Petersburg, Virginia -
Pamplin Historical Park - Virtual Civil War Battle

This is a civil war museum, but it's different from the typical National Park Service museum because it's privately owned and uses modern technology. You pick a Civil War soldier to follow through the war and are given a portable CD player with narration about his life. In each room of the museum the CD player tells you about whatever subject that room is devoted to -- disease, religion, etc.

The best part is the section that is meant to show you what it was like to be in a Civil War battle, with videos of soldiers attacking and sub-woofers in the floor to create the sensation of explosions. It doesn't give a very good sense of what the Civil War was like, but it does scare small children, as any good roadside attraction should.

Otherwise the place is pretty cheesy. They charge a hefty admission ($12 as I recall). [Willie Zaza, 08/11/2001]