American Civil War Museum 🇺🇸

You will explore the complex history of the American Civil War across three distinct locations operated by the American Civil War Museum in central Virginia. Formed by a merger of the Museum of the Confederacy and the American Civil War Center at Tredegar, this institution maintains an extraordinary collection of wartime artifacts, manuscripts, photographs, and historical documents. At the Historic Tredegar site in downtown Richmond, you can tour expansive gallery spaces situated on the historic grounds of a former nineteenth-century iron works.

Two blocks north of the Virginia State Capitol, you can visit the White House of the Confederacy, a gray stuccoed neoclassical mansion designed by Robert Mills that served as Jefferson Davis’s residence during the conflict. Inside, guided tours showcase rooms restored to their 1861–65 appearance, complete with original Civil War-period furnishings and reproduction draperies. Across its locations, you will see remarkable items, including over 500 original Confederate battle flags, the provisional Confederate Constitution, the Great Seal of the Confederacy, and personal effects belonging to prominent historical figures like Robert E.

Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Additionally, the Appomattox site offers dedicated exhibits exploring the war's closing days and the national journey toward reunion.

What to see at American Civil War Museum

• Guided tours of the restored 1818 neoclassical White House of the Confederacy
• A collection featuring 500 original wartime Confederate battle flags
• Key historical documents including the provisional Confederate Constitution
• Expansive gallery space located at Historic Tredegar in Richmond
• Exhibits on the closing days of the war at the Appomattox location

Visiting tips

Take a guided tour of the White House of the Confederacy to view its restored 1861–65 interior and period furnishings.

How long: 2-3 hours · Best time: Morning

How to get there & what’s nearby

American Civil War Museum is easy to reach on Richmond’s public transport. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Richmond travel guide.