The 150th anniversary of the U.S. Civil War starts in 2011 and Richmond is ready! After two years of planning for the sesquicentennial, a local and national partnership officially kicked off their "On to Richmond!" campaign.
The capital of the Confederacy, Richmond lies just 100 miles south of the nation’s capital Washington D.C. where the battle cry “On to Richmond!” rallied people during the 1861-1865 civil war. Many major events of that epic struggle occurred in or near Richmond, and the American Civil War Center has teamed up with the National Park Service and the Richmond Visitor’s Bureau to showcase them.
Housed in an old ironworks factory on the James River in downtown Richmond, the center prides itself on being the first museum to provide a comprehensive interpretation of the war from all angles – Northern, Southern and African-American. Visitors can see original artifacts as part of their “In the Cause of Liberty” exhibit and tour the grounds of this 1861 gun foundry.
The U.S. National Park Service operates the Richmond National Battlefield Park, which encompasses 763 acres at 13 different sites in or around the city. For a starting point, visitors can get an overview at their the National Park Service Civil War Visitor Center located next door to the American Civil War Center on Tredegar Street. Historic markers at the various sites provide detail on the federal campaigns to capture Richmond and the confederate resistance.
The third partner in the sesquicentennial observation is the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is available to assist sightseers on their journey into Civil War history.
