trench to fight from. During the 1850s, two local railroads- the Orange & Alexandria and the Manassas Gap- met at Manassas Junction. In order to reach commercial markets near Washington, the Manassas Gap Railroad signed an agreement with its rival to use its tracks from the junction to the port of Alexandria. The annual cost of track rental cut into profits, however, and officials sought an alternate route.The Manassas Gap decided to lay its own track from Gainesville to Alexandria. Work on the "Independent Line" commenced in 1854 as engineers surveyed the proposed route. Local enslaved workers and Irish immigrants provided much of the labor- felling trees, leveling the roadbed, and quarrying stone for bridge abutments. By the time grading operations neared completion in 1858, the company halted the project for lack of funds. No track was ever laid. The abandoned railbed became a ready-made defensive position. (Picture is the railroad cut taken by the NPS in late 1930s just before the park opened in 1940.)

08/27/2026

Please note the Governor Richard Caswell Memorial State Historic Site will be closed to the public tomorrow, August 28th.

Our artifact of the week is this piece of leatherwork called a bayonet frog. It slid onto an infantrymans belt, and hel...
08/22/2026

Our artifact of the week is this piece of leatherwork called a bayonet frog. It slid onto an infantrymans belt, and held a scabbard for a musket bayonet. It is not so apparent today, but this one was once dazzlingly shiny - an extra fancy one, probably from some unit like a Zouave or state militia. The normal bayonet frog was simply made of one or two pieces of leather, sewn together, sometimes with reenforcing rivets. If you look close at this one, you can see a line of stitching all around the edges. This holds a thin layer of "patent" leather to the outer faces - once highly polished and glistening. During the war, these extra quality pieces of equipment, purchased by the regiment or state, quickly gave way to simpler and cheapened patterns.

Fun fact Friday August 21st, 1863, Union forces under General Quincy A. Gillmore are about to initiate a historic and de...
08/21/2026

Fun fact Friday August 21st, 1863, Union forces under General Quincy A. Gillmore are about to initiate a historic and devastating artillery bombardment of Fort Sumter and the civilian heart of Charleston, South Carolina. Using an innovative marsh battery on Morris Island housing a massive 8-inch Parrott rifle nicknamed the "Swamp Angel," Union troops fired incendiary shells directly into the city over four miles away. (Pictured are probably taken on August 21st before the battery stated shelling )

Homeschool Day Program Registration InformationThe CSS Neuse Museum offers monthly homeschool day programs from Septembe...
08/19/2026

Homeschool Day Program Registration Information

The CSS Neuse Museum offers monthly homeschool day programs from September through April each year. Programs run from 10:00 to 11:30 am. Pre-registration is required. The activity fee is $2.00 plus tax per student. Ages 3 and under are free. If you cannot attend one of the homeschool day events but would still like to schedule a field trip to the CSS Neuse Museum, please email Randi at [email protected].

Activities: Please review the Educator’s Guide for the activities offered for each monthly theme. Educator's Guide: https://canva.link/homeschool-day-programs

September 2026-April 2027 Homeschool Day Programs

Join us for CSS Neuse Museum Homeschool Day programs for the 2026-2027 school year! After everyone has registered, our team will assign each student to a group for the field trip. Please ensure that you include the Co-op or group you would like to be with on the registration form. You can register for all the homeschool day programs at once or every month.

Dates and Themes:
September 10- Civil War
October 15- North Carolina Ironclads and Civil War Weapons
November 19- Blockades and Economy
December 17- Victorian Christmas
January 21- WWI in the Trenches
February 18- WWII in the Foxholes
March 18- 19th Century Medicine
April 15- TBD

For each of these programs, staff from other NC Historic Sites, other state agencies, volunteers, and nonprofit organizations will help create engaging and memorable experiences for your homeschool student(s). We're excited to include lots of hands-on activities to make learning fun. Each station will be around twelve minutes long, giving families a chance to explore several stations in organized groups.

The activity fee is $2.00 plus tax per student. Admission for parents, chaperones, and guardians is free, but everyone must still register. Ages 3 and under are free.

Registration link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/A0jpju13YZ

Registration will close on the Monday before the event date, allowing staff to organize groups and email the list. Registration will reopen after each homeschool day program is finished. If you have any questions, please email Randi at [email protected].

Registration is Open for 2026-2027 Field Trips Program Objectives1. Students should understand the importance of the...
08/19/2026

Registration is Open for 2026-2027 Field Trips

Program Objectives

1. Students should understand the importance of the CSS Neuse and how its story fits into the overall story of the Civil War in eastern North Carolina.

2. Students should understand the importance of the technological advancements of the mid-nineteenth century regarding the advent of rifled artillery and the development of ironclads.

3. Students should have a basic understanding of what life was like in Kinston, North Carolina, during the Civil War, for the soldiers and sailors stationed there and for the civilians living in this area.

Learn more: https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/css-neuse-and-gov-caswell-memorial/homeschool-programs-field-trips-and-outreach

When scheduling a field trip, if multiple classes are participating, please allow 90 minutes to 2 hours for the trip. Ensure the number of activities selected matches the number of classes attending. For instance, if you are bringing 120 students or six classes, you should choose six activities that align with your designated time frame.

Rachel and Randi worked hard over the summer with interns Maggie and Robin to create a new educator's toolkit to include vocabulary, video content, updated lesson plans, and new activities for K-2 students.

Field Trip Registration and Pre-Visit Activities

Field Trip Registration: https://forms.gle/uekpcm9jnHCm4yWc8

New Educator’s Toolkit: https://canva.link/k6oa6iisa670w9l

Educator Field Trip Survey: https://forms.office.com/g/ZPvR0c9Fy6

If you have any questions, please email Randi Shaw at [email protected] or call 252-526-9600, ext. 223.

We Love Outreach Events! Please let us know how we can help support your event. Our team offers off-site visits for fest...
08/19/2026

We Love Outreach Events!

Please let us know how we can help support your event.

Our team offers off-site visits for festivals, summer reading programs, special events, and more! When our team attends an event, we bring themed giveaways that match the event, along with hands-on activities. If you are interested in discussing outreach options, please email Randi at [email protected] or Rachel at [email protected], or call 252-526-9600, ext. 223.

Examples of past outreach events include:

- Earth Day at Sturgeon City Environmental Education Center

- Freedom Festival at the State Capitol

- Earth Day and 30th Anniversary event at Neuseway Nature Park

- Juneteenth Community Event

- A250 Summer Reading Program at the Onslow County Library

- Homeschool Resource Hub at the Onslow County Library

Address

100 N Queen Street
Kinston, NC
28501

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+12525269600

Website

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