Virginia Museum of History & Culture

“We use these collections to tell the story of the Commonwealth of Virginia and its impact on American history,” says Jamie Bosket, VMHC president & CEO. “Our mission is far-reaching, and we are dedicated to the full story of Virginia across place and time. Our collection empowers us to do that. The nine million items represented 16,000 years of human history in this place we call Virginia, and they are all stored here in this facility.”

Located at 428 N. Arthur Ashe Boulevard, the VMHC has more 150,000 visitors annually and last year welcomed more than 175,000, the busiest year in the museum’s history. The 250,000 square-foot facility has a mix of long-term exhibits and special changing exhibits.

The Story of Virginia exhibit features more than 500 artifacts, letters, and diaries that interpret history from the earliest American Indian artifacts to life in Virginia in the 21st century. The exhibit walks visitors through 16,000 years of history in a timeline format.

The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is the oldest museum in the Commonwealth and is taking the lead on celebrating the 250th anniversary of Virginia and the USA.

Give Me Liberty – Virginia and the Forging of a Nation focuses on Virginia’s unique role in the American Revolution.

TowneBank is honored to sponsor the Our Commonwealth exhibit that immerses visitors in the landscapes, foodways, industries, and people that make up the diverse state. This exhibit complements the Story of Virginia with a rich, cultural overview of the state’s five regions in five separate galleries. “This is one of the most popular exhibits in the building because it’s full of memories, connectivity, and nostalgia,” Jamie says.

The “Give Me Liberty — Virginia and the Forging of a Nation” is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s official exhibit for America’s 250th anniversary. “It’s a spectacular exhibition that captures the sweeping history of the founding of the nation and Virginia’s role in doing so,” Jamie says. “It will be here until January 2026 and then will travel to the American Revolution Museum in Yorktown. Smaller versions will travel to 50 locations all across the Commonwealth.”

VMHC had great aspirations to expand when the Covid pandemic hit in 2020. “While many museums pushed pause on their plans during Covid, the VMHC made the strategic decision to move forward,” says Jamie. “We successfully completed one of the largest fundraising campaigns in our history, raising $65 million in two years. We completed the construction and renovation of our building, an extensive capital improvement project, and we reopened fresh and ready to go in May 2022, just as the world was coming back together. It was an amazing accomplishment and a great representation of the vitality of this organization.”

Jamie adds an interesting bit of VMHC history. “Our very first president was Chief Justice John Marshall, and our first member was President James Madison. It’s believed that the first item in our collection was John Marshall’s personal copy of the biography he wrote on George Washington.”

The Give Me Liberty exhibit celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and features a copy of the Declaration.

TowneBank is honored to sponsor the Our Commonwealth exhibit that walks visitors through galleries that represent the five regions of Virginia. This is the Tidewater region.

Jamie came to VMHC in 2017 after a decade at Mount Vernon. “What is most rewarding about my work with VMHC is making meaningful connections with Virginians. People can see their story reflected here. They can see history represented with hope and gain inspiration for the future. History is so much more than names and dates; it’s a roadmap for our future.”

VMHC connected with TowneBank first through Bob Aston, executive chairman. “Bob Aston is clearly a great fan of history and the Commonwealth,” Jamie says. “We then got to know Pat Collins and others on the Richmond team, but it all started with Bob.”

For more information including how to become a member, visit VirginiaHistory.org.