FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2010
Contact: Anedra Bourne (804) 780-1865 x16
Email:
Civil War & Emancipation Day: The 150th Anniversaries - A FREE Citywide Event
More than 15 Richmond Museums, Universities, and Corporate Partners
Offer a Preview of 2011-2015 Commemoration
Richmond, VA – One Day. 15 Sites. Priceless. From cannon fire to period shanty songs, area museums, attractions and organizations have joined forces to offer “Civil War & Emancipation Day: the 150th Anniversaries” (CWED). On Saturday, April 17, 2010, free admission to more than 15 museums and coordinating institutions will offer activities, special programs, historic interpretations and guided tours throughout the River City.
In partnership with the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, the Future of Richmond’s Past and its coordinating organizations have expanded the Center’s annual Civil War Day into Civil War & Emancipation Day to include and further enhance the program offerings of neighboring institutions. Free shuttle service will be offered throughout downtown Richmond and Jackson Ward, Shockoe Bottom, and into the Museum District along the Boulevard to sites including the Virginia Historical Society, Maggie Walker Historical Site, Valentine Richmond History Center, and Museum of the Confederacy to name but a few. Additionally, Venture Richmond and Segway of Richmond will offer rest for weary feet with free River District Canal Cruises and Segway tours of Brown’s Island respectively for patrons as well.
April 17 is also the second annual Maggie Walker Heritage Day, offering one-act play performances, a Maggie Lena Walker re-enactor, and musical numbers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free ice cream will be served until it runs out or melts!
Food will be available for purchase at the Tredegar and Shockoe Bottom sites and at Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site.
Students, too, will take an active role in the day’s events, as volunteers and performers. From contemporary choirs and dance performances to historic recitations and artillery drills scattered throughout the Tredegar site and Shockoe Bottom and Maggie Walker National Historic Site, there will something for everyone.
Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy and center of the nation’s slave trade, will begin to commemorate the dual 150th anniversaries of the Civil War and the end of slavery in 2011, offering the Richmond Region a unique opportunity to showcase this shared history.
“Virginia was host to more Civil War battles than any other state, and Richmond was ground zero,” said Jack Berry, president and CEO for the Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau. “And more than 41 percent of Civil War travelers visit Richmond most among Virginia destinations.”
Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation, a sponsor of the event, said, “Recent research shows that Civil War travelers experience many other sites and activities during their visit including 61percent who visit history museums. On April 17, tourists and Richmonders would be remiss if they did not seize this free opportunity to experience so much for so little!”
The local universities – the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Union University—which are hosting public forums on The Future of Richmond’s Past are very much engaged in this effort as well. President Ed Ayers from the University of Richmond said, “It is more important now, than ever, that younger generations better understand their past. The Civil War & Emancipation Day events offer an overview of all that Richmond has to offer, and it’s authentic . . .it all happened right here in places that still stand today.”
For the day’s full lineup, or to volunteer, please visit www.futureofrichmondspast.org or become a fan on Facebook – keywords “Future of Richmond’s Past.” Or, call 804.289.8002.
Generous supporters from the metropolitan Richmond business community include Venture Richmond, Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Verizon Foundation, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, Shockoe Properties, NXL, Inc., Old Dominion Electrical Supply, and Odell Associates, Inc.
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Attached: Program outline and participating organizations.
Civil War & Emancipation Day: the 150th Anniversaries
Free admission will be offered by the following attractions:
The American Civil War Center
Black History Museum & Cultural Center
Elegba Folklore Society
John Marshall House
Library of Virginia
Lumpkin’s Jail
Maggie Walker National Historic Site
Museum of the Confederacy
Negro Burial Grounds
Richmond National Battlefield Park
Richmond Reconciliation Statue
Richmond Slave Trail Commission
Segway of Richmond
Valentine Richmond History Center
Venture Richmond – River District Canal Cruises
Virginia Historical Society
Virginia State Capitol
PARKING
Parking is available for a flat rate of $5 at the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar (500 Tredegar Street) and at the Standard Parking lot at 15th and East Cary Streets for a $5 flat rate all day (Shockoe site), and throughout downtown near participating attractions.
* Tredegar lot will close at 5 p.m. *
SHUTTLE SERVICE
FREE shuttle service will depart from The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar every 30 minutes from 10am-3pm. Patrons may pick up the shuttle anywhere along the route that day from any partner location as long as you are wearing your Civil War & Emancipation Day sticker, available at any participating location!
Shuttle #1: Shockoe Bottom and The Court End (Eastbound loop) – Departs every 30-minutes (10am-3pm; last run at 3:00pm is pickup only). Sites along this route include a stop at 15th & Main Streets to visit the Reconciliation Statue, Lumpkin’s Jail, and Negro Burial Grounds in Shockoe Bottom. Next stop, 11th & Clay Streets, includes the Virginia State Capitol, Museum of the Confederacy, John Marshall House, Library of Virginia, and Valentine Richmond History Center.
Shuttle #2: Jackson Ward and Monument Avenue (Westbound Loop) - Departs every hour on the hour (10am-3pm; last run at 3pm is for pickup only.) Sites along this route include a stop at 2nd & Leigh Streets for the Maggie Walker National Historic site and Black History Museum and Cultural Center and a separate stop at the Virginia Historical Society on the Boulevard.
Free activities include but are not limited to:
American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, 500 Tredegar Street
FREE admission is provided to events throughout the day, from a talk on how balloons were used during the Civil War to a blacksmithing demonstration and slave storytelling traditions. Enjoy a variety of events for all ages. For more information, call 804-780-1865 or visit www.tredegar.org
Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, 00 Clay Street
Enjoy free admission and exhibits at this Jackson Ward institution. Featured exhibits include the new “Take Our Stand: The African American Military Experience in the Age of Jim Crow,” “My Richmond,” and “Banks, Boutiques and the Deuce.” Also, learn more about the Museum’s plans to form a chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. Museum hours: 10am-5pm. For more information, call 804-780-9093 or visit www.blackhistorymuseum.org
Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street
The Library of Virginia is free and open to the public, featuring its new exhibition "TheLand We Live In, the Land We Left: Virginia's People.” The Library's Virginia Shop will offer participants with a Civil War & Emancipation Day a 10 percent discount and a free gift with every purchase made on April 17. For more information, call 804-692-3500 or visit www.lva.virginia.gov
Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, 600 North 2nd Street (at Leigh Street)
The second annual Maggie Walker Heritage Day will take place from 11am-3pm at the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site including music, dramatic presentations, lectures and exhibits recognizing the accomplishments of the nation’s first female bank president. Free ice cream will be served! For more information, call 804-771-2017 or visit www.nps.gov/mawa
Richmond Battlefield National Park, Tredegar Street
Hear historians talk about Richmond in 1860 and learn about photography during the Civil War. These and many other events have been planned for the day. Youngsters will have an opportunity to learn about the Junior Ranger Program. For more information, call 804-226-1981 or visit www.nps.gov/rich
River District Canal Cruises, Dock & 14th Streets at the Canal Turning Basin
Free admission during event hours only (12-4pm) on April 17. Enjoy 40-minute historically narrated tours of the James River & Kanawha Canal along the historic Canal Walk in one of our covered boats, which accommodates up to 35 passengers and departs on the hour from the Turning Basin in downtown Richmond’s River District. Richmond’s canals were first begun in 1789 after George Washington lobbied the General Assembly to proceed with his vision of a canal and turnpike system that would connect the harbors of the east to the trade and market opportunities in the west. Cruises are open 12:00-7:00pm. For more information, call 804-649-2800 or visit www.venturerichmond.com
Segway of Richmond, 1301 East Cary Street
Thinking of touring Richmond on a Segway? Enjoy a FREE ride on a Segway and learn about tours of Richmond offered on this personal transportation device. Tours are offered 11 a.m., 12 noon, and 1 p.m. at The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar (500 Tredegar Street.) For more information, call 804-343-1850 or visit www.segwayofrichmond.biz
Shockoe Bottom, 15th & East Main Streets
Enjoy discussions and walking tours provided by the Richmond Slave Trail Commission, Elegba Folklore Society, the Sacred Ground Reclamation Project, and University of Richmond, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Union University. Highlights include the Lumpkin’s Jail site and discoveries from the archeological dig at the site and the history Virginia Union University shares with this site, the Negro Burial Grounds, and Reconciliation Statue. Hear about Gabriel’s Rebellion and the Sacred Ground Reclamation Project. Dipita Dance Group of Richmond will offer music and dance from Africa, and the First African Baptist Singers will give a presentation on the songs of slavery and Negro spirituals. Hear students recite the words of Harriet Tubman, Phillis Wheatley, Mary Lumpkin, Coretta Scott King and others in “Monologues of the Past,” and enjoy musical selections by the Richmond Youth Jazz Guild featuring freedom and civil rights. Students from George Wythe High School will present a skit on the “Richmond 34” sit-ins during the 1960’s. Hold history in your hands during the washing of artifacts from the Lumpkin’s Jail site, and hear scholars talk about their research on the Shockoe businesses of earlier centuries and the slave-trade areas. Food vendors will be on site as well.
Valentine Richmond History Center, 1015 East Clay Street
Enjoy “Waste Not, Want Not: Richmond’s Great Depression , 1929-1941” which demonstrates life in Richmond during the Great Depression, which lasted from October 1929 until the U.S. entered World War II. In the midst of calamity, Richmond residents joined other Americans in an explosion of political, organizational and cultural creativity. Members of the Richmond History Center will be aboard shuttle buses throughout the day, providing information about historical sites in Richmond and putting them in their historical context. For more information, call 804-649-0711 or visit www.richmondhistorycenter.com
Virginia Historical Society, 428 North Boulevard
The Virginia Historical Society (VHS)—headquartered in the Museum District of Richmond, Virginia—is a history museum, research library, and educational facility all wrapped in one. The 178-year-old VHS features award-winning exhibitions that are entertaining and educational for visitors of all ages. The Society is the only museum with all of Virginia’s history under one roof—all centuries, all regions, and all topics are covered. Admission to the Virginia Historical Society’s museum and research library is FREE. The Society’s hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m.–5 p.m. For more information, please call (804) 358-4901 or visit www.vahistorical.org.
***Please note: Admission fees and activities are only free during event hours 10am-4pm.***
EXHIBITORS
2nd Rhode Island Infantry, Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, Virginia Union University, Dabbs House Historic Site, Museum of the Confederacy, Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, Violet Bank, Virginia Commonwealth University Department of History, Virginia Aviation Museum, and Museum on Civil War Medicine, Virginia Historical Society, The College of William & Mary Sharpe Community Scholars, Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project, Valentine Richmond History Center, University of Virginia Department of History of Art and Architecture, James River Squadron, University of Richmond’s Digital Scholarship Lab …….and more!