Virtual Tour of Washington's Field Headquarters
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Made possible by a generous grant from the State Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania
With additional thanks to Richard and Terry Corkran for their in-kind support
Photography by Brandon Hull (HULLFILM) -
Welcome to the Museum of the American Revolution’s new Virtual Tour of Washington's Field Headquarters, part of the Museum's First Oval Office Project. Immerse yourself in 360-degree panoramic images of a recreated Revolutionary War encampment, including the Museum's handsewn, full-scale replicas of General George Washington's sleeping marquee, dining tent, baggage tent, and common tents. Plus, step inside Washington's sleeping marquee, view high-resolution images of replica artifacts and wartime equipment, watch a timelapse of the encampment set-up, and learn more about Washington's mobile headquarters while on campaign with the Continental Army.
The Virtual Tour of Washington's Field Headquarters was named a 2023 Webby Award Nominee in the Metaverse, Immersive & Virtual Science & Education category, ranking in the top 10% of the more than 14,000 projects entered.
How to Use
Navigating the recreated encampment in the Virtual Tour of Washington's Field Headquarters is simple. Use your mouse, trackpad, or finger to move left or right and up or down for a full, immersive experience. View the video below for additional tips and tricks to get the most out of your Virtual Tour of Washington's Field Headquarters.
An Immersive Tour of Washington's Field Headquarters
Explore handsewn tents and reproductions of wartime equipment, learn about Washington's life on campaign and the work of his military "family," and investigate how we learned what we know and what historical mysteries still remain.
General Washington's Sleeping Marquee
Washington's "marquee" is a large tent. When viewed from above, it is an oval measuring 14 feet by 23 feet. Its rope "guylines" fan out around the tent creating a footprint that measures about 45 feet by 36 feet. The tent is 12 feet tall at its tallest points. With only a few wooden poles, the majority of the structure is hemp rope and flax linen fabric.
Dining Tent
Washington's large, open dining marquee was where he hosted large councils of war and formal meals. It is a long oval, measuring about 28 feet long by 16 feet wide, and almost 12 feet tall, making it likely among the largest tents used by the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Many of its exterior details and construction techniques are the same as the sleeping marquee.
Baggage Tent
This smaller tent is sometimes called a "horseman's tent" because it was a style used by cavalry soldiers. Unlike the "common tents" found in the recreated encampment, the baggage tent has low walls. That made it roomier, so common cavalry soldiers had room to store saddles and other equipment as well as space to sleep. It was also the sort of tent used by lower-ranking officers.
Common Tents
Soldiers like those in the Commander in Chief's Guard slept in wedge-shaped tents called "common tents." They were, indeed, the most common type of tents. Like Washington's tents, common tents were made of linen and hemp fabric. They even worked basically the same way, with two upright poles and a ridge pole supporting the canvas, which was staked down along its edges to provide tension.
Made possible by a generous grant from the State Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania
With additional thanks to Richard and Terry Corkran for their in-kind support
Photography by Brandon Hull (HULLFILM)
Take a closer look at the different parts of General George Washington's sleeping marquee.
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Washington's War Tents
First Oval Office Project
