Virginia Historical Society

The Virginia Historical Society (VHS)— headquartered in the Museum District in Richmond—is a history museum, research library, and educational facility all wrapped in one. The 178-year-old VHS features award-winning museum exhibitions about all kinds of Virginia-related topics. The Society is the only museum with all of Virginia’s history under one roof—all centuries, all regions, and all topics are covered.

An American Turning Point is a 3,000 square foot gallery exhibition to be shown at the Virginia Historical Society (VHS) from February 4, 2011 through December 30, 2011. The exhibition then travels to seven regional museums in Virginia through September 2015. Using over two-hundred original objects, interactive technology, and state-of-the-art audiovisual programs, An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia encourages visitors to consider how a single event, separated by 150 years can influence and address the questions of today — what was gained, what was lost, what was undecided, and what was left for us to resolve? An American Turning Point is a Signature Project of the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission. For more information, visit www.vahistorical.org.

Library of Virginia

The Library of Virginia is one of the oldest agencies of Virginia government, founded in 1823 to preserve and provide access to the state's incomparable printed and manuscript holdings. Located in historic downtown Richmond, the Library of Virginia houses the most comprehensive collection of materials on Virginia government, history, and culture available anywhere. The collections illustrate the rich and varied past of the commonwealth, documenting the lives of Virginians whose deeds are known to all, as well as those of ordinary citizens whose accomplishments are the foundation of our heritage. For more information, visit www.lva.virginia.gov.

The Civil War 150 Legacy Project: Document Digitization and Access is a partnership between the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission and the Library of Virginia to identify, locate, and digitally scan original, privately-held manuscript materials concerning the Civil War. The project will provide digital access, both through the Commission’s web site and the Library of Virginia’s web site, to the materials collected across the Commonwealth.

Virginia Civil War Traveler

The Civil War Trails program has identified and interpreted hundreds of sites throughout Virginia and linked them with driving tours. Find descriptions of all the Trails sites, maps and related events on www.CivilWarTraveler.com.

NPS Civil War Website

Virginia Battlefields
(As recognized by the American Battlefield Protection Program)

The National Park Service provides one-stop service-wide web access to more than seventy national parks where you can experience 150 years of history from Civil War to Civil Rights. You can find a timeline of events, stories of the Civil War, soldier records, lesson plans, and much more. Soon the NPS will include a calendar of Upcoming Events to track Civil War 150th at national parks and other partner sites. Coming in 2010, the website will include many new features, including maps which link to more than two thousand state and local partners who will be participating in this commemoration.

Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation

The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation is the non-profit manager of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District. The Foundation works with partners to preserve the Valley's Civil War battlefields and to share its Civil War story with the region and the nation.

The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar

The Museum of the Confederacy

The Museum of the Confederacy has brought together staff and other contributors to create educational online videos highlighting aspects of their vast collection. Please take a look at their informative vodcast series.

The Museum's website also features the Digital Collection, with high-resolution, ultra-zoomable photographs that let you get up close and personal with incredible artifacts.