Roundtable: John Taylor Wood and The Rebel Horse Marine
2026-05-07 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | VA
Join speaker J. Michael Moore as he shares “John Taylor Wood and The Rebel Horse Marine.”
The Petersburg Civil War Roundtable (PCWRT) will meet the first Thursday of each month at Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm. Annual membership is $40.00. Individuals who are already members of Pamplin Historical Park can become members of PCWRT for $20.00. Non-members can attend for $5.00 each meeting. Call (804) 861-2408 for more information.
This is an in-person event.

Memorial Day Remembrance
2026-05-25 09:00 - 17:00
The park will be open for walk in visitation Memorial Day weekend, May 25 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Visitors can experience encounter programming throughout the day at the park’s Military Encampment area. Living historians and educators will share the experience of Civil War soldiers in camp and on the battlefield. Musket fire demonstrations will take place throughout the day and visitors can learn about the equipment, food, camp life, weapons and other aspects of the daily life of a Civil War soldier.
The award-winning Duty Called Me Here exhibit features hundreds of Civil War artifacts on display and the Trial By Fire immersion experience. Orpheo devices provide visitors with information and images at over 80 locations within the National museum of the Civil War Soldier and throughout the park’s exterior.
The viewing of “War So Terrible” which follows two Civil War soldiers, Benjamin Franklin Meyers of the Union and Andrew Jackson Stewart of the Confederacy, will be available for viewing, in the Battlefield Center.
This special Pamplin Historical Park Memorial Day remembrance is sponsored by the Bank of Southside Virginia. Daily admission for adults is $15, seniors (65+) $12.00, children (6-12) $8, and children under 6 free.
Free admission is offered for all active duty Military, Reservists, Retirees, Veterans, National Guardsmen. This offer is only available on May 25, 2026 to active duty Military, Reservists, Retirees, Veterans, National Guardsmen with proper ID, which includes a Department of Defense photo ID or DD Form 214. Military veterans who separated before retirement can bring a copy of their honorable discharge paperwork, DD Form 214, as identification of service.

Focus Weekend: Prisoners of War
2026-06-20 09:00 - 17:00
Visit Pamplin Historical Park for the first of four Focus Weekend events. This event is title Prisoners of War and highlights the capturing prisoners, which was a major facet of Civil War combat. An estimated 400,000 to 600,000 soldiers became prisoners during the war. Union General Horatio Wright’s U.S. Army VI Corps captured 3,000 Confederates on April 2, 1865 alone.
Imprisoned officers, often received better treatment than their enlisted counterparts. Even after the official exchange system broke down, high-ranking men were still traded for one another. Much emphasis is also given to the prison experience, and comparatively little to the process beforehand. A processing program will reveal what the moment of capture looks like and the items and information surrendered to facilitate transport.
Three programs are scheduled for the day:
11 AM: “Hopeless and Gloomy Enough”
· Thematic tour of Duty Called Me Here will discuss; desertion and prisons using the artifacts and overarching themes in each room, as well as the story of Henry Robinson Berkeley, a comrade who experienced capture.
12 PM: Immortal 600 Presentation
· Lecture/presentation on the Immortal 600: Federal and Confederate forces using prisoners to deter bombardment, 600 Confederate officers endured hardship at Fort Pulaski during the Battle of Charleston.
2 PM: Prisoner Processing
· Highlights the experience of soldiers immediately after capture or surrender and what they give up in order to be processed and transported to a prison.
Focus Weekend Programs are included with paid daily park admission from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. One of “Virginia’s Best Places to Visit” according to the Travel Channel, and designated as a National Historic Landmark, Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is a 424-acre Civil War campus located in Dinwiddie County, Virginia offering a combination of high-tech museums and hands-on experiences. The Park has four world-class museums and four antebellum homes. The Park is also the site of The Breakthrough Battlefield of April 2, 1865.

Independence Day Celebration
2026-07-04 09:00 - 17:00
A “Round Ball to Rim Fire” program will begin at 10:00 am and highlight the types of weapons used in the Civil War to include a demonstration of the loading and firing of muskets. This will be followed by a program comparing soldiers of 1776 and those of the American Civil War in 1861 at 11:00 am. See the differences in equipment, food, medicine, technology and more between these common soldiers of different wars. A presentation on America’s 250th anniversary will then be celebrated with a presentation and cannon fire salute at 1:00 pm.
A guided tour of the Breakthrough Battlefield will take place at 2:00pm. The April 2, 1865 battle saw the U.S. Army’s 6th Corps of 14,000 men successfully assault the Confederate defenses, and breakthrough to lift the 292-day siege of Petersburg. This forced the Confederates to evacuate both Petersburg and their capital city Richmond. Seven days later, the surrender took place at Appomattox. Multiple stories of valor will be shared from the battle, and a display of artifacts at the park’s Battlefield Center include a combatant’s Medal of Honor. Additional programming includes, living historians portraying soldiers who will share why they fought and explain the equipment and camp life of the men during the Civil War in the park’s encampment area.
Dinwiddie County, Virginia is home to a great amount of American history to include that of the American Revolutionary War. Dinwiddie County residents formed a Committee of Correspondence and several militia units were raised in Dinwiddie County. Many of these men went on to serve in Virginia state and Continental Army formations throughout the war. Others such as merchants, supported the army through supplying food and materials or played other vitally important roles in the fight for independence.
All event activities and programs are included with regular daily paid admission. This event is sponsored by the Bank of Southside Virginia.
This event is a part of the VA250 celebrations taking place across Virginia, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War for independence. Established in 2020 to commemorate Virginia’s role in the 250th anniversary of American independence, the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250) aims to form a more perfect union by educating Virginians about their history and civic duty and sharing diverse narratives that capture Virginia’s complete story and role in shaping the nation.

Focus Weekend: Tools of the Trade
2026-07-11 09:00 - 17:00
Early Americans lived in a world of wood. The forests of Europe had long been cleared, but America had old-growth forests that could provide wood for every purpose. Although by the nineteenth century consumers were able to purchase tools, the process of making simple instruments would have been common knowledge, especially in remote and agricultural areas.
Join us as presenters will share artifacts from everyday items like pottery and utensils to tools and crafts from the nineteenth century, and they’ll explain how they were made and used.
11 AM: Ordinary Objects Among the Antebellum Population
Presenters will discuss the everyday objects (pottery, utensils, etc.) of the past and how they differ among various classes of people. See items displayed from the park’s collection such as pottery and glass that have been unearthed on park property..
12 PM: World of Wood
This presentation will showcase dozens of tools and a presenter will explain the importance of woodworking in the nineteenth century.
2 PM: Basketmaking Demonstration
This program allows visitors to see baskets in various stages of completion, and walk them through the steps taken to turn wood into a basket.
Focus Weekend Programs are included with paid daily park admission from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. One of “Virginia’s Best Places to Visit” according to the Travel Channel, and designated as a National Historic Landmark, Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is a 424-acre Civil War campus located in Dinwiddie County, Virginia offering a combination of high-tech museums and hands-on experiences. The Park has four world-class museums and four antebellum homes. The Park is also the site of The Breakthrough Battlefield of April 2, 1865.

Focus Weekend: Tobacco
2026-08-08 09:00 - 17:00
Visit the park to experience our third Focus Weekend featuring tobacco. Production of tobacco was a vital agricultural product and business in Virginia and still is today. The 19th century saw Southside Virginia produce large amounts of tobacco and the park’s Tudor Hall Plantation grew the plant as a cash crop. Programs throughout the day will explore various aspects of tobacco from production to uses by soldiers during the Civil War and beyond.
12:00 p.m. Tudor Hall Plantation Tour
This tour will guide visitors through Tudor Hall Plantation where they will see a 19th century plantation and learn about the roles of the farmers, enslaved population, merchants and various products made from tobacco.
1:00 p.m. Tobacco and the Breakthrough Battlefield
The forms of tobacco used by soldiers from comfort to trade will be discussed at the park’s recreated Military Encampment and a brief tour of the Breakthrough Battlefield will follow.
3:00 p.m. Tobacco in the Civil War and Beyond
This presentation will explore the different uses of tobacco by Union and Confederate soldiers and the mythology around it’s use by General U.S. Grant. Additionally, participants will learn about the post-war popularity and the birth of the Havana cigar culture, which persists to the present day.
Focus Weekend Programs are included with paid daily park admission from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. One of “Virginia’s Best Places to Visit” according to the Travel Channel, and designated as a National Historic Landmark, Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is a 424-acre Civil War campus located in Dinwiddie County, Virginia offering a combination of high-tech museums and hands-on experiences. The Park has four world-class museums and four antebellum homes. The Park is also the site of The Breakthrough Battlefield of April 2, 1865.

World War II Living History Weekend
2026-08-22 09:00 - 2026-08-23 17:00
The theme this year is “America on the Offensive” where living history brings to life the experiences of fighting abroad and the war on the home front during World War II. Guests will have the chance to learn from living historians portraying soldiers who fought in WWII and about different aspects of a soldier’s life including weapons, signals and communications, and tactical demonstrations. Impressions will range from U.S. Army and Marines to those of British, Russian allies and enemies. Civilian living historians will portray goings on at the home front and USO activities stateside. Demonstrations will include medical, cooking, weapons and a military uniform and civilian fashion show. A special tactical demonstration will be performed on Saturday afternoon to illustrate the art of fire and maneuver.
Partner museums to include; the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, MacArthur Memorial, U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum, U.S. Army Ordnance TSF, and the U.S. Army Women’s Museum will have displays and more for visitors to see and experience. Presentations by authors and historians will be throughout the weekend. Actor and historian Charles Wissinger will portray Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Army Lieutenant Audie Murphy and share his amazing story.
Visitors will have an opportunity to meet and hear about the adventures of U.S. Army First Lieutenant Audie Murphy (portrayed by actor/historian Charles Wissinger) who was an American soldier, actor and song writer. He is widely celebrated as the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II, and has been described as the most highly decorated enlisted soldier in U.S. history. Murphy received the Medal of Honor for valor that he demonstrated at age 19 for single-handedly holding off a company of German soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, before leading a successful counterattack while wounded.
Other presenters include Jennifer Cottle, Education Manager, MacArthur Memorial, Zac Cunningham, School Programs Educator, Hampton Roads Naval Museum will present “Breaking the Enigma Code” and “Battle of the Atlantic & the “Road to Tokyo” Carter Bertone, U.S. Army Retired will present “The Defense of Wake Island” and Zachary Pittard, Director of Education and Interpretation, Pamplin Historical Park will present “Operation Torch: America’s First Fight with the Germans.”
Viewings of the Virginia War Memorials’, “Virginians at War: Battle of Okinawa” and “USS Birmingham,” which combines original footage with first-hand accounts to tell stories from World War II will be shown over the weekend in the park’s Education Center.
Children are invited to experience a World War II training obstacle course and enjoy craft activities to include World War II coloring books and making a take home project of the Roosevelt’s Scottie Dog “Fala.”
World War II, which was fought between 1939 and 1945, cost an estimated 85 million casualties both military and civilian worldwide. The United States military casualties amounted to 416,800. While many were thankful for the surrender in Europe on May 8, 1945, the war in the Pacific raged on and was far from over. The battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa during the first half of the year gave a glimpse of the carnage awaiting invasion forces set to strike the Japanese home islands. A planned Allied invasion on the island of Kyushu was set for November 1st. There, 500,000 Japanese troops were in position and another 6 million were under arms or able to be called into service. This invasion did not come to pass. The dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki forced Imperial Japan to accept an unconditional surrender. The terms were accepted on August 14, 1945 and a formal document signing ceremony took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2nd.
All event activities and programs are included with regular daily paid admission. This event is generously sponsored by the Bank of Southside Virginia.

Roundtable: Retreat From Victory - The Battle of Malvern Hill
2026-09-03 19:00 - 20:00
Join speaker Frances A. O’Reilly as he shares reflections on the pivotal Battle of Malvern Hill from his new book. The Battle of Malvern Hill on July 1, 1862, marked the climax of the Seven Days’ Battles around Richmond, Virginia. For the first time since the Civil War began, the full might of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan’s Union Army of the Potomac and Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia met. The world watched and wondered as this high-stakes combat played out on the doorstep of the Confederate capital. McClellan’s army emerged victorious with its superior positions and overwhelming artillery firepower. Yet, McClellan retreated from victory to establish a safe base on the James River. Lee’s army secured a default victory simply by holding the battlefield and saving Richmond from capture. Francis Augustín O’Reilly’s long-awaited Retreat from Victory: The Battle of Malvern Hill and the End of the Seven Days, July 1, 1862, is the first book-length treatment of this critical and pivotal battle.
Francis Augustín O’Reilly is an author and historian who can often be found on the Civil War battlefields of Virginia and, occasionally, on the battlefields of Europe. O’Reilly wrote the award-winning The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock (2003), which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Military history is his passion, and he has had a lifelong fascination with how soldiers conduct themselves under extreme duress. O’Reilly has been a professional battlefield guide for forty years. He has led tours and staff rides from Manassas to Appomattox and has lectured around the world on topics of war and leadership.
The Petersburg Civil War Roundtable (PCWRT) will meet the first Thursday of each month (except for the months of June, July and August) at Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm. Annual membership is $40.00. Individuals who are already members of Pamplin Historical Park can become members of PCWRT for $20.00. Non-members can attend for $5.00 each meeting. Call (804) 861-2408 for more information.

Fall Home School Day
2026-09-10 09:00 - 17:00
Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is offering a special field trip program on September 10, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for homeschool families and associations. Home School Tours at Pamplin Historical Park include educational programs that use fun, participatory learning techniques to teach historical lessons about life in the nineteenth century.
Each Home School Tour includes a visit to the award-winning exhibit Duty Called Me Here and two hands-on programs, Plantation Life, and A Civil War Soldier’s Life, led by Pamplin Historical Park educators. These programs are individually designed for children from third to twelfth grade.
Duty Called Me Here brings visitors face-to-face with the experiences of the nearly three million Americans who became soldiers during the Civil War. Personal audio players enable students to follow the true story of a “soldier comrade.” In Plantation Life, students study how free and enslaved Virginia families lived over 160 years ago and how that lifestyle changed during the Civil War. In A Civil War Soldier’s Life, students participate in military drills, observe weapons demonstrations, and visit the Park’s recreated Military Encampment, where they experience elements of a soldier’s life.
Tour times are from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tours cost $9.50 for children grades K-12 and $11.00 for adults. (Rain or shine). Reservations and a non-refundable prepayment by credit card or check are required. Participants will need to bring their own brown bag lunch. For reservations, contact a Park Reservation Specialist at 804-861-2408 or email groups@pamplinpark.org.

Focus Weekend: Faith and Religion in the Civil War
2026-09-19 09:00 - 17:00
Visit the park to experience our fourth Focus Weekend: Faith and Religion in the Civil War.
Religion was omnipresent during the Civil War era. Some denominations, such as the Methodists, were the first institutions in America to split over the issue of slavery. Millenarianism was a belief that the Second Coming would occur in 2000, and to prepare, America would have to be free of slavery by that time. Along with these factors influencing the conflict, individual soldiers relied on religion for comfort and courage. Some saw the conflict as a holy war of sorts against a depraved and dehumanized enemy. Others used it to reckon with the horrors they were exposed to. Civilians lent aid through volunteer efforts. One successful organization, the Christian Commission, provided food and medical supplies, as well as biblical instruction and teaching African American soldiers and the newly freed to read.
11:00 a.m: “God Has Fixed the Time For My Death”
This thematic tour of the Duty Called Me Here gallery discusses faith and religion from the perspective of the common soldier. Artifacts and accounts will highlight the importance of faith and family in decision-making and fulfilling one’s duty.
12:00 p.m. Gettysburg and Petersburg: Two Battles through the Eyes of Union Chaplains
Nancy Hale, author of A Sight Never to Be Forgotten: Eyewitness Accounts from Union Chaplains at Gettysburg, will present and offer her book for purchase. Hale’s talk will outline chaplaincy, then share chaplain stories from Gettysburg and other battles. She will also share the story (in character) of the only woman to serve as a chaplain during the war.
1:00 p.m. Faith on the Lines
Historical park educators and interpreters, will share accounts of religion specific to the Petersburg Campaign. In addition, they will talk about the role of the Christian Commission at City Point, as well as the other relief organizations formed for both the Union and Confederate forces. The formation of nearby cemeteries such as Blandford and Poplar Grove will also be featured in this presentation.
2:00 p.m. The Civil War as the Seedbed for Christian Nationalism
This program will explore how the Civil War transformed Protestantism into two competing ideologies. between the North and South.
Focus Weekend Programs are included with paid daily park admission from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
One of “Virginia’s Best Places to Visit” according to the Travel Channel, and designated as a National Historic Landmark, Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is a 424-acre Civil War campus located in Dinwiddie County, Virginia offering a combination of high-tech museums and hands-on experiences. The Park has four world-class museums and four antebellum homes. The Park is also the site of The Breakthrough Battlefield of April 2, 1865.

30th Annual Civil War Symposium - Hot Heads!: Quick Tempers & Rash Actions
2026-10-16 09:00 - 2026-10-18 17:00
The conference will be held on Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 at Pamplin Historical Park’s Education Center in Dinwiddie, Virginia and will feature presentations from seven outstanding historians: Chris J. Hartley, James A. Hessler, Robert I. Girardi, Dr. Christopher S. Stowe, Dr. Brooks D. Simpson, Jeffry Wert and Dr. Brian Steel Wills.
Any era is full of colorful personalities who may be known for their temperament and the Civil War is no different. Whether in personal life, in camp or on the battlefield leaders have been known to blow up at subordinates or even superiors. In extreme cases, the outbursts can manifest into disastrous decisions on the battlefield or even murder. “Hot Heads!: Quick Tempers & Rash Actions” explores seven fiery Civil War commanders who let anger get the best of them both in and out of uniform.
For more information or to register, call a reservation specialist at 877-726-7546. Pre-registration is required and space is limited.
Download a printable flyer and registration form by clicking here.
The Symposium begins at 6:00 pm with a Welcome Reception for all attendees at Pamplin Historical Park’s Education Center, located at 6523 Duncan Road, Petersburg, VA.
Park Members pay $339 per person and non-members pay $379. The price includes all lectures, the Friday night reception, two mid-morning coffee breaks, two lunches, and the Saturday night banquet.
*Not a member, but interested in joining? Click here or call Member Services, 877-726-7546 .
Speakers & Topics:
Chris J. Hartley
Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill
James A. Hessler
Maj Gen. Daniel E. Sickles
Robert I. Girardi
Maj. Gen. William “Bull” Nelson
Dr. Christopher S. Stowe
Maj. Gen. George G. Meade
Dr. Brooks D. Simpson
Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman
Jeffry D. Wert
Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early
Dr. Brian Steel Wills
Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest
