St. Louis Launches New Website to Mark 150th Anniversary of Civil War

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION:                            
Everett Dietle
Missouri History Museum
314-454-3178 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Donna Andrews
St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission
314-421-1023

Your readers should call 1-800-916-0040 (USA and Canada)
or 1-314-421-1023 for a free copy of the Official St. LouisVisitors Guide.

ST. LOUIS – With the launch of freedomsgateway.com, organizations, attractions and individuals now can conveniently map out plans to commemorate the (2011-2015) sesquicentennial of America’s Civil War while learning more about the important role the St. Louis area played during this watershed period in American History.

Developed as collaboration by the St. Louis CVC, the Missouri History Museum, Metro, the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, the Jefferson National Parks Association, and Bellefontaine Cemetery, freedomsgateway.com allows people to access comprehensive event, exhibit and area information in addition to providing educational and exploratory resources.

“The St. Louis metropolitan area has a significant story to tell regarding its role before, during and after the Civil War and a wealth of resources to do so,” said Kathleen “Kitty” Ratcliffe, president of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission (CVC). “Freedomsgateway.com is another great resource to help people explore and experience the pivotal role St. Louis played in this conflict.”

The new website includes tabs to * Events and Attractions * such as the Ulysses S. Grant Historic Site, the Missouri History Museum, The Old Courthouse, Bellefontaine Cemetery and the Gateway Arch. It also has a * Signature Events * page that places visitors into the heart of the Civil War and provides them with key information on special events and exhibits like “Camp Jackson: The Tipping Point,” scheduled for April 29-May 1 at Jefferson Barracks County Park.

Visitors can experience St. Louis in 1861 as reenactors depict the events and daily routines in the state sanctioned camp of the Missouri Volunteer Militia in the days leading up to what would become known around the nation as the “Camp Jackson Affair.”

“The Civil War and the deep divisions it caused had such a profound effect that we are still living with the consequences,” said Dr. Robert R. Archibald, President of the Missouri History Museum. “Examining that grim time and our region’s part in it is an experience that can illuminate the present and brighten our hopes for the future.”

Other Freedom’s Gateway partners include CityFool.tv, Discover St. Louis, Drury Hotels, Campbell House, Hanley House, JRS Design+Art, Acumen Consulting, Eugene Field House, Soldiers Memorial, and Lafayette Park Conservancy.

Formed in 2008, Freedom’s Gateway facilitates awareness, interest, learning, and participation by a wide variety of audiences in the many events that will be held throughout the sesquicentennial.

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MEDIA NOTE: For more information or photography of St. Louis, send an e-mail. For up-to-date information about St. Louis, your readers should call the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission at 1-800-916-0040 or check out our website.