Civil War & Emancipation Day

Saturday, April 6, 2013
9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

This year’s Civil War & Emancipation Day provides free admission to all of the more than 25 participating sites and activity centers and offers an array of informative walking tours and presentations.
 
Join walking tours and attend programs to learn more about the following (details available from the Activities By Location button to the right):

• The 1863 Bread Riot in Richmond, where thousands of Richmonders protested lack of food and supplies during the war years and stormed area stores.
• The Lincoln Walk.  Follow the path President Lincoln took when he visited Richmond in 1865.
• Walking Tour of Jackson Ward, showcasing the remarkable development of businesses, entertainment, churches, and cultural institutions.
• The Secrets of Mary Bowser.  Learn more about the accounts of this free black woman and her work as a spy on the Confederacy.
• A walk along Richmond’s Slave Trail will be led by a member of the Richmond Slave Trail Commission, from Ancarrow’s Landing to Lumpkin’s Jail. (Registration requested.)
• Elegba Folklore Society will present In the Beginning... Virginia, Along the Trail of Enslaved Africans by Torch Light. (Registration requested.)
• And more

Hear discussions with leading Civil War scholars, watch cannon making demonstrations (and firings!), enjoy song and dance performances, and take a free Canal Boat ride. The day offers expanded opportunities to learn more about Richmond’s history and its role in the Civil War and Emancipation.

Admission to most sites and performances is free. Reservations are required and fees do apply for the Civil War Sampler Bus Tour and special exhibits at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Free shuttle transportation begins at 9:30 a.m. on April 6, from the American Civil War Center and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Look for VCU RamCharter buses with “Civil War Day” on the marquee. Drop offs are at the GRTC stops closest to the historical sites. The last shuttle runs begins at 5 p.m. Follow the shuttle's location; shuttles will appear as blue tracking dots on the website map. Park once and ride for free as you participate throughout the day.

Join us on April 6, 2013.  See Richmond’s history in action.


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