Tredegar Tree Lighting
2025-11-20 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
Kick off the holiday season with the official lighting of the Tredegar Tree! 480 Tredegar Street, Richmond VA

Join us at the popular Tredegar Tree Lighting as we officially illuminate the 20-foot-tall tree in the museum lobby! A Richmond holiday favorite, the lighting of the Tredegar Tree features live music by the Joe Sarver Trio and holiday cheer provided by Dogwood & Thistle Wine Company.

This event is family-friendly and free to the public. The Tredegar Tree is decorated with handcrafted, 19th-century–era-style ornaments and hundreds of lights . A great way to start the season!

5:30 PM: Doors open

6:30 PM: Tree lighting

Sponsored by The Wilton Companies

Winter Wander
2025-12-14 12:00 - 16:00
In partnership with the Valentine, we invite you to join us for some holiday cheer on the picturesque block of East Clay Street! Take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, enjoy a performance and partake in refreshments and family crafts.

This event is free and open to the public!

Tour the historic Court End neighborhood and hop on a free trolley for open houses and other activities at nearby cultural sites including us — the American Civil War Museum’s White House of the Confederacy!

There is also the John Marshall House, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the Poe Museum, Monumental Church, and Masons’ Hall!

Lunch & Learn: The Politics of Freedom and the Battle of Fredericksburg
2025-12-15 12:00 - 12:45
Moved to Dec 15 @ 12 p.m.

RESCHEDULED TO NEXT MONDAY, dECEMBER 15TH, DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS.

Part of our Lunch & Learn series! Bring your own lunch (or feel free to grab something to go from our neighbor, Daisy’s) and join us for this noontime talk in the ACWM—Tredegar lobby!

December Topic:

The Politics of Freedom & the Battle of Fredericksburg with Chuck Young

The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought in December 1862, a time when armies had ended active campaigning and were settling into their camps for the winter. However, President Abraham Lincoln desperately wanted a battlefield victory before the year ended to bolster support for the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Having replaced the lackluster and politically motivated General George McClellan at the head of the Army of the Potomac, he was counting on General Ambrose Burnside to provide victory and lend authority to the proclamation. Though inexperienced in overall command, could Burnside deliver?

Included with Museum Admission/ Free to Members

Santa Visiting Tredegar!
2025-12-20 10:30 - 14:00
Snap a photo with Santa! Enjoy holiday cheer and be part of this beloved community tradition. Mimosas available for purchase.

Santa will be ready for photos at 11am!

Sponsored by The Wilton Companies

Mornings at the Museum: Celebrating Christmas in the Civil War
2025-12-22 10:00 - 12:00
Decorations and food are a beloved part of celebrating the holiday season. Come craft your very own Civil War–era Christmas decorations and join us as we explore popular recipes from the Civil War and how civilians and soldiers adapted when ingredients became scarce.

Recommended for children!

Mornings at the Museum: Battling Boredom – Soldiers' Games Behind the Lines
2025-12-29 10:00 - 12:00
Step into the everyday lives of Civil War soldiers and discover how they stayed entertained between battles!

When soldiers weren’t fighting, they relied on creativity, camaraderie, and classic games to pass the time – many of which we still play today. Join us to make your own knapsack checkerboard and experience games from the civil war.

Recommended for children!

Lunch & Learn: Love in Lynchburg—Where North Met South
2026-01-12 12:00 - 12:45
Part of our Lunch & Learn series! Bring your own lunch (or feel free to grab something to go from our neighbor, Daisy’s) and join us for this noontime talk in the ACWM—Tredegar lobby!

January Topic:

The Slaughters of Lynchburg: Where North Met South with Robert Hancock

Mary Harker was a young Quaker girl from Mt. Holly, New Jersey. John Slaughter was a slaveholder living and working in Lynchburg, VA. In 1861 they had been married eight years and had three sons with a fourth child on the way. So how did these two people, with obviously disparate backgrounds, end up together?

John was teased that “the prettiest girl in New Jersey was marrying the ugliest man in Virginia.” Was it some sort of arranged marriage?

How did Mary reconcile her Quaker upbringing with managing a home with five enslaved servants? And would their relationship survive the war when Mary traveled home to her parents and John stayed to defend Lynchburg against an approaching Union army?

Included with Museum Admission/ Free to Members

In-Person Book Talk: After the Fire with Nelson Lankford
2026-01-22 18:00 - 19:15
Explore Richmond’s rebirth after the 1865 fire in After the Fire with Dr. Nelson Lankford in this compelling look at a city reshaped by war.

In April 1865, the war that had consumed Richmond for four years ended in a massive fire that nearly destroyed the city. As the smoke cleared, no one knew what kind of society would emerge to replace the world that had been lost. After the Fire offers a wide range of perspectives that bring this vanished moment to life—one marked by hardship, defeat, celebration, false starts, and the rise of Confederate nostalgia and attempts at racial reconciliation. The book traces the struggles of Confederates and Unionists, men and women, and Black and white residents as they fought to shape the postwar future of Virginia’s capital city.

For thirty years, Dr. Nelson D. Lankford edited the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, the quarterly journal of the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. He is the author or editor of eight books, the best known being Richmond Burning: The Last Days of the Confederate Capital. His new book, which he will discuss in this lecture, is its sequel. After the Fire: Richmond in Defeat continues the story of the city and its people in the aftermath of war and devastation.

Dr. Lankford is a native of Hampton, Virginia. He received his B.A. from the University of Richmond and his Ph.D. and MBA from Indiana University Bloomington.

5 PM: Members Reception

6 – 7:15 PM: Lecture followed by Book Signing

Lunch & Learn: Voices of Abolition
2026-02-02 12:00 - 12:45
Part of our Lunch & Learn series! Bring your own lunch (or feel free to grab something to go from our neighbor, Daisy’s) and join us for this noontime talk in the ACWM—Tredegar lobby!

February Topic:

Voices of Abolition with Kelly Hancock

In 1830, the first Negro Convention was held, marking the beginning of Black involvement in the abolition movement. However, the contributions of a few African Americans, with the exception of Frederick Douglass, are widely unknown today. From debates over colonization to moral suasion and outright violence, African Americans were at the forefront of shaping and maintaining the movement. This talk will shed light on several key individuals and their persistent efforts to bring about the end of slavery and achieve equality under the law.

Included with Museum Admission/ Free to Members

Relationships Forged in War Symposium (February 13—15)
2026-02-14 08:45 - 17:30
About the Symposium:

The American Civil War was not only a clash of armies and ideologies, but it also shaped and tested loyalty, friendship, family, and enmity on the battlefield and within the halls of government across a divided nation. The 2026 ACWM Symposium will explore human connections that emerged from conflict.

Symposium daylong event occurs on Saturday, February 14, 2026 from 9:30am-5:30pm. Doors Open: 8:45am

New to the symposium this year:

A full weekend Civil War history experience you may customize to your schedule and interests.This year we are pleased to provide more options and more opportunities to engage with the museum, symposium speakers, and our historians! Join small group tours of the collections, a special “Meet the Speakers” Q&A program and private reception in the museum, and ACWM historian-led battlefield tours on Friday and Sunday! Scroll down for more details.

LECTURES WILL BE PRESENTED BY:

•Dr. Jonathan White, Professor of American Studies, Christopher Newport University“Unlikely Collaborators: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the Promise of America”

•Dr. Brandi Brimmer, Morehead-Cain Alumni Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of African, African American, and Diaspora Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.“Black Women, Civil War Memory, and the U.S. Pension Bureaucracy”

•Dr. William C. “Jack” Davis, retired Executive Director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies and Professor of History at Virginia Tech.“Davis, Johnston, and Beauregard–The Triple-play that Crippled the Confederacy”

•Dr. Lindsay Privette, Associate Professor of History, Anderson University“Together at Vicksburg: Exploring the Bonds Between Commanders, Surgeons, and Soldiers”

•Dr. Caroline Janney, John L Nau, III, Professor in History of American Civil War, Director, John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History“From Partisan Warrior to Family Man: The Personal Relationships of John S. Mosby”

ticket options:

TICKET TYPES•General – $100•Member – $75•Student – $35

ADD-ONS•Friday: “Relationships Forged in War” Themed Collections Tours – $25 per person•Friday: Meet the Speakers & Reception in the Museum– $40•Saturday: Lunch – $12.50 (No Longer Accepting Lunch Orders)

•Friday & Sunday: Battlefield Tour – $35 PER PERSON

FRIDAY PROGRAM:

Meet the Speakers Q&A Program & Reception in the Museum

Join us Friday from 5-7:00pm at ACWM–Tredegar for the “Meet the Speakers” program. The talk starts in the auditorium at 5PM, followed by a reception at 6PM.

Friday, February 13th, 2026

5:00pm – 7:00pm

Collections TOURS:

“Relationships Forged in War” Themed Collections Tours

Join us Friday at ACWM-Tredegar for a “Relationships Forged in War” themed Collections Tour! Enjoy an intimate 8-person tour of our artifact collection led by Director of Collections, Robert Hancock.

Friday, February 13th, 2026

Slot Times: 2pm, 3pm, 4pm

Battlefield Tours:

Caravan tours: participants will drive their own vehicles to meet an ACWM historic site interpreter at the stops for an overview of troop movements and battles.

Overland Campaign

Friday, February 13th, 2026

9:00am – 3:00pm

The tour begins at the Germanna Visitor Center (2062 Germanna Hwy, Locust Grove VA) near the site where Grant’s army crossed the Rapidan River to begin the campaign. From there, the tour proceeds through the Wilderness Battlefield (NPS), stopping at Saunders Field and the Widow Tapp Farm. Following the route taken by Grant’s army, the tour moves on to the Spotsylvania Courthouse Battlefield (NPS) with stops at Laurel Hill, the Muleshoe, and the fortification exhibit. From there, the tour continues on to the North Anna Battlefield site, then to the Totopotomoy Creek Battlefield (NPS), and finally the Cold Harbor Battlefield (NPS). At Cold Harbor, the group will be able to briefly explore the earthworks.

Appomattox Campaign

Sunday, February 15th, 2026

9:00am – 3:00pm

The caravan tour begins at ACWM-Tredegar and follows the retreat route of General Richard S. Ewell’s Richmond defense forces. The first stop will be at Branch’s Baptist Church, where General Custis Lee’s forces from the Chaffin’s Bluff defenses joined the main marching column. The tour proceeds to Mt. Zion Road near Jetersville for the story of Amelia Court House and the retreat’s westward turn, before stopping at Deatonville and Sayler’s Creek Battlefield (VSP). From there, the tour makes its way to Farmville, the Cumberland Church battlefield, Clifton (Grant’s headquarters from April 8-9), and New Hope Church (Confederate rear guard April 8-9). The tour concludes at ACWM-Appomattox with a talk about the Battle of Appomattox Station and the group doing a self-guided tour of the museum galleries.

SATURDAY’S Daylong SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE:

8:45–9:30 AM – Check-in

9:30 AM – Opening Remarks

9:40–10:40 AM – Dr. Jonathan White, Christopher Newport University “Unlikely Collaborators: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the Promise of America” and Q&A

11:00 AM–12:00 PM – Dr. Lindsay Privette, Anderson University “Together at Vicksburg: Exploring the Bonds Between Commanders, Surgeons, and Soldiers” and Q&A

12:00PM – Lunch

1:00–2:00 PM – Dr. Caroline Janney, University of Virginia “From Partisan Warrior to Family Man: The Personal Relationships of John S. Mosby” and Q&A

2:20–3:20 PM – Dr. Brandi Brimmer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill “Black Women, Civil War Memory, and the U.S. Pension Bureaucracy” and Q&A

3:40–4:40 PM – Dr. William C. “Jack” Davis, Virginia Tech (ret.) “Davis, Johnston, and Beauregard—The Triple-Play that Crippled the Confederacy” and Q&A

4:40 PM – Closing Remarks

5:00–5:30 PM – Book Signing

Book your hotel room for the event at special rates, available here on an exclusive basis.

American Civil War Museum Courtesy Block – Richmond Marriott Downtown

In partnership with The John L. Nau Center for Civil War Studies at the University of Virginia.

Our Fathers Brought Forth: Lincoln’s Gratitude in the Gettysburg Address
2026-03-26 18:00 - 20:00
Join us for Dr. Lang’s talk on March 26 at 6pm!

Reflecting on Lincoln and the ancient virtue of gratitude, Dr. Andrew F. Lang discusses Lincoln’s rhetoric within the political and military contexts of 1863 and makes connections to the past and future.

Members Reception at 5 pm

Battling Boredom - Soldiers’ Games in the Civil War
2026-03-30 10:00 - 12:00
Mornings at the Museum are BACK this Spring Break!Step into the everyday lives of Civil War soldiers and discover how they stayed entertained between battles!

When soldiers weren’t fighting, they relied on creativity, camaraderie, and classic games to pass the time — many of which we still play today. Join us to make your own knapsack checkerboard and experience games from the Civil War.

Recommended for children.

Free for members!

Tickets include access to all exhibits.

Civil War Espionage
2026-04-01 10:00 - 12:00
Mornings at the Museum are BACK this Spring Break!

Richmond was an active site for spies during the Civil War. Join us to decrypt and create secret codes and find out about some of the spies that were active during the Civil War.

Explore artifacts from our handling collection that tell the story of Richmond spies like Elizabeth Van Lew & Benjamin F. Stringfellow.

Recommended for children.

Free for members!

Tickets include access to all exhibits.

Simple Machines at Tredegar
2026-04-03 10:00 - 12:00
Mornings at the Museum are BACK this Spring Break!Though it is a museum today, our site used to be the home of the Tredegar Iron Works, the largest iron works in the South! It produced thousands of manufactured goods, both for civilian use and for the Civil War.

Join us to create simple machines and explore artifacts that were used at Tredegar to learn more about the history of the Iron Works!

Recommended for children.

Free for members!

Tickets include access to all exhibits.

William Francis Bartlett Medal Award
2026-04-09 18:00 - 21:00
The American Civil War Museum (ACWM) is pleased to announce the establishment of the William Francis Bartlett Medal awarded annually to an American leader in business, politics or the military who best exemplifies character, selfless-service, and courage in adversity as well as patriotic commitment to the ideals of the United States of America.

Major General William Francis Bartlett was one of the youngest Union generals in the Civil War. He rose from a private soldier to general command at the age of 24, demonstrating unparalleled heroism, devotion, and endurance. Fighting in six major battles and severely wounded in four, Bartlett returned to service each time to preserve the Union, no matter the sacrifice. Leading troops in battle, including alongside USCT at the battles of Port Hudson and the Crater, Bartlett never hesitated to place himself at the point of maximum danger. Incredibly, his fierceness in battle translated into a spirit of unity after the war. Bartlett held what he called “a prejudice… in favor of peace” and stood against any “men who would divide or destroy or retard the prosperity and progress of the nation.” Returning to civilian service after the war, Bartlett became the senior manufacturing executive at the Tredegar Ironworks, now home to The American Civil War Museum. Upon his untimely death in 1876, brought on by his war wounds, he was remembered in both the North and the South as “one of the noblest of soldiers and citizens.”

The inaugural William Francis Bartlett Medal will be presented to Mr. Austin Brockenbrough, III at the Tredegar Foundry building at the American Civil War Museum on April 9, 2026. A former U.S. Marine, Mr. Brockenbrough’s life of dedicated service to this community and to this nation is exemplified by the dozens of charitable organizations he has supported and served for over six decades.

6pm – Cocktails/ Drinks

7pm – Dinner

Can’t attend but want to support us? We appreciate your support to the ACWM using this donation link.

The American Civil War Museum explores the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War through dynamic exhibitions, programs and lectures by the nation’s top scholars, and a world-class collection of artifacts. ACWM has locations in Richmond and Appomattox, Virginia. Visit acwm.org for more information about the collections, exhibitions, donating or to become a member.

Why Gettysburg Matters
2026-04-27 18:00 - 20:00
Why has Gettysburg always been the Civil War’s most famous battle and how has it shaped American national identity? In this talk, professor of U.S. political history Adam Smith argues that ever since the news of Confederate defeat spread on July 4, 1863, Gettysburg has been imagined as a place of national “rebirth”. In its own way, it has been — and continues to be — as vital to the story of American nationhood as anything that happened in the Revolution.

Members Reception at 5 pm

Out of This Strife Will Come Freedom: Free People of Color & the Fight For Civil Rights in the Civil War Era
2026-05-28 18:00 - 20:00
Free people of color, through their military service and advocacy, used the political and social disruptions brought about by the Civil War to push for a second founding of the nation. Join us as Dr. Warren Eugene Milteer, Jr. shows how free people of color sought to reshape the United States into a place in which all Americans would enjoy freedom and equal access to a broad spectrum of rights, promoting equality and justice as fundamental features of American life during the Civil War era.

With Dr. Warren Eugene Milteer, Jr., Associate Professor of history at the George Washington University.

Member reception at 5pm

A Slumbering Serpent: George Washington on Slavery and Disunion
2026-06-30 18:00 - 19:00
In this engaging living history program, George Washington (portrayed by Brian Hilton) will reflect on the moral, economic, and political challenges of slavery in his time and the growing divisions threatening the young nation’s unity. The presentation offers a historically grounded and thoughtful exploration of Washington’s evolving conscience and leadership.

Following his remarks, the audience will be invited to engage in a question-and-answer session exploring these complex issues.

Members Reception at 5 pm
