The Civil War reenactment in Zanesville on the Muskingum River begins on July 19
On July 19, the Muskingum River comes to life with a Civil War reenactment in which the passengers of the paddle steamer Lorena are shot at from the riverbank – and the boat shoots back.
“They don’t even tell me where the cannons are,” Captain Bill Page said of the special cruise, which features more than 50 actors and six or seven cannons along the coast to recreate a Civil War battle. “Every time they fire, the windows rattle.”
The 2024 Lorena Sternwheeler Civil Reenactment and Encampment will depart from Zane’s Landing Park on the west end of Market Street in downtown Zanesville on Friday, July 19th for its night cruise from 7:30-9:30 p.m. and costs $20 per ticket. You can also experience the ride on Saturday, July 20th for $22.50 per ticket from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., noon to 1:30 p.m., 2 to 3:30 p.m. or 4 to 5:30 p.m.
The sternwheeler itself is also part of the fun: it is loaded with a cannon at the front and on the boat there are actors with equipment and uniforms from the Civil War era.
“We have gunners on the boat with rifles shooting at them,” said Page, who earned his captain’s license in the U.S. Coast Guard and then worked as a yacht captain in Florida, running charters in the Caribbean. “It’s really great fun. We also have entertainment on the boat. A guitar player and his wife – they play Civil War music.”
There are also actors portraying Abe and Mary Lincoln. This year, they will be on the 10am and 12pm rides.
“When they join, they always step out of character,” Page said. “It’s like talking to Abe Lincoln himself.”
In addition, Civil War historian Steve Ball will provide entertainment during the Saturday rides.
Page said once the Lorena heads up the river and turns around at Riverside Park, there will also be an encampment there that people can observe or drive to later and interact with.
“They have campfires and all that,” Page said.
The Lorena Sternwheeler opens for river cruises in June and runs through October.
“We do public trips, private charters, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, a couple of weeks ago we had Mickey Mouse there,” Page said, noting that the public trips last about an hour. “We try to do something for the kids. We have special events for the kids, like a day where the kids can pilot the boat. Whatever you want to do.”
For tickets and more information about Lorena, visit visitzanesville.com/Lorena.
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