Civil War Reenactment - Johnston House, Half Moon Bay

MAKING HISTORY COME ALIVE

Saturday & Sunday, November 9 & 10
from 9am–5pm

Our mission is to educate to prevent war, not encourage it.

An Educational Adventure for the Whole Family

Veterans weekend (November 9th and 10th) will bring the National Civil War Association to the historic Johnston House on Higgins Canyon Road, Half Moon Bay, CA. This historical reenactment society specializes in bringing an important part of United States history alive for students and the public.

There will be a Union Army Camp and a Confederate Camp set up exactly as they were in the 1860’s. This group of reenactors are divided by Army rank and duties. They have the cavalry, sharp shooters, medical teams, cooking stations, weapon specialists, and canon brigades, all to be examined by spectators and school children. Special instructive tours will be given to educate us on the way of life at that time.

The Sutlers will also have a separate camp. These are the merchants and peddlers who followed the battles providing wares and clothing to the soldiers. These tents are as fascinating as the soldier encampments. The public is welcome to buy any of the wares that suit their fancy. You may see army jackets, ladies frocks and petticoats, bonnets, cooking utensils, cutlery, horse feeding canvas bags, journals, leather satchels and the like. They also sell books related the time.

Bring your family for a truly unique historical experience.

Schedule of Events

Friday, Nov. 8 – School children from local schools will visit the camps. Students will have special tours through the camps and historic instruction between 9am-2pm

Saturday, Nov. 9 – Public hours are 9am-5pm. Historic Battle Reenactment times at 11am and 2pm.

Sunday, Nov. 10 – Public hours are 9am-5pm. A Victorian-era Church service at 9:00am, with a choir and hymn books. There will be a special Veterans Day Memorial service and ceremony at 11am. The Historic Battle Reenactment will be at 1pm. (There may be two on Sunday, TBD.)

Admission: $15 / Children 10-13 & Seniors - $10 / under 10 – Free

Food Court, Wine and Beer booths open Saturday & Sunday

Absolutely no pets are allowed, it is not fair to the animal.

priority parking

For a limited time, presale ticketholders will automatically receive priority parking. Get your tickets online now!



Brown Paper Tickets Ticket Widget Loading...

Click Here to visit the Brown Paper Tickets event page.


Scenes from Civil War Reenactment

The Johnston House Foundation would like to thank the generous sponsors who made this educational experience a reality.

Grant sponsor

K&L Wines


Lee sponsors

Cameron’s Restaurant & Pub
JDM Financial, Jack McHugh
John Ryan & Associates, Accountants and Consultant
Sam’s Chowder House
Angelini Insurance
Half Moon Bay Grading & Paving, Inc.
Half Moon Bay Building & Garden, Inc.
Andreini Bros., Inc. & Co.
Ocean Colony Partners
Real Estate Funding Service, Inc.
Pasta Moon
Hassett Hardware

A very special thank you to our School sponsor, Republic Services, making it possible to bring 500 Students from Half Moon Bay schools. “There is nothing like making history come alive to stimulate a child’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning”, says Johnston House Foundation president, John Ryan.

The National Civil War Association (NCWA) is a not-for-profit reenacting organization dedicated to educating the public about the Civil War and the people involved. Through living history displays and battle reenactment, life during this turbulent time is presented in a way that brings the public closer to an understanding of this pivotal point in our shared history. Their educational program provides an opportunity for students to have dedicated and well researched reenactors paint a realistic picture of life during the war in a way that is very difficult to achieve in the classroom. It is, in effect, a unique and entertaining open-air classroom with educators who are experts in this field of study. Their program seeks to enrich the knowledge of our past and perhaps spark an interest in the student that will carry over into the study of American and World history.