October 10, 2026
Speaker Saturday: Women at War
Saturday, October 10, 2026
1 pm - 3pm
Explore the peculiar phenomenon of battlefield macabre tourism through the story of Braddock’s Defeat.
Join Fort Pitt Museum Living History Coordinator Lukas Smith for a look at the curious locals and travelers drawn to the site of the Battle of the Monongahela.
In July 1775, General Edward Braddock’s disastrous defeat on the banks of the Monongahela, present-day Braddock, Pa., marked a pivotal moment in Britain’s struggle with the French and their Native allies for control of the Forks of the Ohio.
But the battlefield’s story didn’t end with the fighting. For decades, the remains of Braddock’s soldiers lay improperly buried at the site, their bones attracting curious visitors and turning the battlefield into an early destination for “macabre tourism.”
Admission: The program is included with regular admission and will take place in the Fort Pitt Auditorium on the museum’s first floor.
