Browse Museums

Hampton Roads Naval Museum

Norfolk, Virginia

History, Military

Relive the naval battles and events that took place in Norfolk and helped shape the nation's history through the museum's exhibits. Battles like those off the Virginia Capes during the American Revolution, Civil War (the U.S.S. Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginia), World War II and Desert Storm are illustrated through detailed ship models, naval artwork, underwater artifacts and traditional exhibits.

HGI Exchange Hotel Civil War Museum

Gordonsville, Virginia

History, Historic House, Military

Before the Civil War, the Exchange Hotel with its high ceiling parlors and grand veranda welcomed passengers from the two rail lines: the Virginia Central Railroad and the Alexandria Railroad. Soon war began. Troops, supplies, and wounded were transported on these railroads to Gordonsville. The Exchange Hotel became the Gordonsville Receiving Hospital which provided care for 70,000 soldiers, both Confederate and Union. In the reconstruction period, this hospital served the newly freed slaves as a freedman's bureau hospital. As the United States healed and the railroads boomed, this graceful building returned to its role of hotel. Now fully restored, the hotel is now a museum dedicated to the Civil War era.

Archaeology, Art, Culture, General, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Library, Military, Specialized

"Invincible Spirit: History in the Heart of the Shenandoah " tells the history of Rockingham County and Harrisonburg from pre-Columbus times through the present. Here, you can learn which Native American groups utilized the Valley, understand the local impact of our nation's wars, explore a pioneer toolshed, discover what industries fed the pre-Civil War economy, and appreciate the new diversity of our community. And, don't miss the sixteen-foot neon pencil that formerly 'pointed' the way to Service Stationers on Market Street for years. You can pay that old friend - bright as ever - a visit right here at the Heritage Museum.