American Civil War Museum

Surrender Commemoration & Freedom Day Celebration
2025-04-12 09:00 - 2025-04-13 17:00 (America/New_York) | American Civil War Museum – Appomattox, 159 Horseshoe Rd, Appomattox, Virginia, 24522, United States
The American Civil War Museum is hosting a series of activities and programs as part of the regional celebration of the Commemoration of the Surrender & Freedom Day. Visitors can look forward to a fun-filled day with cannon firings, interactive sessions with living historians, and informative sessions about the lives of soldiers, civilians on the homefront, and enslaved and free African Americans during the Civil War.

We hope you will join us on April 12th and 13th at ACWM – Appomattox!

Saturday:

9:00 AM – Federal and Confederate Encampments Open

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM – Cabin Open: (Interpretation provided by the Pallas Athena Ladies Aid Society)

11:00 AM – “In the nick of time”: U.S. Army of the James Arrives on the Field

Location: Cabin Field

2:00 PM – “Boys, get up, the rebs are on us”: The Fate of the 11th Maine Infantry

Location: Cabin Field

4:00 PM – Stacking of Arms

Location: The Garland Gray Terrace behind Museum

Sunday:

9:00 AM – Federal and Confederate Encampments Open

10:00AM – 3:00PM – Cabin Open: (Interpretation provided by the Pallas Athena Ladies Aid Society)

10:30 AM – Civil War Sunday Service with a USCT Chaplain

11:00 AM – Cannon Firing Demonstration

11:30 AM – “Hold the enemy in check”: Captain Wilson Jenkins Makes a Last Stand

Location: Cabin Field

12:30 PM – Life of a USCT Chaplain with Joseph Feaster

1:00 PM – Cannon Firing Demonstration

Location: Portico off the Robertson Family Education Center

1:30 PM – Stacking of Arms

Location: The Garland Gray Terrace behind Museum

2:00 PM – “A King’s Cure” Lecture with Michael Vorenberg, Ph.D.

Separate registration needed or included in Museum ticket!

Location: Robertson Family Education Center

3:00 PM – Cannon Firing Demonstration

Location: Portico off the Robertson Family Education Center Location: Cabin Field

3:30 PM – Life of a USCT Chaplain with Joseph Feaster

A King’s Cure: Abraham Lincoln and the Thirteenth Amendment
2025-04-13 14:00 - 15:00 | American Civil War Museum – Appomattox, 159 Horseshoe Rd, Appomattox, Virginia, 24522, United States
On February 1, 1865, the day after Congress passed the resolution for the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery, a group of celebrants urged President Lincoln to speak on the occasion. Calling the amendment “a King’s cure for all the evils,” Lincoln saw it as essential not just to ending slavery but to truly concluding the Civil War.

Michael Vorenberg is the author of Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery, and the Thirteenth Amendment—a finalist for the Lincoln Prize and a basis for Spielberg’s 2012 film, Lincoln. He has written extensively on legal and constitutional history and teaches at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

He has lectured widely on the Civil War, Lincoln, and the U.S. Constitution, with writings in major publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Virtual Book Talk – Hell by the Acre: A Narrative History of the Stones River Campaign with Dan A. Masters
2025-04-17 18:30 - 19:30
As 1862 drew to a close, the United States faced a low point in the Civil War, suffering major defeats at Fredericksburg and Chickasaw Bayou. With the Emancipation Proclamation set to take effect on January 1, 1863, Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans and the Army of the Cumberland were tasked with securing a decisive victory.

Join historian Dan Masters as he delves into the strategy, tactics, and key command decisions behind this crucial moment. Using archival and firsthand accounts—many previously unpublished—he brings to life the experiences of the soldiers who fought on the battlefield.

Daniel A. Masters, a University of Toledo graduate, is a historian specializing in the Civil War’s Western Theater. Known for his blog Dan Masters’ Civil War Chronicles, he has authored ten books and numerous articles. His 2017 book, Sherman’s Praetorian Guard, won a local history award, and his latest, Echoes of Battle (2022), was co-written with Larry M. Strayer.

Tredegar History Tours every Saturday & Sunday at 11am and 3pm
2025-04-19 11:00 - 12:00
Take a guided tour of the former Tredegar Ironworks site with a museum historian! The tour is included with museum admission and available every Saturday & Sunday and 11am and 3pm. ACWM Tredegar – 490 Tredegar Street, Richmond VA. 23219

Jefferson Davis & Robert E. Lee
2025-04-24 18:00 - 19:30
Davis and Lee were two proud, contained, but otherwise very different personalities. In normal times it is unlikely they would have been friends. Yet somehow from 1862 through the end of the war they evolved a working relationship that produced almost a model commander-in-chief-general-in-chief team, achieving seemingly impossible things, even if ultimate victory eluded them.

Member Reception 5:15 – 6:00 PM

Virtual Book Talk with Paul Brueske
2025-05-15 18:30 - 19:30
After the brutal battles of Franklin and Nashville in late 1864, Union forces expected Mobile’s Confederate defenders to retreat without much resistance. But they were wrong. Despite being outnumbered, 33-year-old Brig. Gen. Randall Lee Gibson led a determined and skillful defense that shocked his Union adversaries.

Join Civil War historian and author Paul Brueske as he explores the dramatic siege and battle of Mobile, Alabama, in 1865. Discover the tactics, leadership, and resilience that defined this final stand on the rugged bluffs of Mobile Bay’s eastern shore.

Paul Brueske, a lifelong Gulf Coast resident, is the founder of the Mobile Area Civil War Round Table and author of The Last Siege: The Mobile Campaign, Alabama 1865. He regularly lectures on Gulf Coast Civil War history and brings deep insight into this often-overlooked chapter of the war.

Abraham Lincoln & George McClellan
2025-05-22 18:00 - 19:30
This lecture examines General McClellan’s reputation as a skilled organizer but hesitant commander, leading to his clash with President Lincoln. It will explore how their political rivalry shaped the course of the war. Supporters, critics, and the lasting debate over McClellan’s legacy will all be discussed.

George C. Rable is a renowned historian, former professor at the University of Alabama, and past president of the Society of Civil War Historians. He has authored several award-winning books on the Civil War, Southern history, and Reconstruction. His latest work, Conflict of Command, examines the relationship between George McClellan and Abraham Lincoln.

Member reception 5:15pm – 6pm

Tredegar History Tours every Saturday & Sunday at 11am and 3pm
2025-05-24 11:00 - 12:00
Take a guided tour of the former Tredegar Ironworks site with a museum historian! The tour is included with museum admission and available every Saturday & Sunday at 11am and 3pm. ACWM Tredegar – 480 Tredegar Street, Richmond VA. 23219

Wine Down Wednesday
2025-06-25 17:30 - 19:00
Unwind after a long workday with stunning views of the James River at Wine Down Wednesday! Join us for an evening of relaxation, live music, and light refreshments inside the American Civil War Museum – Tredegar.

Enjoy a drink in hand, great company, and a laid-back atmosphere surrounded by history – all exhibits will be open!

Museum Members receive a complimentary drink ticket — just our way of saying thank you!

What to Expect:

Wine and other beverages available for purchase

Live local music to set the mood

Light refreshments provided

A scenic and historic setting right by the James River

Perfect for history lovers, museum-goers, and anyone in need of a midweek break.

(Mark your calendar: Wine Down Wednesday returns July 30 & August 27!)

(This is a 21+ event)

Resistance and Freedom in Richmond’s Court End (June 6, 13, 20, 27)
2025-06-27 10:00 - 11:30
Every Friday in June! 10am-11:30am

Step into Richmond’s Court End and uncover the powerful stories of urban slavery, resistance, and resilience. This guided tour begins at the John Marshall House and continues to the White House of the Confederacy, offering a glimpse into 19th-century life and the fight for emancipation. A first floor exploration of both houses will be included.

Tour starts at The John Marshall House:818 East Marshall Street Richmond, VA 23219

Mornings at the Museum
2025-07-07 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-07-14 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-07-28 10:00 - 12:00
Join us Mondays & Wednesdays in July at 10am–12pm for summer fun packed with history, hands-on activities, and stories from the Civil War! $10 PER PERSON – includes program plus full access to all museum exhibits.

Each week has a new theme—from musket blasts and spy codes to Civil War kids and medicine mysteries. Investigate artifacts, tour our galleries, and do unique craft projects!

Week 1: Kaboom! (historical explosions)Start July off with a bang with these engaging programs. Walk with an interpreter to nearby Brown’s Island to learn about the women and girls who worked there during the Civil War and the fateful 1863 explosion. Create a painting with bursts of watercolor. Take a family-friendly tour of our main gallery, A People’s Contest.

Brown’s Island Tour: 10:00, 11:00

Gallery Tour: 10:30, 11:30

Week 2: Children of the Civil WarChildren were not only affected by the Civil War–they were a part of it. Touch artifacts from our handling collection that tell the story of a young soldier. Learn how to tap out a beat, or make your own beat, like a drummer boy. Take a tour highlighting the stories of children in the Civil War in our main gallery, A People’s Contest.

Gallery Tour: 10:30, 11:30

Week 3: Spies of the Civil WarRichmond was an active site for spies during the Civil War. Touch artifacts from our handling collection that tell the story of a Richmond spy. Make a cipher and decode secret messages. Take a family-friendly tour of our main gallery, A People’s Contest.

Gallery Tour: 10:30, 11:30

Week 4: Medicine in the Civil WarParticipate in an interactive program about surgery and medicine during the Civil War. Touch artifacts from our handling collection that tell the story of a Civil War nurse. Take a tour highlighting the stories of children in the Civil War in our main gallery, A People’s Contest.

Gallery Tour: 10:30, 11:30

Week 5: Tredegar History WeekThe American Civil War Museum is built around the ruins of Tredegar Ironworks. Learn more about the site and how it was powered with a guided walking tour. Touch artifacts from our handling collection that tell the story of a Tredegar worker. Create a paper cannon and test your aim.

Tredegar Tour: 10:30, 11:30

Come explore, discover, and have fun with history all July long! 🚂📚

Perfect for grades K–8

Free with membership code — use your code at checkout.

Virtual Book Talk with Bradley Gottfried
2025-07-17 18:30 - 19:30
On August 28, 1862, Major General John Pope’s Army of Virginia clashed with “Stonewall” Jackson at Brawner Farm—setting the stage for a critical moment in Civil War history. Just days later, the arrival of Lt. General James Longstreet changed everything.

Join Dr. Bradley Gottfried for a detailed, map-based exploration of the Battle of Second Bull Run and its dramatic shift in momentum.

About the Author:

Bradley M. Gottfried is a retired college educator and administrator with over 40 years in higher education, including 17 years as a college president. A lifelong Civil War enthusiast from the Philadelphia area, he has authored 19 books on the subject—a number of them focused on Gettysburg and campaign map studies. Now based in the Chambersburg/Gettysburg area, Brad is a licensed battlefield guide at Antietam and a licensed town guide in Gettysburg.

Wine Down Wednesday
2025-07-30 17:30 - 19:00
First drink is on us! Courtesy of Virago Spirits!

Unwind after a long workday with stunning views of the James River at Wine Down Wednesday! Join us for an evening of relaxation, live music, and light refreshments inside the American Civil War Museum – Tredegar.

Enjoy a drink in hand, great company, and a laid-back atmosphere surrounded by history – all exhibits will be open!

Museum Members receive a complimentary drink ticket — just our way of saying thank you!

What to Expect:

Drinks by Virago Spirits: wine, cocktails, & more available for purchase (first drink is free)

Live local music to set the mood

Light refreshments provided

A scenic and historic setting right by the James River

Perfect for history lovers, museum-goers, and anyone in need of a midweek break.

(Mark your calendar: Wine Down Wednesday returns July 30 & August 27!)

(This is a 21+ event)

Daily Programs!
2025-08-01 11:00 - 2025-09-02 16:00
Have a blast this summer with special events and guided tours included with museum admission!

Ever wonder what the life of the everyday soldier was like during the Civil War? How do cannons work? Why was the Tredegar site so important during the Civil War? Join museum historians as they demonstrate a musket firing, how cannons work and the incredible history of the iconic Tredegar Ironworks!

Our special daily events:

Tredegar History Tour / daily at 11 am and 3 pm:

Guided tour with a museum historian around the former Tredegar Ironworks site.

The Common Soldier program with musket firing demonstration/ daily at 12:30 pm:

History interpreters present a hands-on demonstration of the life of a regular enlisted Civil War soldier.

Cannon Ball! / Saturdays & Sundays at 2 pm:

History interpreter presentation on the process of loading and firing a cannon.

Don’t worry, though we have authentic cannons, none will be fired during the demonstration!

These programs are included with museum admission – enjoy one or come for all. We hope to see you at Tredegar this summer!

"Yankees In the Hill City" Book Talk at ACWM-Appomattox
2025-08-14 18:00 - 19:30
With three railroads and the James River Canal passing through the city, Lynchburg, Virginia, was a major confederate hospital center and supply hub during the American Civil War. However, a much less explored aspect of the city’s history is its transit prisoner of war camp that was located at the Fair Ground between 1862 to 1865.

Join us on Thursday, August 14th, as Dr. Clifton W. Potter, author and Professor of History, Emeritus from the University of Lynchburg, presents on his most recent book, “Yankees in the Hill City: The Union Prisoner of War Camp in Lynchburg, Virginia, 1862-1865.” The lecture begins at 6:00 pm, followed by a question-and-answer session and book signing by Dr. Potter. Copies of “Yankees in the Hill City” will be available for purchase in the museum shop.

Virtual Book Talk
2025-08-21 18:30 - 19:30
While largely overlooked or treated as a footnote to Gen. Jubal A. Early’s raid on Washington in the summer of 1864, the fight at Cool Spring—characterized by one soldier as “a sharp and obstinate affair”—proved critical to Washington’s immediate safety. It became a transformative moment for those who fought along the banks of the Shenandoah River. Join us as Jonathan A. Noyalas analyzes the decisions of leaders on both sides, explores the environment’s impact on the battle, and investigates how the combat impacted the soldiers and their families

Jonathan A. Noyalas is a history professor at Shenandoah University and director of its McCormick Civil War Institute. He is the author or editor of fifteen books. Noyalas is the recipient of numerous awards for his teaching and scholarship including the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award.

Wine Down Wednesday
2025-08-27 17:30 - 19:00
One free drink on us! Courtesy of J. Emerson, Inc.

Unwind after a long workday with stunning views of the James River at Wine Down Wednesday! Join us for an evening of relaxation, live music, and light refreshments inside the American Civil War Museum – Tredegar.

Enjoy a drink in hand, great company, and a laid-back atmosphere surrounded by history – all exhibits will be open!

Museum Members receive a complimentary drink ticket — just our way of saying thank you!

What to Expect:

Drinks by J. Emerson, Inc. available for purchase (first drink is free)

Live local music to set the mood

Light refreshments provided

I Spy scavenger hunt to win prizes!

A scenic and historic setting right by the James River

Perfect for history lovers, museum-goers, and anyone in need of a midweek break.

(This is a 21+ event)

Daily Programs!
2025-09-01 08:00 - 2025-11-30 17:00
Fall season is here and we have special events and guided tours included with museum admission!

Ever wonder what the life of the everyday soldier was like during the Civil War? Why was the Tredegar site so important? Join museum historians as they demonstrate a musket firing and share the incredible history of the iconic Tredegar Ironworks!

Our Special Events included with Admission:

Tredegar History Tours:

Enjoy a guided tour with a museum historian around the former Tredegar Ironworks site.

The Common Soldier program with a musket firing demonstration:

History interpreters present a hands on demonstration of the life of a regular enlisted Civil War soldier.

weekdays

•Tredegar History Tours: 12 PM & 3 PM

Weekends

•Tredegar History Tours: 11 PM & 3 PM

•Common Soldier/ Demo: 12:30 PM

Only a few weeks left — join us before the programs end November 30! We hope to see you at Tredegar this fall.

An Unholy Traffic: Virtual Talk with Dr. Robert Colby
2025-09-18 18:30 - 19:30
Between Fort Sumter and Appomattox, Confederates bought and sold thousands of men, women, and children through a persistent trade in enslaved people. These transactions had profound impacts on the enslaved, their lives and families, and the ways in which they pursued freedom during the war and shaped the experience of the Civil War and its aftermath for all inhabitants of the wartime South.

Robert Colby is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Mississippi. His first book, An Unholy Traffic: Slave Trading in the Civil War South, was published in 2024 by Oxford University Press, and was listed as one of the best Civil War books of 2024 by the Civil War Monitor. His research has won awards from the Society of American Historians and the Society of Civil War Historians and has been published in the Journal of the Civil War Era, Journal of the Early Republic, and Slavery & Abolition.

Cannons & Cocktails
2025-09-19 17:00 - 19:00
Let’s celebrate a great summer in Appomattox with a cannon salute! Join us for a special event with cannon firing demonstrations, live music by Daniel Kepel (the Singing Violinist) , light snacks, and a taste of 19th century Artillery Punch! Beer, wine, and soda will be available for purchase.

Enjoy a fun-filled Friday night in historic Appomattox at the American Civil War Museum!

Cannons and Cocktails is a 21+ event and proof of age will be required at the door.

What the Irish Taught Civil War Americans
2025-09-24 18:00 - 19:30
Join us as Dr. Aaron Sheehan-Dean delves into his book Fighting With the Past: How Seventeenth-Century History Shaped the American Civil War. In this talk, he will examine how Union and Confederate armies in the Civil War drew on differing interpretations of Irish history, particularly in shaping their views on how the war should end—whether with generosity or punishment.

Dr. Sheehan-Dean is the Fred C. Frey Professor of Southern Studies and Chair of the History Department at Louisiana State University. He specializes in nineteenth-century U.S. history, the Civil War and Reconstruction, and Southern history. He is also the author of the award-winning The Calculus of Violence: How Americans Fought the Civil War, Why Confederates Fought: Family and Nation in Civil War Virginia, and, most recently, Reckoning with Rebellion: War and Sovereignty in the Nineteenth Century.

Member reception is at 5:00pm

Museum School Day
2025-09-25 11:00 - 15:00
Join us for Museum School Day at the American Civil War Museum – Appomattox! It’s a special event designed for students of all ages and their families to explore Civil War history through engaging, hands-on experiences!

What to Expect:

Interactive Program on 19th-Century Medicine & Surgery – Learn about Civil War-era medical practices and explore the life of a wartime nurse.

Hands-On Artifact Investigation – Examine real artifacts from our handling collection.

Exhibit Exploration & Scavenger Hunt – Dive deeper into our main gallery with a fun, educational scavenger hunt.

Perfect for students of all ages, this immersive day brings history to life through stories, objects, and interactive learning.

Lincoln Prize Lecture
2025-10-15 18:00 - 20:00
Registration is OPEN for the ACWM Lincoln Prize Lecture at Tredegar in Richmond, Virginia. This year’s ticket includes a signed copy of the book!

The lecture is presented by the 2025 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize recipient, and 2025 Pulitzer Prize winner, Dr. Edda Fields-Black for her book Combee (Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War). The evening includes a reception with the speaker, lecture, and audience question and answer segment moderated by prominent historian, Dr. Ed Ayers.

The Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize is awarded annually for the finest scholarly work published in the prior year in English on Abraham Lincoln, the American Civil War soldier, or the American Civil War era, and one that also enhances the general public’s understanding of the Civil War era.

Join us at 6pm for a reception with the speaker, featuring light refreshments and drinks, courtesy of Dogwood & Thistle Wine Company.

6pm – Reception

7pm – Lecture

Members enjoy 25% off—use your exclusive code at checkout.

Sponsored by The Wilton Companies

Check out our videos below with Dr. Edda Fields-Black!

Asia Booth Clarke: Virtual Talk with Lisa Samia
2025-10-23 18:30 - 19:30
The story of Asia Booth Clarke’s life is relatively unknown, but she chronicled the Booth family through her letters, poems, and books. In her memoir about her brother John, Asia condemned his murderous act, but she continued to love him. However, because John made the Booth name infamous, she suffered a lifetime of collateral damage. The five words from Shakespeare that concluded her memoir of her brother, “so runs the world away,” were the bitter fruit of trying to explain what was in her heart, which was and always would be unexplainable.

Lisa G. Samia is an award-winning poet and author specializing in Civil War history. She has served as Artist in Residence with the National Park Service at Gettysburg, Manassas, and Stones River, honored for her poetry exploring the personal narratives of the Civil War. Her acclaimed series The Nameless and the Faceless of the Civil War earned a 2024 nomination from the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards. Lisa is currently researching the life of Asia Booth Clarke while continuing her work in Civil War poetry.

Fall Festival at ACWM-Appomattox
2025-10-25 10:00 - 15:00
Celebrate the season at the 4th Annual Fall Festival hosted by the American Civil War Museum – Appomattox! This fun-filled day offers something for the entire family—set against the backdrop of history.

What to Expect:

Live music by Deeply Rooted & Farm Use String Band

Face painting & pumpkin painting

Delicious food available on-site

Historic trades & cannon firing demonstrations

Local vendors, exhibitors, & a silent auction

Train rides provided on the Osborne Express

Children’s crafts and corn husk doll making

Lecture by Patrick Schroeder: The Confederate Cemetery at Appomattox @ 1pm

Bring your friends, pack the car, and enjoy a festive autumn day of music, history, and community fun!

Almost Famous: The Strange, Spooky & Bizarre Tales of Old City Cemetery
2025-10-30 18:30 - 19:30
There were NUMEROUS ways one could lose their life in the 19th century. At Old City Cemetery in Lynchburg, our favorites are the folks who really went out with a bang. These are the strange, spooky, and downright bizarre tales that never made the history books. The people you’ll meet during this presentation are all folks who lived and died in the margins between standard and spectacular. You’ve never heard of them, but after this, you’ll never forget.Ashleigh Meyer is a public historian and serves as Manager of Historic Research, Marketing, and Storytelling at Old City Cemetery in Lynchburg.

Lecture begins 6:30pm at American Civil War Museum-Appomattox.

Libby McNamee - The Union Spymistress
2025-11-13 17:30 - 19:00
Step into the world of Civil War espionage with author Libby McNamee!

She will be reading from her book The Union Spymistress, bringing to life the daring adventures of Civil War–era spies. Enjoy a spy-themed scavenger hunt and decoding activity—perfect for all ages to test your skills.

Your ticket also includes pizza and drinks, so come hungry and ready for a night of stories, mystery, and fun!

(Recommended grades 3rd-8th)

Free for members

Tredegar Tree Lighting
2025-11-20 17:30 - 19:00
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
