What's New
Lynchburg Museum – Lynchburg
Early 2008 will mark the return of one of Virginia’s traditional historical museums with the reopening of the Lynchburg Museum and the Old Court House. After a near-catastrophic ceiling collapse, the building and exhibits have undergone a $2.1 million repair and enhancement. New exhibits and media programs will help make the museum a center for historical tourism in the Hill City.
Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park – Bristoe
A community preservation effort has resulted in a 127-acre park protecting the site of a Civil War battle. The Battle of Bristoe Station occurred in October 1863 after the campaign and battle of Gettysburg. Confederate general A.P. Hill authorized an ill-advised assault that resulted in significant casualties to a portion of his corps.
City Point Early History Museum – Hopewell
New exhibit tells the story of Hopewell’s only china factory. Nearly 100 pieces all made at the Hopewell factory are on display. Includes display on how china was made at Hopewell in the 1920s and 1930s.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden – Richmond
New and upgraded features include expansion of the Rose Garden from 3,000 square feet to 9,000 square feet. The garden will be home to more than 1,500 roses and is designed both for education and beauty. Opens spring/early summer 2008. A new daffodil area will open in conjunction with the American Daffodil Society national convention in Richmond. Scores of new bulb varieties will herald the onset of spring. Opening early March/late April 2008. From June 1 through October 15, Ginter visitors can experience A Feast for the Senses, an experience of the sight, touch, taste, smell and sound of plants.
Jamestown Settlement – Jamestown
A New World – England’s First View of America is the name of a new exhibit open from June 15 through October 15, 2008, at Jamestown Settlement. Watercolor drawings by John White, the earliest visual record by an Englishman of the flora, fauna and people of the New World will be on loan from the British museum and on display as a group for the first time in 40 years.
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center – Virginia Beach
A total renovation of the center’s galleries will result in new interpretation and presentation. Aquarium visitors will be taken on two journeys: a journey across water that focuses on the diverse natural habitats across Virginia today and a journey through the habitats of Virginia’s past in a new 12,000-square-foot gallery titled Restless Planet: A Journey Across the Planet that Brings You Closer to Home. Immersive habitats will look, feel, sound and smell like a Malaysian peat swamp, a coastal desert, the Red Sea and an active volcano. Opening 2008.
George C. Marshall Museum – Lexington
Since it was opened on the Virginia Military Institute post by president Lyndon B. Johnson, this museum has told the story of the incredible life of Virginia native son George C. Marshall, soldier and Nobel Prize-winner. A new exhibit, the Soldier of Peace Gallery, illustrates Marshall’s contributions in the post WWII years as Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense and as the head of the American Red Cross. On display is his Nobel Peace Prize medal awarded in 1953.
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum - Alexandria
This apothecary closed its doors in 1933 after 141 years in business, but now it is a museum showcasing over 8,000 original objects. Original apothecaries created their medicine onsite using herbs and other ingredients. Tours of the museum show how the apothecaries plied their trade and give a glimpse into the “drug stores” of early America.
Historic Mount Vernon – Mount Vernon
A reconstructed slave cabin on the George Washington: Pioneer Farmer site reflects the living conditions of slaves on the Mount Vernon plantation. The cabin is a major enhancement of the interpretation of slave life at Mount Vernon.
Museum of Military History – Portsmouth
A stunning private collection of military uniforms, weapons and memorabilia now has its own museum in historic Portsmouth. Artifacts and displays recount all wars in which America has participated.
Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier – Petersburg
The cutting edge technology found in Pamplin Historical Park’s museums and historic homes now finds its way outdoors. New self-guided tours presented on MP3 technology tell the stories of Tudor Hall Plantation, the Military Fortifications Exhibit and the Breakthrough Battlefield. MP3 players are available at the park and visitors can download audio tours from the website in advance for their personal players. Begins early 2008.
Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest
The summer home of Thomas Jefferson, Poplar Forest reveals the genius of the man in the same way as Monticello. Ongoing archaeological excavations and restorations make Poplar Forest a continuing historical work in progress. Jefferson’s innovative Service Wing will be in the final phases of that work in early 2008, allowing visitors another glimpse into the mind of America’s most famous Renaissance man.
Prince George Regional Heritage Museum – Prince George
A new museum celebrating the regional history of Prince George County will be housed in the 1883 Court House and Clerk’s Office, both of which have been restored to their original architectural features. Artifacts, collections, programs and exhibitions tell the story of the region from prehistoric times to present. Opens early 2008.
King’s Highway March to Freedom Trail – Prince William County
The King’s Highway, also known as the Potomac Path, was a stage and post route that Generals Washington and Rochambeau used to move their troops to the siege of Yorktown. New walking trail includes interpretive signage detailing the trail’s history.
Shirley Plantation – Charles City
One of Virginia’s most historic places, Shirley Plantation continues to enhance the visitor experience with expert restorations, interpretation and displays. The land- and river-side porticoes of the Great House have been completely restored and basement window jack arches have been returned to their original appearance, the latter after matching brick was successfully kilned on site after much experimentation. The original early 18th century kitchen has new interpretation that sheds light on the live of slaves and house servants. An archaeology room will showcase 40 years of excavations. Finally, an original military sword presented by Congress to midshipman Hill Carter in 1814 for gallantry returns to Shirley Plantation after having been on loan to the Virginia Historical Society since 1882.
Virginia Living Museum – Newport News
The museum has just added a new café featuring made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads, pizza and other delectables with indoor and outdoor seating areas. A new amphitheater overlooking Deer Park Lake will open in spring 2008 and will be used for animal programs and special events. It can also be rented for group events.
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts – Richmond
A special exhibition, Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism, will run from February 22 to May 11, 2008. Forty French and American paintings represent some of the finest examples of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century landscapes in the renowned collection of the Brooklyn Museum.
