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New History of an Ancient American Story: Unlocking the Secret Code of the Maya
By Walter Witschey
September 17   |   Time: 5:30–7:00 pm
Have you ever wanted to be an armchair Indiana Jones, discovering lost cities in the jungle? Explore the ancient ruins of Mesoamerica with Walter Witschey, Maya archaeologist, professor of anthropology at Longwood University, and director emeritus of the Science Museum of Virginia. In this class, Dr. Witschey will share his ongoing research from numerous visits to Mesoamerica and with modern remote-sense data. He will also present new findings in deciphering the ancient Maya script that, until now, has hidden from us the life and times of the Maya kings and dynasties.

$25/VHS members; $30/nonmembers
Register online or register by mail

Over There! Virginians Fight the War to End All Wars, 1917–18
By Brig. Gen. John W. Mountcastle
September 24, October 1, 8, & 15   |   Time: 5:30–7:00 pm
In the spring of 1917, actions taken by Germany forced the United States into the brutal war in Europe. President Woodrow Wilson and many military leaders with strong ties to the Old Dominion launched extraordinary efforts to end the Great War before France and Britain were overcome. The experiences of the many thousands of Virginians who went "Over There" to fight and the tremendous impact that the World War had on life in Virginia will shape our discussions in this lecture series, which will be taught by Brig. Gen. John W. Mountcastle (USA, Ret.).

$110/VHS members; $125/nonmembers
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A Concise History of Richmond's Architecture
By Robert P. Winthrop
October 29, November 5, 12, & 19   |   Time: 5:30–7:00 pm
When Jefferson designed a great Roman-style temple as the Capitol of Virginia in the late eighteenth century, he began a tradition of distinguished architecture in Richmond. The hamlet on the falls of the James grew into a city with a taste for architecture. Great and sometimes eccentric buildings dominate its modern landscape. These include an Egyptian-style medical school, a Moorish-style auditorium, and a Gothic city hall, as well as many distinguished churches, schools, train stations, and hotels. This class by architectural historian Robert P. Winthrop will discuss these buildings and relate them to the history of Richmond and to national architectural trends. The class is intended for those who would like a concise overview of Richmond's architectural history and covers such topics as Jeffersonian classicism, Victorian exuberance, eclecticism and early modernism, and residential architecture in Richmond's neighborhoods.

$110/VHS members; $125/nonmembers
Register online or register by mail