Appomattox
Hours
Open Daily: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Address
159 Horseshoe Rd.
Appomattox, VA 24522
(Get Directions)
Phone
804–649–1861 ext. 200
The American Civil War Museum at Appomattox
The museum sits on one of the last battlefields of the Civil War. Just a mile and a half away, Robert E. Lee met with Ulysses S. Grant to discuss the terms of surrender. Visitors can explore over 400 artifacts, photographs, and documents, including the uniform and sword worn by General Robert E. Lee to the surrender. ACWM–Appomattox provides a unique insight into the American Civil War and its legacies.
On April 10, 2022, during Commemoration Week & Freedom Day,
the Museum officially began celebrating the 10th anniversary of ACWM-Appomattox.
Parking is available on-site and is included with admission.
†Active Duty pricing is not available online. Please present your Military ID to our Visitor Experience Staff at the front desk to receive free admission.
It took General Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Potomac almost a year to dislodge Robert E. Lee’s army from its defenses outside Petersburg and open the way to the Confederate capital of Richmond.
Gen. Robert E. Lee knew that his only chance of continuing the fight was to escape west and south to meet Gen. Joseph Johnston’s army in North Carolina. Lee and his army headed west across the Virginia countryside in an attempt to outrun U.S. forces. The Confederates desperately needed supplies, especially food, so they had to stay as close as possible to the railroad running from Petersburg to Lynchburg. The Union troops, however, did not give Lee much chance to use the railroad. They were able to capture and control key points along the way, constantly harassing the Confederates as they marched.
It was here, on the site of our museum, that part of the Union forces pursuing the Confederates stood their ground and effectively surrounded Lee’s beleaguered army. Lee determined the best course was to surrender. He met Grant at the McLean House just a mile and a half up the road from here.
ACWM-Appomattox, through its two galleries of exhibits with more than 400 objects, documents,and photographs, explores the Civil War and its legacies, beginning with the secession of the southern states,delving into the last two years of the war, and ending with the Reconstruction era and post-war reunification efforts.
A reconstructed, antebellum cabin aids us in sharing the history of the Robertson family in Appomattox and daily life and economics in mid-19th century rural Virginia.
Current Exhibits
Enacting Freedom (Temporary)
Black Virginians in the Age of Emancipation
In the age of Emancipation, freedom was more than just a word. Explore how African Americans from local Virginia communities experienced – and defined – freedom after enslavement, and how their experiences connect to our lives today.
This exhibit is a collaboration between the faculty and students of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech, and the American Civil War Museum. It was made possible in part by support from Virginia Humanities.
