The Virginia Museum of History & Culture hosts a public naturalization ceremony annually. (Photo courtesy Virginia Museum of History & Culture)
This year, America celebrates its semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Richmond played a pivotal role in the nation’s path to independence, from Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty” speech to influential debates that helped shape the Bill of Rights. Throughout 2026, the region’s leading museums invite visitors to reflect on the country’s complicated history, marked by both triumphs and tragedies.
‘We the People’
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture exhibition “We the People: The World in Our Commonwealth” showcases the immigrant experience in Virginia since the American Revolution through the stories of 120 individuals from 68 countries who have helped define the commonwealth. The presentation is just one of many special events surrounding the 250th anniversary of the nation that will renew the museum’s commitment to the “unfinished pursuit of ‘a more perfect Union,’” according to VMHC President and CEO Jamie Bosket.
Museum curators Julie Kemper and Noah Tinsley have spent the last few years traveling the commonwealth conducting research for the exhibition. “Our goal was to get out into the communities, hear the personal stories of real Virginians and witness the blending of cultures,” Tinsley says.
“We the People” examines the many reasons families left their home countries, their journeys to America and the various contributions they made.
A portrait of late restaurateur Stella Dikos is included in VMHC’s “We the People” exhibition. (Photo courtesy Virginia Museum of History & Culture)
The exhibition will showcase numerous artifacts, from a suitcase belonging to a family who escaped Vietnam to an accordion from an Italian musician. “He played on the ship coming over in 1901 and then in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, where he settled,” Tinsley says. “It’s a really beautiful example of how people brought others together in the new country while also celebrating the songs and the instruments in the old country.” Among the oldest artifacts is a box of letters from 1855 to 1864 belonging to Hulda Lange Semler, detailing her family’s preparations to leave Germany when she was 16 years old.
The showcase will also share the stories of prominent citizens, such as shop owner William Thalhimer (1809-1883), who immigrated in 1840 from what is now Germany, and restaurateur Stella Dikos (1942-2024), who immigrated in 1962 from Greece.
“Regardless of time period or country of origin, there is a unifying experience to being an immigrant,” Kemper says. “Immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers were all hoping for a better life in a new place. We want to recognize their struggles as well as their triumphs.”
“We the People: The World in Our Commonwealth” runs March 21-Sept. 7 at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. The exhibition is included with museum admission ($10 to $15).
The 1812 Wickham House was the residence of Richmond attorney John Wickham, a British loyalist. (Photo courtesy The Valentine)
‘Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness’
Opening Feb. 26 at The Valentine museum, “Dissent! Liberty & Loyalty in Early Richmond” explores how freedom of speech and the right to express ideas, even unpopular ones, played a key role in early American history.
“Others will be telling the stories of our founders and how they supported the Revolution, but because The Wickham House is part of The Valentine, we wanted to look at the folks who were pushing back on the norms of society,” says Christina Vida, curator of general collections for the museum. A prominent attorney at the time, John Wickham was known for defying popular opinion. He was a loyalist, siding with the British during the American Revolution, and his father actually signed a Declaration of Dependence.
“Not everyone was in favor of independence,” Vida says. “You had merchants in Richmond who were making money from doing business with Britain. You had Quakers who were opposed to violence and war altogether, and there were Black Richmonders and women who saw the patriots weren’t necessarily supporting freedom and rights for all.”
Vida adds that Richmond’s tradition of open debate ultimately played a decisive role in Virginia ratifying the U.S. Constitution. “We wouldn’t have a Bill of Rights if not for Richmonders,” she says.
The exhibition also examines the slavery debates that erupted in the General Assembly following Nat Turner’s Rebellion in 1831, demonstrating how those conversations shaped the city and the nation.
“We’re looking forward to sharing many Richmond stories,” Vida says. “Being the only museum in the area focusing solely on the history of the Richmond region enables us to tell a deeper history.” The Valentine is also using AI tools to humanize early Richmonders and create more meaningful connections for visitors.
Later in the year, the museum will display again the fallen Jefferson Davis statue that has become an important symbol for Richmond’s steps toward racial reconciliation. The sculpture was created by Edward Valentine, who served as the museum’s first president.
“Our goal is not to indoctrinate,” Vida emphasizes, “but to show different perspectives and primary sources that teach people to ask questions and consider how their voice might be heard. In Richmond, there hasn’t been one ‘normal’ — we’ve always had varying opinions that continue today.”
“Dissent! Liberty & Loyalty in Early Richmond” runs Feb. 26-Jan. 31, 2027, at The Valentine. The exhibition is included with museum admission ($10 to $12, free on Thursdays).
A rendering of the Shockoe Institute’s “Expanding Freedom” exhibition (Image courtesy Shockoe Institute)
‘All Men Are Created Equal’
A national arts incubator and advocate, the Mellon Foundation awarded the city of Richmond $11 million to fund the installation of a new permanent exhibit at the Shockoe Institute, based at Main Street Station, that will help visitors understand the evolution of American racial slavery and its enduring impact.
Opening in April, “Expanding Freedom” is the work of local architecture firm Baskervill as well as Local Projects, the New York-based design firm behind the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Greenwood Rising in Tulsa, and other prominent exhibitions worldwide. The team is assisting in transforming 12,000 square feet of Main Street Station’s ground floor into a new cultural and educational space that will house the exhibition. Seven interactive sections use powerful storytelling to reveal how racial slavery has shaped nearly every facet of American life. It’s reflective of the Shockoe Institute’s mission.
“We hired the best so we can deliver the very best to the community our investment will permit,” says Marland Buckner, president and CEO of the Shockoe Institute. “We have a real opportunity to re-center Richmond in the national conversation, put an emphasis on how old Richmond is and how central the city is to the story of America — and part of that story is our struggle to expand human freedom.”
Located in historic Shockoe Bottom, Richmond’s iconic train station was built adjacent to the former site of Lumpkin’s Slave Jail — known as the Devil’s Half Acre — the largest slave market outside of New Orleans. Prior to the Civil War, more than 850,000 enslaved Black people were trafficked from the upper South into the lower South, with an estimated 300,000 coming through Richmond. “The location is in many ways the heart of the exhibit and is very emotional,” Buckner says.
The exhibition also includes a chronological view of America’s relationship with freedom through modern times as well as The Lab, where visitors can participate in informal discussions and curated experiences led by institute staff.
Buckner says the goal of the Shockoe Institute isn’t just to share the past, but to help shape the future. “We want visitors to learn, reflect and then act,” he says. “We want to create a place for visitors to put this history to work so we can improve our civic life.”
“Expanding Freedom” opens April 9 at Main Street Station. Admission is free.
America: Made in Virginia
The Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission brings a yearlong celebration rooted in the commonwealth’s revolutionary spirit. Check out this sampling of local VA250 events and programs.
History and Hops
Head over to the Hanover Museum of History & Culture to engage with living historians and reenactors, enjoy family-friendly entertainment and crafts, and see a variety of demonstrations, all with your favorite beer in hand. May 16, 2 to 6 p.m.; free; hanovercounty.gov
Richmond SailFest
Step aboard a fleet of historic tall ships during Richmond SailFest, hosted by the city of Richmond and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. The weekend celebration at Dock Street Park includes entertainment, live music, art exhibits, historic reenactments and a fireworks show over the James River. June 12-14; free; virginiahistory.org
IllumiNATION
See American history come to life as the VMHC displays an 18,000-square-foot video art projection on its historic facade. The immersive experience will blend light, historic imagery and music to transport viewers through time. June 25-28; free; virginiahistory.org
Virginia 250 Passport
Stop by the VMHC to pick up a passport and start exploring 70 historic sites around the commonwealth. Collect stamps at each location to earn points and receive discounts; having at least five stamps qualifies participants for a prize drawing in December for museum memberships and cash prizes up to $2,500. Available through December; free; virginiahistory.org
For additional VA250 events in Richmond and the surrounding region, visit va250.org.
