While it may feel at times as though our day to day lives never change, they were completely different for those of Colonial Virginia. Discover what daily life was like for the Henry family and the enslaved who lived and worked at Scotchtown on this special focus tour. This tour will run on specific Friday […]
While it may feel at times as though our day to day lives never change, they were completely different for those of Colonial Virginia. Discover what daily life was like for the Henry family and the enslaved who lived and worked at Scotchtown on this special focus tour. This tour will run on specific Friday […]
Come join Scotchtown staff on July 11th from 10am-4pm to learn about some of the sweet treats enjoyed in the colonial time period. In addition we will be discussing foodways in the 1700s, exploring the kitchen garden, and cooking multiple dishes throughout the day using 18th century recipes. Guests can take home a recipe or […]
Learn little known history about the Virginia Beach area, including witches, pirates and military facts! Learn about Fort Story, a prominent military base in Virginia Beach as they consider the history of the community.
This event is included in general admission and open to active/retired military/ DoD ID holders and their families. Stop by the Cape Henry Lighthouse to learn and practice knot tying skills, such as canoe hitches for tying up boats and classic knots such as the figure eight. Learn about how rope is made and why it was important to shipping and lighthouse keeping.
This event is free and open to active/retired military/ DoD ID holders and their families. Join the Cape Henry Lighthouse on the lookout at the Cape Henry Memorial Park overlooking the ocean as we read a children’s book related to the ocean and lighthouse. Stick around for a fun quick craft that accompanies the book that you can take home!
Rarely acknowledged in historical narratives, Virginia’s Indigenous nations shaped American history in countless ways, including the events surrounding Nathaniel Bacon’s 1676 insurrection. Our panel brings together the project team, drawing on traditional ecological knowledge alongside military history, environmental and archaeological evidence, and both traditional and non-traditional documents to highlight the Indigenous perspectives of what is now known as Bacon’s Rebellion. This event will take place on at 6PM on Wednesday, July 15th at Jamestown Settlement (2110 Jamestown Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23185).
The Fresnel Lens revolutionized and assisted naval navigation with its invention in 1822. Join us virtually as we dive into the mechanics of how it projects light miles further than any other lens. Be introduced to the man who created the lens that changed navigation, Augustin Jean Fresnel, a French engineer. View photos of the […]
While it may feel at times as though our day to day lives never change, they were completely different for those of Colonial Virginia. Discover what daily life was like for the Henry family and the enslaved who lived and worked at Scotchtown on this special focus tour. This tour will run on specific Friday […]
While it may feel at times as though our day to day lives never change, they were completely different for those of Colonial Virginia. Discover what daily life was like for the Henry family and the enslaved who lived and worked at Scotchtown on this special focus tour. This tour will run on specific Friday […]
This event is included in general admission and open to active/retired military/ DoD ID holders and their families. Stop by the Cape Henry Lighthouse to learn and practice knot tying skills, such as canoe hitches for tying up boats and classic knots such as the figure eight. Learn about how rope is made and why it was important to shipping and lighthouse keeping.
The little known Village of Cape Henry was a bustling resort town in the early 1900’s. Accessed by an electric rail line and equipped with a casino, church, ice cream parlor, cottages and hotels. It was the place to be along the oceanfront.
This event is free and open to active/retired military/ DoD ID holders and their families. Join the Cape Henry Lighthouse on the lookout at the Cape Henry Memorial Park overlooking the ocean as we read a children’s book related to the ocean and lighthouse. Stick around for a fun quick craft that accompanies the book that you can take home!
While it may feel at times as though our day to day lives never change, they were completely different for those of Colonial Virginia. Discover what daily life was like for the Henry family and the enslaved who lived and worked at Scotchtown on this special focus tour. This tour will run on specific Friday […]
While it may feel at times as though our day to day lives never change, they were completely different for those of Colonial Virginia. Discover what daily life was like for the Henry family and the enslaved who lived and worked at Scotchtown on this special focus tour. This tour will run on specific Friday […]
Come join Scotchtown staff on July 25th from 10am-4pm to learn about the use of candles in the colonial time period. Whether necessary for basic light or enjoyed for their fragrance and beauty, candles have been a part of people’s lives for centuries. This workshop will teach you techniques for basic pillar and taper candles […]
Although the lighthouse was completed in 1792, the idea of a lighthouse on Cape Henry came to be decades earlier. Learn about the agreement between Virginia and Maryland, how the Founding Fathers are connected to the construction of the lighthouse and the process of building with the adjustments that had to be made to create the first federally funded public works project during this virtual program on Zoom.
This event is included in general admission and open to active/retired military/ DoD ID holders and their families. Stop by the Cape Henry Lighthouse to learn and practice knot tying skills, such as canoe hitches for tying up boats and classic knots such as the figure eight. Learn about how rope is made and why it was important to shipping and lighthouse keeping.
This event is free and open to active/retired military/ DoD ID holders and their families. Join the Cape Henry Lighthouse on the lookout at the Cape Henry Memorial Park overlooking the ocean as we read a children’s book related to the ocean and lighthouse. Stick around for a fun quick craft that accompanies the book that you can take home!
Landing on the shores of the Cape, on April 26th 1607, the men and boys of the Virginia Company Charter claimed this land for Henry, son of King James. This program will show monuments currently dedicated to the first landing and its importance to our country’s beginnings.
While it may feel at times as though our day to day lives never change, they were completely different for those of Colonial Virginia. Discover what daily life was like for the Henry family and the enslaved who lived and worked at Scotchtown on this special focus tour. This tour will run on specific Friday […]
Bacon’s Rebellion began as a campaign of violence against the region’s Indigenous people carried out in defiance of the royal governor. The elite instigators of the insurrection garnered broad support by stoking prejudice and exploiting the desperation of struggling and marginalized groups, including many in the colony’s growing, and increasingly oppressed African population who saw in the uprising a chance for self-liberation.
Join Preservation Virginia’s John Marshall House and the Valentine Museum’s John Wickham House for a deep dive into one of America’s first great legal spectacles. In the summer of 1807, the national spotlight landed on Richmond’s Court End neighborhood as Chief Justice John Marshall deliberated the fate of accused traitor Aaron Burr. Learn about the […]
Join Preservation Virginia’s John Marshall House and the Valentine Museum’s John Wickham House for a deep dive into one of America’s first great legal spectacles. In the summer of 1807, the national spotlight landed on Richmond’s Court End neighborhood as Chief Justice John Marshall deliberated the fate of accused traitor Aaron Burr. Learn about the […]
Join Preservation Virginia’s John Marshall House and the Valentine Museum’s John Wickham House for a deep dive into one of America’s first great legal spectacles. In the summer of 1807, the national spotlight landed on Richmond’s Court End neighborhood as Chief Justice John Marshall deliberated the fate of accused traitor Aaron Burr. Learn about the […]
Join Preservation Virginia’s John Marshall House and the Valentine Museum’s John Wickham House for a deep dive into one of America’s first great legal spectacles. In the summer of 1807, the national spotlight landed on Richmond’s Court End neighborhood as Chief Justice John Marshall deliberated the fate of accused traitor Aaron Burr. Learn about the […]
Exactly one-hundred years before the Declaration of Independence, a group of rebels marched on Virginia’s capital and burned it to the ground in an attempt to depose a government they saw as elitist.
Join us at Bacon’s Castle for our annual Seventeenth Century Day! This year we will be joined by our Virginia Indian Tribal Partners – the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, the Rappahannock Indian Tribe, and the Nottoway Indian Tribe – and we will also host the Library of Virginia’s LVA On the Go van.
Step back in time at Bacon’s Castle for the Tournament of the Castle Renaissance Faire on November 7 & 8, 2026! This thrilling weekend features medieval full-plate armored combat from the local Tidewater Dogs of War, including international teams battling for prizes and 1st place. Witness the Classic Level Melee, featuring longsword duels and all […]