Re-discovering the past

Historical documents come alive at HMNS's Civil War exhibition, but Houston isavoided

Amputation kit. By the end of the war, surgeons took less than a minute toamputate a body part.
Unidentified Member of the Duryee’s Zouaves 5th New York Infantry. Thesehard-fighting soldiers fought in the Seven Days Battles, the Second Battle ofBull Run at Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville beforemustering out on May 14, 1863.
General Grant at the Battle of Belmont by Alexander Simplot. Alexander worked asa special correspondent for Harper’s Weekly and covered the war along theMississippi River and in Missouri. He would send his drawings to New York sothat they could be published. Harper’s Weekly considered it fast if they couldprint a picture within two weeks of it being drawn.
Unidentified Drummer, 12th Wisconsin Infantry. Boys as young as 11 could enlistto carry the drum into battle. When not on the battlefield, these musicianswould assist surgeons with medical needs such as amputations.
Virginia Cavalry officer’s hat with black ostrich feathers plume
This colorful “Union Defenders Certificate” was included with an application forpension by Hannah Hotchkiss, whose son, Leonard, died while serving with CompanyB of the 30th Iowa Infantry.
Dance Army Revolver .44 Caliber and Dance Navy Revolver .36 Caliber,manufactured by J.H. Dance & Brothers, Columbia and Anderson, Texas. The companyproduced about 135 .36 caliber and 350 .44 caliber revolvers under contract forthe state of Texas.
Rope Tension Side Drum with Infantry Eagle Made by Charles E. Town, Bath, Maine,ca 1862. This drum was used by Priv. Alpheus Holbrook, 19th Maine Infantry. Thedrum is fitted with modern replacement drum heads and rope, but the eightleather tugs are original.

The billboard advertisements for the new Discovering the Civil War exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural Science strike a heavy tone, asking "What have we done?" in all caps.

There are many more questions raised inside the exhibit, put together in part by the National Archives, but while the events may be haunting, the visuals are designed to draw visitors in.

As the title suggests, this isn't about going over the facts of the Civil War as we know them — the battles, the politics, and the like. Instead, the exhibit focuses on the small-scale effects of the war, and how events affected real people of the time.

Think all this is ancient history? Curators specifically avoided choosing an area near Houston to avoid potentially inflaming any old wounds.

The walls layer photographs, letters and other documents of the era, blown up and grouped around specific events and personal experiences: Citizens arguing over secession, 14-year-olds writing letters from the battlefield, doctors securing patents for new prosthetic limbs. There's a lot to read, sure, but the focused subject matter and the interactive visual and audio displays are engaging.

There are some particularly interesting vignettes, including a section on Civil War spies, the tools they used to code messages and the scientific advancements spawned by the war. History buffs will want to check out the original declaration of secession by South Carolina from 1860, an original copy of the 13th Amendment and, from Feb. 16 to 21, 2012, Lincoln's original Emancipation Proclamation. (Until then, visitors can see a replica.)

There are also diplomatic letters, including one in Chinese, a census book that includes Confederate president Jefferson "Jeff" Davis, and a ledger of crimes committed against blacks in Texas and the response.

Think all this is ancient history? Curators specifically avoided choosing an area near Houston to avoid potentially inflaming any old wounds.

When you're bored of historic documents, head to the second part of the exhibit, which features an amazing range of artifacts assembled by Houston Civil War collector John Nau. There are Union and Confederate uniforms, guns (including one that doubles as a grinder) and other battlefield relics.

There's also a special section devoted to the battle for control over the port of Galveston and the USS Westfield, which was rediscovered in 2005 and is being excavated and restored by the Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation at Texas A&M.

It's a big, splashy exhibit, and there are plenty of items to examine, but Discovering the Civil War struggles to escape the feeling that making it through is akin to eating one's vegetables. There's a lot to take in, but the work is worthwhile.

"Discovering the Civil War" is on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science through April 29, 2012.

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Concert News

Goo Goo Dolls slide into Houston on 2025 tour with Dashboard Confessional

Photo courtesy of Goo Goo Dolls

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The rock band Goo Goo Dolls will hit the road in 2025 with their Summer Anthem Tour, a 41-date trek that will include a stop at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land on Thursday, July 16.

The Houston-area date and one in Fort Worth on July 16 will be the second and third concerts on the tour after it kicks off in Phoenix, Arizona on July 13. The massive North American tour will continue through September 12.

The band, led by John Rzeznik and Robby Takac, will perform a career-encompassing set that will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their breakthrough 1995 album, A Boy Named Goo, and feature multiple songs from their 2022 album, Chaos in Bloom.

They'll be joined on all dates by special guest Dashboard Confessional.

Although generally considered a '90s band, Goo Goo Dolls actually released their first album in 1987. They waited eight years and five albums before their first major hit, "Name," which led the way toward songs like "Iris" and "Slide" becoming '90s anthems.

The band has released 14 studio albums in their career, and according to statement by Rzeznik, they are putting together a 15th release that may also be showcased during the tour.

A local pre-sale will be on Thursday, November 21 from 10 am to 10 pm before the public on-sale starts on Friday, November 22 at 10 am. Tickets can be purchased at googoodolls.com/tour.

Goo Goo Dolls will be partnering with Joe Torre Safe At Home for the tour, a nonprofit founded in 2002 by Ali and Joe Torre to provide healing and education services to youth who have been traumatized by exposure to violence including domestic violence, child abuse, teen dating abuse and sexual assault to help break the cycle of violence.

GOO GOO DOLLS LIVE

Saturday, July 13, 2025 - Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Financial Theatre
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 - Fort Worth, TX - Dickies Arena
Thursday, July 17, 2025 - Sugar Land, TX - Smart Financial Centre
Saturday, July 19, 2025 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP
Sunday, July 20, 2025 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 - Atlanta, GA - Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
Wednesday, July 23, 2025 - St Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Friday, July 25, 2025 - Charlotte, NC - Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
Saturday, July 26, 2025 - Raleigh, NC - Red Hat Amphitheater
Sunday, July 27, 2025 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap - Filene Center
Tuesday, July 29, 2025 - Boston, MA - LeaderBank Pavilion
Wednesday, July 30, 2025 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Broadview Stage at SPAC
Friday, August 1, 2025 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
Saturday, August 2, 2025 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
Sunday, August 3, 2025 - Philadelphia, PA - The Mann Center
Tuesday, August 5, 2025 - Bangor, ME - Maine Savings Amphitheater
Wednesday, August 6, 2025 - Gilford, NH - BankNH Pavilion
Friday, August 8, 2025 - Bridgeport, CT - Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
Saturday, August 9, 2025 - Buffalo, NY - KeyBank Center
Saturday, August 10, 2025 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage
Tuesday, August 12, 2025 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center
Wednesday, August 13, 2025 - Chicago, IL - Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
Friday, August 15, 2025 - Indianapolis, IN - Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
Saturday, August 16, 2025 - Sterling Heights, MI - Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre
Monday, August 18, 2025 - Waite Park, MN - The Ledge Amphitheater
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 - La Vista, NE - The Astro
Thursday, August 21, 2025 - St. Louis, MO - Saint Louis Music Park
Friday, August 22, 2025 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
Sunday, August 24, 2025 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 - West Valley City, UT - Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Thursday, August 28, 2025 - Airway Heights, WA - Northern Quest Resort & Casino
Friday, August 29, 2025 - Bend, OR - Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Sunday, August 31, 2025 - Seattle, WA - Venue TBD
Monday, September 1, 2025 - Seattle, WA - Venue TBD
Thursday, September 4, 2025 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre
Saturday, September 6, 2025 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
Sunday, September 7, 2025 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Zoo Amphitheatre
Friday, September 12, 2025 - Camdenton, MO - Ozark Amphitheater

concerts music goo goo dolls

Re-discovering the past

Historical documents come alive at HMNS's Civil War exhibition, but Houston isavoided

Concert News

Goo Goo Dolls slide into Houston on 2025 tour with Dashboard Confessional

Michelin Guide removes shuttered Houston Vietnamese restaurant

15 food and drink specials saluting Houston's heroes on Veterans Day

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