Voices of Appomattox: April 1865
2026-04-11 18:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York)
This special luminary program on the evening of April 11 is a guided evening experience where small groups are led across the site—including through the cabin—where guests will encounter powerful stories from multiple perspectives connected to the war’s final moments and the surrender here in Virginia. Visitors will stop at interpretive stations, featuring monologues presented by interpreters portraying individuals from April 1865.

We’re excited to present a both moving and reflective connection to the past!

Tours will run for 45 minutes to 1 hour each and will prepare to leave the museum’s main lobby every half hour, beginning at 6:30pm and running until the last tour at 8:30pm.

Registration Required

The Nameless and the Faceless of the Civil War
2026-04-16 18:30 - 19:30
Join award-winning poet Lisa G. Samia for an online talk on her Civil War poetry series, including The Nameless and the Faceless.

Not everyone who witnessed and experienced the Civil War is represented in history. By combining the rhyme and narrative of poetry with Civil War history, lost voices of the past come forth to share their experiences and suffering—where the humanity of history and the songs of the soul come together to create a deeper empathy for those lost and unknown.

Lisa G. Samia is an award-winning poet and author specializing in American Civil War history. She was selected as a National Park Service Artist-in-Residence for Stones River National Battlefield in 2025, Manassas National Battlefield Park in 2021, and Gettysburg National Military Park in 2020 for her poetry. Samia is the author of three Civil War poetry and essay collections: The Nameless and the Faceless of the Civil War, The Nameless and the Faceless Women of the Civil War, and The Nameless and the Faceless of the Civil War: Gettysburg, Manassas & More. Her third book in the series received a nomination from the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards in October 2024 in Baltimore.

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 I.P. 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.

Adam Smith is the Edward Orsborn Professor of U.S. Political History and Director of the Rothermere American Institute at the University of Oxford. His latest book is “Gettysburg”. Professor Smith is also the host of ‘The Last Best Hope’ podcast.

Members Reception at 5 pm

Tredegar History Tours (11AM/3PM Every Sat/Sun)
2026-04-30 11:00 | The American Civil War Museum – Historic Tredegar, 480 Tredegar St., Richmond, Virginia, 23219, United States
Step into History at Tredegar! Now happening every weekend!

Join us for a Tredegar History Tour—an engaging journey through the story of the former Tredegar Iron Works, right in the heart of downtown Richmond.

Tours take place every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM, and are included with your museum admission.

Explore one of Richmond’s most iconic historical sites, discover how cannons were made during the Civil War, and check out our current exhibitions!

Mother's Day Tea at ACWM Appomattox
2026-05-02 14:00 - 16:00 | ACWM Appomattox, 159 Horseshoe Rd, Appomattox, VA, 24522, United States
Celebrate Mother’s Day with afternoon tea at the American Civil War Museum – Appomattox! Treats, tea & a floral bouquet included.

Join us to celebrate Mother’s Day with an elegant afternoon tea at The American Civil War Museum – Appomattox, honoring the special women in your life!

Enjoy a cozy afternoon filled with conversation, delicious treats, and classic tea traditions. Tea service, provided by Tea to Thee, includes a selection of savory tea sandwiches, freshly baked scones, and sweet desserts, all paired with Earl Grey and Windsor Bloom teas.

Each ticket also includes a custom spring bouquet from The Blossom Farm—a lovely keepsake for the day.

Opium Slavery with Jonathan S. Jones
2026-05-07 18:30 - 19:30
Join Jonathan S. Jones for a virtual talk on Civil War veterans, opiate addiction, and how its legacy connects to today’s opioid crisis.

During the Civil War, opium and morphine were widely used because they were easy to get, making them a big part of wartime medicine. After the war ended, thousands of sick and injured soldiers became addicted, or as nineteenth-century Americans phrased it, “enslaved” to the drug. Veterans, their families, and communities struggled to deal with the health and social effects that came with addiction.

Medical and government authorities didn’t always respond well, often saying addiction was caused by moral weakness, lack of manliness, or mental problems. Framing addiction as “opium slavery” limited the effectiveness of care and left many veterans to suffer needlessly for decades after the war ended.

Using veterans’ own accounts, along with hospital and asylum records, government reports, newspapers, and advertisements, Jonathan S. Jones brings attention to these stories. In doing so, Jones provides critical historical context for the modern opioid crisis, which bears a tragic resemblance to that of the post–Civil War era.

A Nation in Mourning with Derek D. Maxfield
2026-05-14 18:30 - 20:00 | American Civil War Museum – Appomattox, 159 Horseshoe Rd, Appomattox, Virginia, 24522, United States
Join us for Derek Maxfield’s talk on Victorian America, Civil War disruption, and how it reshaped 19th-century views of death.

By 1860, Victorians had come to dominate the American cultural landscape. The working class sought for most of the century to emulate them, while the wealthy used their advantages to set themselves apart with material goods and selectively followed Victorian rules to appear sophisticated. However, Victorian cultural dominance was severely challenged by the Civil War. The harsh realities of war changed Victorian values and left many searching for ways to cope. In few areas was this more apparent than in attitudes toward death. Victorians who entered the 1860s romanticizing death found themselves appalled by grim depictions of mangled corpses in photographs of the era. Looking for a new direction, they readily embraced the Industrial and Consumer Revolutions in the decades after the war to reshape how death and dying were observed, how corpses were cared for, and how cemetery art memorialized the dead.

Derek Maxfield, formerly an associate professor of history at Genesee Community College, received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2019) and for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities (2013). His research focuses on Victorian deathways and 19th century politics and culture. He has written for Emerging Civil War since 2015 and is the author of Hellmira: The Union’s Most Infamous Civil War Prison Camp – Elmira, NY (2020) and Man of Fire: William Tecumseh Sherman in the Civil War (2023), both published by Savas Beatie.

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

Battlefield Tour: Seven Days Campaign
2026-06-27 09:00 - 15:00
Screenshot

Join us for a caravan-style tour of the Seven Days Battles! This 6-hour tour will first meet at ACWM–Tredegar at 8:45 AM.

TOUR STOP ADDRESSES:

1. ACWM–Tredegar (Restrooms & Food): 480 Tredegar St. Richmond, VA 23219

2. Dabbs House: 3812 Nine Mile Rd, Richmond, VA 23223

3. Chickahominy Bluff: 2302 Springdale Rd, Richmond, VA 23222

4. Beaver Dam Creek: 7423 Cold Harbor Rd, Mechanicsville, VA 23111

5. Gaines’ Mill (Restrooms at Cold Harbor Visitor Center): 6283 Watt House Rd, Mechanicsville, VA 23111

6. Grapevine Bridge (Lunch Break): 1352 Hanover Rd, Sandston, VA 23150

7. Savage’s Station 2801 Meadow Rd, Sandston, VA 23150

8. White Oak Swamp at Elko Union Church: 6861 Elko Rd, Sandston, VA 23150

9. Glendale at Horizon Food Stores: 6141 Charles City Rd, Henrico, VA 23231

10. Malvern Hill (Restrooms): 8945-8955 Willis Church Rd, Henrico, VA 23231

There will be limited opportunities for food/fuel/restroom stops along the route, so please plan accordingly. This tour involves short walks at various stops. For more detailed information, please reach out to our manager of historic engagement, Chuck Young (cyoung@acwm.org, 804-649-1861 ext. 101)

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
