If you're a Civil War buff or interested in learning about the Civil War, this is the place to come. The Staff are very, very knowledgeable & are very friendly. My dad has donated some Civil War items to them. Pretty cool place. read more

Great historical site. Took my students on a field trip and was very well organized into stations. Costumed staff helped set the mood for learning. We were able to use their park across the street for lunch. read more

The Drum Barracks were an awesome experience!!! If you have any interest in local history it's a must see. The only Civil War barracks that has survived in LA to this day. It's just down the street from the Banning House that was built around the same time. My girl Alta and I had a personal tour around the place . Our Docent( dressed in Civil War soldiers uniform ) was the absolute best . He knew all the players and dates better than an encyclopaedia. ( showing my age). Had a great afternoon and were ready to go again ... read more

Drum Barracks Civil War Museum is, to use a much over-used phrase, a hidden gem. It's located in the last remaining building of military barracks that were to house military personnel during the Civil War in Los Angeles. And, it was named after Lt. Col. Drum and housed actual solders, not just military drummers as I mistakenly thought. Apparently, Southern California was a hotbed of Confederate sympathizers and the Union Army in its wisdom took strong steps to keep Confederate soldiers at bay. Thank goodness. You will learn a lot more about California and Los Angeles history when you visit. ***The museum can be seen on a scheduled tour only.*** Please consult the website for hours. Our docent Liz was informative, knowledgable and answered all the questions posed to her. The tour takes you within the living quarters of the soldiers and each room is furnished in historical style. A true highlight for me was being able to see a document with an actual Abraham Lincoln signature. My favorite president ever. Check the website here for info and tour times: http://www.drumbarracks.org/index.php/en/visit-the-drum-barracks/tours There is a gift shop with tons of books on Civil War history, as well as souvenirs. Free ample parking in the lot. Street parking. ($5 donation requested.) read more

See all

This is a small civil war museum that rests in an old drum barrack. The building is in good shape, with well maintained wood paneling, wooden stairways and original glass in the windows. Rooms house well preserved furniture, clothes, munitions and other personal effects from previous tenants. Museum is good for a 30-60 min trip for those with young kids. I can see adults taking longer to really read the descriptions and talk with the docents. While the barrack is sizable, the lot on which it rests is not. To the left and right, the museum is flanked by regular residential housing. It's kind of weird to peak past the fence and see a modern house with kid swing. Or to look out the windows and see the sidewalk packed full of parked Toyotas, Hondas, Fords, etc. We came for a special Christmas event where men were dressed in Civil War uniforms and ladies were dressed in hooped Victorian dresses. A horse drawn carriage took kids around for a small ride down a few blocks. No photography indoors. I broke this rule in the name of Yelp. Enjoy! read more

See all

Definitely enjoined this tour! The tour guide was extremely educated and informative of all the history pertaining the city of Wilmington before and after the Civil War. Tons of actual artifacts both original to the house and location and to the 1800s, wonderful replicas, pictures, displays etc.. The tour guide takes you into each room one at a time and goes into amazing detail. The intense smell to history is amazing, what you see, smell, feel, truly creates an amazing connection and understanding to history. We were attracted to this location because we have heard it is haunted, although we didn't see any apparitions you could definitely hear sounds all over the house when it was just us four and our tour guide. Each room had the sent of very old items, but the entertainment room definitely smelled the strongest and you strangely smell a fresh smell of cigars! Our tour guide was awesome enough to let us in on her experiences while working there as well as the experiences her coworkers have had. We cant wait to come back during the Halloween candle light event tour they offer. We also heard it is very fun during their Christmas event and a civil war reenactment event. I truly recommend this place, I believe they have two tours a day on Saturday and just request a small donation of your choice. read more

See all

Can say enough about the Drum Barracks Civil War Technology Fair this year. Thanks to all who make it possible. Looking forward to next years event. Great learning experience for the whole family. read more

See all

George was very friendly and provided us with a wonderful tour! We appreciated his vast knowledge of and passion for Civil War history. There were so many interesting stories to hear and historical artifacts to see. It felt safe to visit during these Covid times, as they keep group sizes small and follow other safety protocols. Definitely make plans to visit here and then Banning Residence Museum on the same day, as they're just minutes away from each other. Loved learning more about the history of these parts at both museums today- will definitely be back! read more

Your only Los Angeles Civil War historic park in Southern California. We had a lovely tour guide who gave a great tour of the officer's barracks of Fort Drum. A wonderful historic resource for all interested in the California's role in the Civil War. Warning: camel trivia may be included in the tour. read more

Great place and had fun at their Civil War Technology Event. Everyone was so passionate and did a great job sharing their knowledge. My dad appreciates the accuracy of the history they shared. read more

See all

The South Bay/Harbor region doesn't have a lot by way of history. Much of it is the creation of late nineteenth century industrialists with the added influx of people following the Cold War's revitalization of defense/aerospace industries in the 1950's. But enough of those boring words. You came here looking for CIVIL WAR MUSEUM! Yes, that's right, I know you did. And for that, The Drum Barracks delivers, offering the only Southern California military outpost, ordered by a nervous Lincoln administration after seeing the sheer number of Confederate sympathizers in the region of the new state. Drum Barracks operated from the 1860s to the 1870s and administered Southern California and Arizona. When you think of the Civil War, you really don't think of California, and with good reason. However, there were soldiers here, and they fought in a scant number of battles, including several border skirmishes in Arizona. That said, Drum Barracks still makes na interesting visit. The Barracks consists of one or two remaining buildings from the much larger site, and tells an in-depth history of Victorian California and the Civil War by excited, animated guides. (Or at least mine was. Your experience may vary. This is mine. I'm also an American history teacher, so I love this stuff) You'll see displays on Civil War weaponry, on the U.S. Army's ill-fated attempt to use camels as desert pack animals, and a lot about the early days in the area. However, what most of the locals care about are the GHOSTS. That's right, the ghosts. Basically, Drum Barracks is L.A.'s equivalent of San Diego's Whaley House. Both are legendary for their "ghost sightings" and are frequent locations for paranormals to visit. I don't' hold much credence with the ghost theory myself, but they'll show you an Unsolved Mysteries video that documented the ghost phenomenon and also discuss what several mediums have said. (My friends really wanted to know). All in all, it's worth it: for a small donation you get history, an hour of info, and GHOSTS. 'Nuff said. read more

There are few things on this earth that interest me less than the Civil War, so the first time I went to the Drum Barracks I pretty much had to be dragged, whining all the way (and I'm an old codger), dreading endless recitations of who fought whom at the battle of such-and-such. Fortunately, our guide and docent was most enthusiastic, full of such rich gems of history, local folklore and stuff you wouldn't expect, that I was captivated. Some of the rooms have been done over to display a Victorian bedroom (where the commanding officer might have slept), a Victorian parlor (with the most wonderful old square pianos), and an upstairs room full of rifles, bayonets, daggers and other instruments of mayhem, including a huge and mesmerizing Gatling gun. There's a well-stocked (euphemism for 'crammed to the rafters') library where one can browse, look at pictures, or seriously research any ancestors who may have fought in the conflict; hallways with photos of camels and gaunt bearded men and severe-looking women; and another room tricked out as a typical campsite, where one can marvel at the primitive and frankly awful conditions under which the soldiers lived for months at a time. All this was so much more than I expected that I've been back on multiple occasions, and there's always something new to be seen, from the hundred-year-old climbing rose vine to the peculiar wooden leg worn by somebody or other. On various occasions they really gussy the place up (Christmas in particular comes to mind, though there are several celebrations during the course of the year) and invite "re-enactors" who show up in Civil War uniforms and pitch their tents, as the museum's female staffers don hoop skirts and go floating about like giant tea cozies. Often there's even live period music, played on the square pianos, violins and concertina. I suppose there's a great deal of educational value to be had here, but frankly I'm just in it for the entertainment, of which there is even more. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Drum Barracks Civil War Museum - Drum Barracks from Banning Blvd side - Museums Near Me - Wilmington, California

See all

I've long heard about this place. I remember it from a piece on Unsolved Mysteries. It's supposedly haunted by US Union soldiers. So with that said I was looking forward to our visit. They have set your times and those are the only time you are allowed to see the house. We had a young girl leading our tour. I really expected a docent or something. Anyway, I thought she seemed to be very knowledgable and was nice. The most interesting part of the tour was a document with Abraham Lincoln's signature on it. Apparently you enter on the back of the house. The tour does take you to the front entrance but only for a quick minute. I wish I had more time to take in the front. Nothing as far as ghosts go, not a mention by our tour leader. I saw no ghosts either. Also, there are no pictures allowed inside. I did however sneak in a few. All in all it was a nice experience. read more

Drum Barracks Civil War Museum - Museums Near Me - Wilmington, California

See all

Very cool museum hidden in a residential section of Wilmington. Civil War post? In California??? Plus Camels? Plus ghosts?? Interesting piece of California history. Whoda thunk? I highly recommend checking out the ammo bldg down the street too. Sucks that they don't let you take pictures inside and you don't get to walk around on your own. But.. I did get to wear the Civil War bonnet that I got there last time and not have people look at me funny... I so rarely get to wear it. :) read more

excellent place to come and bring kids so they can leqrn more about culture and what happened years ago.... My daugthers love coming here... walk arround and enjoy at bannings garden too read more

Just loved visiting this place with some of our pals on 9/23. Some were history buffs, but most of us were there to investigate the paranormal activity rumored to take place inside the museum. I've captured many orb shots in old buildings in recent years, but this one was particularly interesting, as the orb seems to not only be moving, but contain lettering inside the orb. Maybe it's the ID# of a deceased prisoner or soldier? Many of the docents shared stories about their paranormal experiences, which made this place even more fascinating to me. read more

Housed in the last remaining wooden structure (the Junior Officers' Quarters) of what were once 22 buildings on a 60-acre, Union Army training and supply depot is a wonderful collection of photographs, artifacts, period furnishings and clothing, recreated rooms, weapons, munitions, and archival records. There is an extensive library of Civil War records (both Union and Confederate) and resource books. There is also very interesting information on the army's ultimately unsuccessful experiment of using camels for military transport. Our group's docent, a very knowledgeable and personable young woman named America Lopez, gave us a fascinating tour of the museum, library, and remaining grounds. We spent two hours at Drum Barracks and could happily have stayed even longer, but families with school-age children could easily go through in an hour. In December, there is an annual, interactive program portraying Christmas time during the Civil War era. Admission at that time is free to the public. During the rest of the year, admission is $5; $4 to AAA members. Other than at Christmas, only guided tours (not self-guided) are available to the public. Call ahead to schedule a visit or to use the resource library. There is free parking on-site. Drum Barracks is in Wilmington near the Port of Los Angeles, a very heavily industrialized area, but it is only about a 10 minutes' drive to downtown Long Beach and the Aquarium of the Pacific. It would be easy to combine a tour of Drum Barracks with a visit to the Aquarium, harbor cruises, or lunch or dinner at a Long Beach restaurant. read more

I found out about this place searcing for something else on yelp and i saved it so i could take my family here. Well about 2 weeks later we are here. It was a pretty cool tour. Learned alot about the Civil War that i didnt know. They have a gaitling gun there and that was pretty cool to see. My daughter was tripping out about what the soliders had to do to take care of themselves, like not taking baths and also the women would make things from there hair that would fall out from brushing it. read more

Nothing that extrodinary, but a fun visit and tour. Super fast tour, not a day event, so look for other activities if your gonna make the drive. read more

Wonderful museum that fills in some hidden corners of Civil War history in California. Although it is small and only has a few actual relics that were part of the fort's history the staff has done an adequate job of preventing this site from being erased. I thank them for that read more

Drum Barracks Civil War Museum - Museums Near Me - Wilmington, California

See all

Our tour guide for the day, Liz, was incredibly knowledgeable & helpful. Our guided tour only cost $4/person & was well worth the cost. Fair warning that the tour lasts about 2 hours. Since we went after work, I was not comfortable in my boots. Otherwise, a great experience overall. I would bring my kids here when they're older & would appreciate history more. I'd also be interested in their Christmas event coming up that offers a ride between the barracks museum to the Banning house. The place will probably look gorgeous with Christmas decorations. read more

A very interesting and educational place. I would love to come back for a private tour. Kind of small though

I came here for a tour a long time ago with my bro and my dad. It was like a fun real life history class! Several creepy things did happen. But there's one thing that I have to share. After developing our pics, I found a photo I took of the outside. You are not going to believe what I saw. I don't believe what I saw. There was a disembodied head that looked like a bald Beetle Juice in the flowers. Honest. read more

Went to see this place to get some information on some Civil War tintypes and take a tour. Turned out to be a nice place. The young man that gave us the tour was very knowledgeable, Britain was his name. read more

Don't bother. One has to be part of their tour. No self-touring allowed. They didn't want to change their schedule to ours. We were the only car in the parking lot on a Saturday afternoon. No photos allowed inside the museum. How come? read more

If you like history this hidden gem is a must see! Brian was our tour guide and he was Awesome! His knowledge and passion made this worth the trip. read more

This is a small but very well done little museum. I am from the east coast and I never realized how important California was in the debate over slavery. One thing that was really nice is that unlike many civil war museums I've been to that tell stories we all "should" know, the Drum Barracks isn't preachy and doesn't make you feel like you're a dope for not knowing about their story. A nice change. AND I never realized that camels were used during the civil war! that's just fantastic, camels in southern California and camels in the civil war all at once, that's pretty cool. They have a nice gift shop too particularly if you are looking for small toys for kids to stick in a suitcase and bring home, or entertain them on a road trip. read more