What's New in Virginia 2007
Media Contact: Richard Lewis • Virginia Tourism Corporation • 901 E. Byrd St., Richmond, VA 23219 • (804) 545-5574 • rlewis@virginia.org • www.virginia.org
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History, Heritage & Culture | Main Street America | Affluent Travel | Accommodations | Meetings Facilities
History, Heritage and Culture
Virginia is synonymous with American history. From the founding of modern America at Jamestown in 1607 to the present, Virginia has been at the forefront in terms not only of history, heritage and culture but also of stewardship and presentation of those treasures. For those seeking to connect with their history and heritage and to experience the diverse richness of American culture, there is no place like Virginia for a vacation getaway. Visit www.Virginia.org and www.Jamestown1607.org for attractions and upcoming events and activities.
America’s 400th Anniversary: Jamestown 2007
The royal presence of Queen Elizabeth II graces this once-in-a-lifetime event. Modern America began with the landing of English settlers at Jamestown in 1607 and the establishment of the first permanent English-speaking colony in the New World. Four hundred years later we commemorate the beginnings of American democracy, multi-culturalism and free trade with performances, gatherings, cultural exhibits, music and fireworks. America’s Anniversary Weekend (May 11-13, 2007) is at the center of months of activities that include the 2007 State of the Black Union (hosted by Tavis Smiley on February 10), the American Indian Intertribal Cultural Festival (July 21-22) and community events throughout Virginia.
Mount Vernon: The Ford Orientation Center and the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center
What would it feel like to cross the Delaware River with George Washington and his Continental Army on Christmas night of 1776, with snow falling on your shoulders, and a force of Hessians ahead at Trenton? What experiences of Washington’s youth prepared him for his life of extraordinary leadership? What degree of devotion existed between Washington and his wife, Martha? What were his most important contributions as America’s first president? All of this can now be explored at Mount Vernon’s new $95 million showplace that focuses on the life and legacy of George Washington. Included are films produced by the History Channel, priceless heirloom treasures (including the famous dentures) and interactive displays created at the leading edge of technology. And, yes, it will snow on you as you cross the Delaware.
The National Museum of the Marine Corps - Quantico
The soaring masted atrium towering above the trees along I-95 beckons visitors to the new 118,000-square-foot tribute to U.S. Marines – past, present and future. “Immersive” is the word best used to describe the experience within. Follow in the footsteps of the Marines, from boot camp to combat. More than 60,000 artifacts, from combat aircraft to the original flag raised over Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, chronicle 230 years of Marine history. Opened November 13, 2006.
The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar – Richmond
For the first time anywhere the story of the pivotal event in American history, the story of the Civil War interweaves the perspectives of the Union and Confederate states and African Americans. The story is presented against a national backdrop stretching from the American Revolution to today, including legacies that continue to influence America. The main exhibit, “In The Cause of Freedom,” is housed in the 1861 gun foundry of the historic Tredegar Iron Works on the James River. Opened October 7, 2006
USS Monitor Center at The Mariners’ Museum – Newport News
What was it like to fight aboard one of the world’s first ironclad warships, striving to do your job in the sweltering confines of the vessel’s interior as enemy cannonballs ricocheted off the iron plating? Find out at the dazzling new USS Monitor Center at the Mariners Museum. This 62,000-square-foot addition to one of the world’s premier maritime history museums will contain cutting-edge exhibits and state-of-the-art conservation labs. The centerpiece of the exhibits will be the original turret and guns of the Monitor, still bearing the scars from her historic battle with the CSS Virginia. Opening March 9, 2007.
Virginia Museum of Natural History - Martinsville
Visitors to this new $28 million museum will be greeted by the skeleton of the giant carnivorous dinosaur Allosaurus when they enter the new 90,000-square-foot facility. All the senses are employed in this experience. Ambient chirps, roars and croaks surround you as you explore recreations of paleontology digs and natural wildlife habitats. The “Uncovering Virginia” exhibit recreates some of the most important archaeological digs in the commonwealth. See scientists at work at this Smithsonian Institution affiliate, accredited by the American Association of Museums – a distinction earned by less than 10 percent of museums in the United States. Opening March 2007.
Jamestown Settlement - Jamestown
Where can you immerse yourself in the story of the beginning of modern America? Go right to the source: Jamestown. One of the nation’s most comprehensive exhibits on the early Colonial experience in America, new 30,000-square-foot exhibition galleries and a new introductory film, “1607: A Nation Takes Root,” tell the story of 17th-century Virginia in the context of Powhatan Indian, English and western central African cultures. More than 500 artifacts from 17th-century Europe and Africa, including portraits, documents, furnishings, tools, weapons, ceremonial and decorative objects and hundreds of Virginia archaeological items are exhibited in the galleries, which feature three-dimensional life-size structures and small theaters. Opened August 2006. “The World of 1607,” a special exhibition marking the 400th-anniversary year of the founding of Jamestown, places America’s first permanent English settlement in a global context, portraying a larger world of discovery, strife, expansion, innovation, artistic expression and cultural exchange, and features major artifacts such as a 15th-century copy of the Magna Carta. Opening April 2007.
Archaearium at Historic Jamestowne - Jamestown
Objects belonging to the Jamestown colonists 400 years ago are presented to the public for the first time at the new $4.9-million exhibition facility that links history, archaeology and a sense of place. Visitors will learn how archaeologists first discovered the location of the original Jamestown fort and will see some of the most fascinating artifacts from the earliest days of the settlement. The interactive exhibit includes virtual viewers looking out on the site to show where objects were recovered and what the fort looked like. Opened summer 2006.
Visitor Center at James Madison’s Montpelier – Montpelier Station
A 15,000-square-foot, $8.5-million facility with a wing that tells Montpelier’s 20th-century story, when the former president’s home became the private estate of a member of the prominent duPont family and one of the nation’s leading equestrian centers. One of the center’s exhibits being prepared for the opening includes Madison’s documents relating to the Constitution, showing the culmination of the experiment in self-government that began at Jamestown. In addition to exhibit spaces and a theater, the new center provides food service and a museum shop. Opens March 16, 2007, James Madison’s 256th birthday.
Robert E. Lee’s 200th Birthday - Statewide
He was once described as the finest American soldier of his era and at the end of his life was one of America’s outstanding college presidents. His greatest fame came as commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, when he became the only general in world history asked to command opposing armies in the same war. Learn for yourself who this man really was by visiting the places he knew best – his homes, his battlefields and his college. Special events throughout the year commemorate his birth.
The Lynchburg Museum System – Lynchburg
An old friend returns as the Old Court House – Lynchburg Museum reopens in early 2007 after restoration following a ceiling collapse. Visitors will see a lovingly crafted restoration job along with new exhibits and multi-media programs. Lynchburg has long been an important center of commerce and transportation with a rich history. Learn about it all at this gem of a historic building sitting atop Monument Terrace in downtown Lynchburg.
Virginia Historical Society – Richmond
Three thousand square feet of newly created exhibit space houses a permanent exhibit on Virginia business history. The long-term exhibition, “Virginians at Work,” tells the story of how Virginians have made a living through the years and why jobs have changed. Through the use of objects, interactive media stations, personal profiles and hands-on activities, the exhibit tells the story of how Virginia began as an agricultural economy and moved through the past 400 years into a service-based economy. Two new exhibits highlight 2007: “Pocahontas: Her Life and Legend” (February 10 – June 24) will examine and evaluate both her life and the jarring interaction between cultures that gave it meaning, and will feature paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, sculpture, artifacts, books, manuscripts, broadsides, and sheet music. “Jamestown, Quebec, Santa Fe: Three North American Beginnings” (March 17 – September 3) takes a multicultural approach to the virtually simultaneous introduction of English, French, and Spanish culture into the North American continent. The exhibit traces the societies that emerged out of those settlements to about 1700. Fifty lenders provided 150 rare surviving European and Native artifacts of this early period, which illuminate the complexity of European colonization and interaction with the indigenous population.
The Virginia Military Institute Museum - Lexington
George Patton, Admiral Richard Byrd, George C. Marshall, “Stonewall” Jackson. As cadets or faculty, these and other legendary American soldiers have marched the Parade Ground at the Virginia Military Institute. Learn the dramatic story of this military college at the newly renovated and expanded VMI Museum. Now boasting 13,000 square feet, the museum includes new exhibits telling the story of alumni contribution to American history. The entire priceless Henry M. Stewart Antique Firearms Collection is now exhibited for the first time as are many other artifacts not previously on public view. Opened summer 2006.
Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest 200th Anniversary - Forest
This is the first full year of the 200th anniversary of President Thomas Jefferson creating his personal “vacation house,” Poplar Forest. Jefferson found respite from the White House pressures by directing every aspect of architectural and landscape construction at his farm. This year the anniversary (which continues through 2009, the anniversary of the end of Jefferson’s presidency) marks the laying of the octagonal brick walls and framing of the roof. Jefferson offered paid jobs to any slave interested in sculpting the new landscape. Visitors can talk with the restoration carpenters, watch the reconstruction of Jefferson’s innovative roof design and talk with archaeologists excavating the newly-discovered site of a dependency. Opens April 2007.
Rippon Lodge - Woodbridge
The construction of Rippon Lodge spans three centuries. The original colonial home, built by Richard Blackburn in the 1740’s, contains later additions built in 1800 and 1924. The county was instrumental in saving the property as the structure had suffered severe deterioration due to the later additions and alterations that destabilized and undermined the structure of the house. The County has completed stabilization work and is currently in the final restoration phase including interior finishes and infrastructure. The site, listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places, is utilized for special events and educational interpretive programming on an ongoing basis. Opening spring 2007.
Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre – Brentsville
The Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre is an antebellum courthouse complex consisting of five buildings (courthouse, one-room schoolhouse, jail, church and cabin) and an archeological site. The innovative restoration of the courthouse, built in 1822, received national attention in 2005. Dr. Carl Lounsbury, a noted architect from Colonial Williamsburg, lent his expertise to the restoration design of the courthouse interior. The restoration of the courthouse will be completed in late 2006 and opened to the public in early 2007.