Events Planned to Mark Sesquicentennial of the Hunley’s Historic Mission

For more information contact: For Immediate Release:
Kellen Correia at 843.743.4865, x.32 February 4th, 2014

All across the nation, sesquicentennial celebrations of important historic events surrounding the American Civil War have been taking place. The Hunley will soon hit this milestone in two weeks. February 17th will mark the 150th anniversary of the Hunley’s against-all-odds mission that changed naval warfare for all time. On that date, the Hunley became the world’s first successful combat submarine then vanished without a trace. She ushered in a legacy of technology and discovery that continues to this very day.

Though normally only open on the weekend for public tours, extended weekday tours will be available as well as living history programs and special discounts. The schedule for the Hunley Sesquicentennial is as follows:

Friday, February 14th – Military Appreciation Day

• Tours available from 10AM-5PM
• Active and retired military will receive 50% discount on tickets
• Full dress honor guard and living history scenes

Saturday, Feb. 15th – Sunday Feb. 16th – Golden Celebration Days

• Tours available Saturday from 10AM-5PM and Sunday 12PM-5PM
• On each day, the first 150 guests will receive free replicas of the Hunley Captain’s life-saving gold coin
• Full dress honor guard and living history scenes

Saturday, February 15th-Evening Reception and Presentation: The Men Behind the Machine

• Warren Lasch Conservation Center from 6:00PM- 8:30PM
• Tickets: $50.00
• Cocktail hour with light hors de vors and bar including private viewing of the submarine hosted by experts conducting the preservation work followed by a presentation by Forensic genealogist Linda Abrams. She has been researching the biographies of the submarine pioneers that manned the Hunley for over a decade. Using the latest available information, she will share the stories of each of the crewmembers and, when known, how they came to be on the submarine that fateful night.

Monday, Feb. 17th – Sesquicentennial Day

• Tours 10AM-5PM
• All tickets $1.50 (ticket price is normally $12)
• Living history presentation and memorial service at Breach Inlet, where the Hunley and crew left land for the last time with a mission to make world history. Visit www.csatrust.org for more information on the service.

The Hunley Project
On the evening of February 17, 1864, the H. L. Hunley became the world’s first successful combat submarine by sinking the USS Housatonic. After signaling to shore that the mission had been accomplished, the submarine and her crew of eight mysteriously vanished. Lost at sea for over a century, the Hunley was located in 1995 by Clive Cussler’s National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA). The innovative hand-cranked vessel was raised in 2000 and delivered to the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, where an international team of scientists are at work to conserve the submarine for future generations and piece together clues to solve the mystery of her disappearance. The Hunley Project is conducted through a partnership with the Clemson University Restoration Institute, South Carolina Hunley Commission, Naval History & Heritage Command, and Friends of the Hunley.