American Civil War Museum

The American Civil War Museum chronicles the history of the seceded states under the Confederate government and tells the story of the Confederate army during the Civil War.

From photographs and manuscripts to items belonging to Robert E. Lee and ‘Stonewall’ Jackson and other artefacts, the The American Civil War Museum offers a comprehensive insight into life in the Confederate States.

History of The American Civil War Museum

The American Civil War Museum is a multi-site museum in the Greater Richmond Region of central Virginia, dedicated to the history of the American Civil War. It is made up of three sites: The White House of the Confederacy, American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar in Richmond, and American Civil War Museum at Appomattox.

In 2013, the Museum of the Confederacy and the American Civil War Museum merged, creating the museum in its current state. The Museum of the Confederacy was founded in 1894, 29 years after one of the final battles of the war in Appomattox. I contains more than 15,000 documents and artefacts along with 500 original wartime battle flags from the Confederate States of America.

Beyond its three levels of galleries, the The American Civil War Museum also has one exhibit of special interest – the original White House of the Confederacy. Built in 1818, the house was the official seat of President Jefferson Davis during the Confederacy. The neoclassical building, which forms part of the museum complex, has been restored and can be toured.

The final site, The American Civil War Museum in Appomattox, opened in 2012. It tells the stories of the closing days of the Civil War, and the beginnings of the United States’ journey toward reunion.

The final site, Historic Tredegar, is home to the American Civil War Museum and traces its roots to 1836, when the iron works it now encloses were founded. In 2019, the museum opened a site of more than 7,000 square feet of new gallery space for permanent and changing exhibitions.

The American Civil War Museum Today

Today, all of the museums which make up the American Civil War Museum are popular sites, containing a huge amount of artefacts which relate to America’s often divided history, past and present.

It is worth taking the time to visit all three sites, if possible.

Getting to The American Civil War Museum

From the centre of Virginia, the American Civil War Museum: Historic Tredegar is an hour and a half drive via US-60 E road. The American Civil War Museum in Appomattox is only an 18 minute drive from the centre of Virginia, and an hour and 40 minutes from the Historic Tredegar site.