Home > Exhibitions

Virginia Rocks! The History of Rockabilly in the Commonwealth - Through December 30, 2010
Organized by the Blue Ridge Institute of Ferrum College, this exhibition includes both well-known and lesser-known Virginia artists who recorded 45 rpm rockabilly records performed on radio "dance party" television shows.

Bizarre Bits: Oddities from the Collection - Through February 13, 2011
These peculiar, perplexing, or even grotesque objects provide insight into the hopes, fears, assumptions, and practices of the past that are foreign to us today.

Heads and Tales - Through December 30, 2011
Explores the lives of prominent and obscure historical figures from our portrait collection.

Virginians at Work - Long-term
This exhibition examines how Virginians have made a living and why jobs have changed over time.

The Story of Virginia, an American Experience - Long-term
See on display 16,000 years of Virginia history from prehistoric times to the present.

The Virginia Manufactory of Arms Collection - Long-term
This exhibition presents weapons made in Richmond from 1802 through 1821.

Solving History's Mysteries: The History Discovery Lab - Long-term
This interactive exhibit introduces visitors to the principles and techniques of archaeology.

Silver in Virginia - Long-term
See on display vintage silver produced throughout the commonwealth.

• All long-term exhibitions

Organized Labor in Virginia - Opens September 6, 2010
This exhibition tells the story of unions in Virginia and reflects their evolution over time, from pre-union contracts and precursor groups in the last quarter of the 19th century to the introduction of "right-to-work" in middle of the 20th century.

• All upcoming exhibitions

The Story of Virginia, an American Experience
This new version of The Story of Virginia covers 16,000 years of Virginia history from prehistoric times to the present and features a virtual tour and more than 30 videos. view exhibit

The Portent: John Brown's Raid in American Memory
Tells the story of John Brown's early life, his fervent religious beliefs, his turn to violence as an abolitionist in Kansas, and his Virginia raid and its aftermath view exhibit

Teaching with Photographs
Features photographs that address themes in post-1865 Virginia and American history such as education, industrialization, urbanization, transportation, the changing roles of women, the development of Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement learn more

175 Years of Collecting: A Virginia History Quiz
Test your knowledge of Virginia history with this online quiz on selected items from the Society's collections.

The Civil Rights Movement in Virginia
Chronicles the tumultuous journey from "Jim Crow" to a commonwealth of greater equality

Early Images of Virginia Indians
Traces how European perceptions of native Virginians were shaped through the printed image

Heads and Tales
Heads and Tales presents portraits of five people with compelling personal stories. view exhibit

Jamestown to the Falls
Traces the English expeditions up the James River to the falls and Powhatan country, 1607–1610

Lee and Grant
Documents and images offer a glimpse of each man as he understood himself and his place in the world.

Virginia's Colonial Dynasties
Explores how portraiture helped establish and preserve family status in colonial times

Virginia's Diplomats
Explores Virginians' role in shaping world politics from the founding of the republic until our own day

• All online exhibitions