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The Legacy Museum of African American History, Lynchburg. The Legacy Museum of African American History features exhibits about Central Virginia’s Black history, from the first slaves that arrived in 1619 to present-day figures and events that have shaped the Commonwealth and the entire country. Stratford Hall, Stratford
The mission of the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia (BHMVA) is to share, interpret, preserve, exhibit, and commemorate the rich history and culture of African Americans throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond.
The armory was built by skilled black craftsmen and laborers in 1894-95, providing Virginia’s black soldiers with an armory to call their own. In 1899, just four years after the armory opened, the city converted it into a school for African American children. In 1942, the building became the Monroe Center, a recreation center for black troops.
And “Yesterday’s Stories, Today’s Inspiration” provides a pictorial history of Virginia from the 1850s to 1950s as told through moments captured by the camera’s lens. These photographs, many from the museum’s collection, provide extraordinary glimpses of the African American experience during enslavement and freedom.
- Explore Key Sites on A Self-Guided Driving Tour
- Visit Freedom House Museum
- Wander The Waterfront Along The African American Heritage Trail
- Stop by An Integral Site For Legalizing Interracial Marriage
- Walk The Duke Street Black History Trail
- Embark on Manumission Tour Company’S New Underground Railroad Route
- Seewrought, Knit, Labors, Legacies at Its Temporary Location
- Learn About The NBA’s First Black Player
- Honor Alexandria’s Lynching Victims
Use our eight-site driving tourto explore the African American history that shaped Alexandria and the United States, from D.C.’s onetime southern cornerstone laid by Benjamin Banneker to the site of one of the nation’s earliest sit-ins and more. Find parking information for each site so you can linger where you feel moved.
Freedom House Museumat 1315 Duke Street reopened in spring 2022 with three new exhibitions showcasing Alexandria’s Black history and the Black experience in America. The National Historic Landmark is what remains of a large complex dedicated to trafficking thousands of Black men, women and children between 1828 and 1861. The museum honors the lives...
Trace Alexandria’s past with a riverside ramble. The self-guided waterfront African American Heritage Trail highlights the people, places and neighborhoods along the Potomac, from the time of Alexandria’s founding through the 20th century. Pull up the StoryMapon your phone as you walk the 11-stop trail, beginning at Waterfront Park and making your ...
Head to the corner of King and N. Pitt St. in the heart of Old Town Alexandria to find a new mini kiosk commemorating the 1967 Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court decision, which legalized interracial marriage throughout the United States. The law firm Cohen, Hirschkop & Hall represented Mildred and Richard Loving from their former 110 N. Royal St. of...
Old Town’s Duke Street corridor is rich with historical significance, embedded with narratives and markers galore for the eagle-eyed passerby. Begin your “Great Walk” at Erik Blome’s Edmonson Sisters sculpture, a tribute to two teenage sisters who attempted escape from slavery, were captured and held in Alexandria’s Bruin Slave Jail, and later beco...
Book a spot on Manumission Tour Company’s route telling the story of enslaved Alexandrians who fled to freedom. The tour is based upon the writings of abolitionist William Still and his 1872 book, The Underground Railroad, which describes the enslaved people—including several from Alexandria—who used the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom th...
The four ornate figures from Wrought, Knit, Labors, Legacies, by Olalekan Jeyifous, have found a temporary home at 1609 Cameron Street, following the conclusion of the installation’s 2020 waterfront tenure. The second of the City of Alexandria’s “Site See: New Views in Old Town” annual public art series frames Alexandria’s African American history ...
On October 31, 1950, Earl Lloyd made his NBA debut as the league’s first African American player to play in game. In October 2020, the City voted to re-name the 1000 block of Montgomery St., part of the Parker-Gray neighborhood, “Earl F. Lloyd Way.” In spring 2021, his statue was unveiled at the former site of his alma mater, Parker-Gray High Schoo...
Learn the stories and say the names of Alexandria’s lynching victims, Joseph McCoy and Benjamin Thomas. Joseph McCoy is buried at Penny Hill Cemetery and Benjamin Thomas was reinterred to Douglass Cemetery. The City has begun the process of claiming Alexandria’s lynching pillar from the National Memorial for Peace and Justicein Montgomery, Alabama....
The Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia -- featuring interactive, educational permanent and traveling exhibitions -- preserves and honors Virginia’s African American history and culture.
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The African American experience is intricately entwined in the rich tapestry of Fairfax County’s history and in America’s story. With a wealth of African American historical sites throughout the Washington, DC and Northern Virginia region, take a journey to reflect on the sacrifices and vital contributions that African Americans have made ...
