The Museums by Candlelight event offers free holiday-themed programs at over 20 museums and historic sites in Frederick County, Maryland. This is a great way to explore the region and get in the spirit of the holiday season. The event highlights the region’s history with period demonstrations, living history vignettes, hands-on crafts, refreshments, tours, music, holiday decorations and historic settings by candlelight. The program is self-guided allowing you to visit as many or few locations as you wish. Special children's activities are featured at most locations. Some attractions are linked to the Civil War, and in 2012 many programs will comemmorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial.
Sites Featuring Civil War Sesquicentennial Programs
- South Mountain Heritage Society- displays relating to the history of the Burkittsville area will include information on the 1862 use of the building as a hospital for soldiers wounded in the Battle of Crampton’s Gap.
- The Visitation Academy - visitors will learn about the Academy being used as General Hospital #5 during the Civil War in September 1862 after receiving the first casualties from the Battle of Antietam.
- National Museum of Civil War Medicine - participants will meet with soldiers, citizens and Santa Clause as they appeared during the 1860’s.
- Hessian Barracks - learn about the this site’s history as the only remaining structure from US Army General Hospital #1 which served during the Civil War (1861-1865).
Participating Sites
Barbara Fritchie House - 154 W. Patrick St. Frederick, MD (301) 600-4047Bjorlee Museum - 101 Clarke Place Frederick, MD (301) 360-2011
Brunswick Railroad Museum - 40 W. Potomac St. Brunswick, MD (301) 834-7100
Catoctin Furnace Historical Society - 12607 Catoctin Hollow Road Thurmont, MD
Catoctin Mountain Park - 6602 Foxville Rd. Thurmont, MD (301) 663-9388
Dahlgren Chapel – 6133 Old National Pike Boonsboro, MD (301) 317-7090
Frederick County Fire and Rescue Museum - 300 South Seton Avenue Emmitsburg, MD (301) 898-5578
Hessian Barracks -101 Clarke Place Frederick, MD (301) 360-2011
Maryland Room/Frederick County Public Libraries - 110 E. Patrick St. Frederick, MD (301) 600-1368
Middletown Valley Historical Society - 305 W. Main St. Middletown, MD (301) 371-7582
Monocacy National Battlefield - 5201 Urbana Pike 4801 Urbana Pike Frederick, MD (301) 662-3515
Mount Olivet Cemetery/Francis Scott Key Monument - 515 S. Market St. Frederick, MD (301) 662-1164
Museum of Frederick County History - 24 E Church St. Frederick, MD (301) 663-1188
National Museum of Civil War Medicine - 48 E. Patrick St. Frederick, MD (301) 695-1864
National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton - 333 S. Seton Ave. Emmitsburg, MD (301) 447-6606
Roger Brooke Taney House - 121 S Bentz St. Frederick, MD (301) 663-7880
Rose Hill Manor Park & Museum - 1611 N. Market St. Frederick, MD (301) 600-1650
Schifferstadt Architectural Museum - 1110 Rosemont Ave. Frederick, MD (301) 668-6088
South Mountain Heritage Society - 3 E. Main St. Burkittsville, MD (301) 834-6892
Steiner House - 368 West Patrick Street Frederick, MD (301) 694-9660
All programs begin at noon and conclude at 5 or 7 p.m. For more information, see the full program guide.
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