Virginia Beach History Museums

10/19/2026

🍸International Gin and Tonic Day is a perfect occasion to open a bottle of history! Prior to the early 20th century, gin and tonic were used in a medicinal context to help treat malaria and even scurvy when limes were added. Gin was outlawed during the Prohibition Era in Virginia from November 1, 1916, until December 5, 1933.

You can see this Gordon’s Dry Gin bottle (circa 1915) on display, and learn more about the Prohibition Era in Virginia Beach, at the Francis Land House in our Roaring 20s exhibit room.

The Francis Land House, 3131 Virginia Beach Blvd, is open for free tours Thursday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from 1-5 p.m.

10/15/2026

🥘Our next free History Lunch and Learn is for the foodies! Bring your own lunch and enjoy The Tidewater Table: Fall Foodways in 18th Century Coastal Virginia, led by Allison Parker Hedrick of Handmade History LLC.

You'll discover how our Colonial Virginian forebears enjoyed the autumnal abundance of our local fields, forests, and fishing grounds in this insightful and entertaining program.

Noon on Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Lynnhaven House, 4409 Wishart Rd. Register for this free program at https://culture.virginiabeach.gov/2147/2333.

10/06/2026

Noon this Thursday, Oct. 8, at Lynnhaven House, 4409 Wishart Rd. - our next free History Lunch and Learn features a discussion on Enslaved People, Frederick Douglass, and Martin Luther King Jr.: Black Americans & the Declaration of Independence.

Talk will be led by Tony Williams, a senior fellow at The Bill of Rights Institute in Arlington, Va., where he has written on history, civics, and constitutional issues for twelve years.

You can register for this event online at https://culture.virginiabeach.gov/2147/2332 or at the door the day of event.

10/05/2026

📚It’s World Teachers' Day, and we are so thankful for the educators who work hard every day to make a difference in students' lives.

The students of Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School (PACTS/UKHS), open from 1938-69, had many wonderful teachers who inspired them and had positive impacts on their lives.

To name a few, there was Miss Hattie Goodman, who taught PACTS/UKHS students from 1934-69; Mr. Thaddeus C. Smith, who served as the first Principal of Princess Anne County Training School from 1938-46 and taught biology at the school; and Mrs. Bettie F. Williams, who was among the first teachers at the Princess Anne County Training School and later served as the second Jeanes Supervisor for Princess Anne County from 1946-61.

You can learn more about these educators and many more by visiting the Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School Museum (5100 Cleveland Street, inside the Renaissance Academy), open for free self-guided tours on Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

10/01/2026

📚🎃We'll have a special guest joining us from 10 a.m. to noon this Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Francis Land House as part of our Free First Saturday Community Day: Halloween!

Joe Tennis is a Virginia Beach native and the author of a dozen books. His most popular books include ghost story collections. His latest book is “The Ghostly Tales of Haunted Coastal Virginia.” This new book feature six stories from Virginia Beach, like who haunts the Cavalier and whatever happened to the witch on the Lynnhaven River. The book also includes stories from Norfolk, Hampton, Suffolk, and more.

Joe's books will be on sale in the Francis Land House gift shop. Get your free tickets to Free First Saturday Community Day: Halloween at https://culture.virginiabeach.gov/2149/2178.

09/30/2026

09/28/2026

🎃This Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. to noon - our next Free First Saturday Community Day celebrates the spooky season at the Francis Land House. We will have Halloween-themed crafts for kids and the young-at heart. Enjoy story time at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Register for free online at https://culture.virginiabeach.gov/2149/2178 or at the door.

09/23/2026

⌨On Education Technology Day, let's go back to a time before laptops and smart devices, and check out the "type" of writing technology available back in the 1950s.

This portable typewriter, on display in the Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School Museum, was used in junior year typing class by Estelle Tucker Whitfield, Class of 1959.

Do you see a "delete" button on this typewriter? No? That's because there isn't one! If a student made a mistake while using the typewriter, they had to use correction fluid or correction tape to remove their mistakes. Typing on this typewriter took much time and patience.

You can view this typewriter, and try out our brand-new augmented reality (AR) experience, at the Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School Museum, located inside the Renaissance Academy, 5100 Cleveland St. Free tours run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

09/21/2026

🎃Next Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. to noon - our next Free First Saturday Community Day celebrates the start of spooky season at the Francis Land House!

We will have Halloween-themed crafts for kids and the young-at heart. Create your own spooky (but not too spooky) Moving Eye Portraits. No matter where you move, their eyes follow! We'll also have a beaded pumpkin-making craft and story time at 10: 30 and 11:30 a.m.

Register for free at https://culture.virginiabeach.gov/2149/2178 or at the door.

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09/15/2026

We've got a double dip of FREE programming at the Lynnhaven House this Thursday, Sept. 17! 👇

⛪History Lunch and Learn: Parish and Power: Religion and Government in Colonial Virginia (featuring guest speaker John Ericson from St. Luke's Historic Church & Museum)
Noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Lynnhaven Colonial Education Center

🏛Lynnhaven House Preservation Tour
Noon at Lynnhaven House

Register online for both programs at Culture.VirginiaBeach.gov/events. Registration will also be available at the door for both events as space allows.