For immediate release 
Contact:  Lynn Smolizer 717-260-1861 Ext. 1108

 Harrisburg, PA (January 22, 2008) - The National Civil War Museum will host a wine & cheese reception on Thursday, January 31, 2008 from 5:30pm-7:30pm.  The reception will provide attendees the opportunity to get a sneak preview of the Museum's new temporary exhibit, entitled: Escape from the Peculiar Institution: Slavery, Abolitionism & the Underground Railroad, which will officially open to the public on Friday, February 1, 2008.  The exhibition and reception are sponsored by: Dauphin County, PPL Corporation, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, Hershey Foods & Highmark.

The exhibit will examine the institution of slavery as it applied to the United States, giving the visitor a fresh perspective on the political and social climate in the years leading up to and during the Civil War.  Original artifacts including whips, shackles, and reward posters will address the harsh realities of slavery and the determined efforts to end it.  Prominent events that either sustained the institution or broke down and eventually ended slavery will be discussed, with an emphasis on the Underground Railroad.  The exhibit will be open to the public from February 1, 2008 through August 31, 2008 and is free with paid admission to the Museum.

     The featured speaker for the reception will be Mr. Fred Morsell.
   Photo by Arthur A. Murphy  Since 1984, actor Fred Morsell has been a scholar on the life and times of Frederick Douglass.  He performs his one-man, two-act play, Presenting Mr. Frederick Douglass, for colleges, civic groups, churches and theatres.  Mr. Morsell's repertoire of speaking engagements has included: opening ceremonies with First Lady Hilary Rodham Clinton and New York State Governor George Pataki at "Celebrate '98" at the Women's Rights National Historical Park, the National Museum of American History Conference: "Between Slavery and Freedom" at the Smithsonian Institution and at a benefit for the Boston Museum of Afro-American History.  He is a graduate of Dickinson College and holds a Masters Degree in Theatre Arts from Wayne State University.

Tickets to the reception are available to the public for a fee of $5 per person.  Museum members will receive complimentary admission.  Reservations are required for the reception by January 29.

The National Civil War Museum is an educational 501(c)(3) institution dedicated to preserving Civil War history, located in Reservoir Park in Harrisburg, PA.  The Museum's seasonal hours of operation are: Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Museum is open 7 days a week April 1 through Labor Day.  Admission to the Museum is $8.00 for adults, $7.00 for seniors, and $6.00 for students.  For more information, please call 717.260.1861, or visit the Museum's website at www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org.  

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