It is every man’s dream to start a collection of something. Some people collect jewelry. Some collect coins, and some collect clothes and other random things. Duffy Neubauer collects weapons and artifacts from the Civil War, and he displays his collection in his very own museum called the Starkville Civil War Arsenal.

Neubauer’s museum, which he divides into four rooms, is full of details and character. The first area you go into is filled with plenty of weapons and images of the Civil War, from projectiles sitting against the wall to pictures of the war on the wall. Neubauer greets all his guests in this area and allows them to get a feel for the room. He also always gives visitors opportunities to ask additional questions in this first room.

The room is full of history, and Neubauer explains all of this as you walk through his collections with him. For example, he explained that horses played a crucial part in the war, and these horses needed shoes. Due to the landscape and constant movement of the horses, the horses needed new shoes frequently, so the people in the war had to constantly supply these horses with shoes through this thing called a traveling forge.

The second room features traveling forges, workshops on wheels with mobile blacksmiths who helped repair wagons and cannons, in addition to shoes for the horses. These forges were also assigned to different batteries, or groups, to help specific batteries in battle, so they became known as battery forges too. This room with the forges screams 1860s and truly serves as an appreciation of the past. Neubauer preserves things in this room that people rarely learn in history class — like the importance of horseshoes.

These forges are also huge, making it easy to understand why some of the horses needed new shoes to keep moving.

Once guests travel through the room with the forges, they can move on to the third room: the Cannon Room. In this room, there is a lot of information, richness and history. There is a cannon from the actual war made in 1847. To touch the cannon and also see a picture of it in battle is an experience in itself.

Neubauer shows off his love for interactive photography in this room. He includes pictures that can help the audience really see the image of the artifact being used in battle.

Another artifact included is something called a sweet gum mortar. A mortar is a portable, indirect-fire artillery weapon that fires explosive shells at a steep, high-arching trajectory to attack targets that are hidden by terrain or structures. Usually, most military mortars are made from steel, but the sweet gum mortar is made from a sweet gum tree. Neubauer features this cannon in the museum and even has a YouTube video explaining its history.

Last but not least, guests can explore the wagon and ambulance room. This section sticks out especially since Neubauer handcrafted and built these replicas, as well as most of the things inside of his museum. The ambulance is very unique. Guests can visualize seeing a soldier being carried in this vehicle with no hope of immediate treatment, reminding them not to take anything for granted.

When asked about his life story, the man behind the museum, Duffy Neubauer, talked about growing up in Wisconsin before he came to Starkville in 1979 to work at Mississippi State University as a track and field coach. He also worked in the Humphrey Coliseum from 1998 to 2015 as Operations Coordinator, making him an employee of the university for a total of 36 years.

Neubauer spoke about his purpose for the museum that he has built in the Starkville community he made home.

“[The museum is] just my own personal passion. I believe everyone has a passion,” Neubauer said. “When people go inside the rooms and go, ‘wow,’  that puts excitement inside of me.”

Neubauer has two family members who were in the Civil War. His great-grandfather was a soldier, and his great-great-uncle was a wagon builder. He has other family members who have served since then, as well. His grandfather served in World War I, and his father in World War II. They serve as an inspiration for him as he seeks to influence people with the museum.

Neubauer has a goal set for every person who comes to the museum. He wants “for everyone after they leave to become more of a positive person.”

The museum has already influenced people. Neubauer claims people have come from many different countries all over the world to view his museum.

Neubauer’s passion also helps directly on Mississippi State University’s campus. Louie Gallo, managing editor at the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, talked about the help and effort Neubauer has poured into the library. Gallo said they often call Neubauer when the museum receives historic weapons and related items.

“We call Duffy in to get his perspective and pick his brain,” Gallo said.

Neubauer’s knowledge of the Civil War and collection make Starkville better, and Gallo called the museum “a hidden gem that complements the library.”