Richmond museum plans huge America 250 celebration
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One of the projections Richmonders can see in June. Image: Courtesy of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture will partially shut down Arthur Ashe Boulevard for a four-night light show and festival next month as part of its America's 250th celebration.
Why it matters: That's just one of the ways VMHC is going big for America's birthday — with fireworks, tall ships, a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence and Barbie coming to Richmond.
State of play: The museum has spent $35 million and planned over nearly a decade to mark the anniversary, museum president Jamie Bosket tells Axios.
- That planning included lobbying the General Assembly to create the Virginia 250 Commission, convening museum leaders nationwide to discuss meeting this historic moment and dozens of 250th-themed events leading up to 2026 and the big day.
- All that advance work has paid off.
- Now, VMHC will host the largest portfolio of programming in the Richmond museum's nearly 200-year history — and among the largest that any museum in the country has planned for the 250th.
What they're saying: There are few places better than Virginia for this anniversary to be celebrated, given the state's historic role in shaping the people and ideas that created this nation, Bosket says.
- But VMHC's commemoration is about more than the past.
- "Our opportunity for America at 250 is to talk about our journey toward our more perfect union — and what's left in that journey," he says.
Zoom in: IllumiNATION is the biggest of the museum's two signature events — and one locals won't want to miss.
- The centerpiece of the family-friendly festival is a stunning 18,000-square-foot, 20-minute video of America's story that will be projected onto the museum's facade nightly.
- The free event will run June 25-28, from 6-9:30pm, and be a "festive block-party" with local bands, food and beer trucks, plus Virginia folklife demonstrations, hands-on screen printing, a petting zoo and bounce houses.
- The museum galleries and exhibitions will also be open after hours.
To accommodate the expected crowds, a portion of Arthur Ashe Boulevard will be shut down for the four-day fest, Bosket says.
⛵️ Plus: VMHC and the city of Richmond are co-hosting Richmond SailFest from June 12-14.
- That's when a few of the flotilla of international tall ships that are sailing from New Orleans to Boston break off and head up the James to dock near Dock Street Park for a few days.
- The free, weekend-long festival will have food trucks, live music, ship tours and paddleboarding, plus a massive fireworks show over the James on Saturday night.
🚨 Advanced registration for free ship tours is recommended, and many time slots have already filled up.
Fun fact: VMHC expects to draw around 50,000 people between IllumiNATION and Sailfest and nearly 200,000 visitors overall this year.
But wait — there's more.
- 📜 The VMHC will have an "exceptionally rare copy" of the Declaration of Independence on view from June 7-July 4 — one of about 50 copies made in 1820 in celebration of America's 50th birthday, Bosket says.
- 🗣️ The museum is partnering to host the National Speech & Debate Tournament (June 14-19) as part of its investment in civics-related education.
- 🇺🇸 It will also host a naturalization ceremony on July 4.
- 🛂 It spearheaded the Virginia 250 Passport program, which allows visitors to get discounts at history museums across the state.
- 🌎 And is running its "We The People: The World in Our Commonwealth," exhibition, which explores how people from around the globe have helped shape Virginia as told through the voices of Virginians from 68 countries.
What's next: VMHC plans to keep the 250th party going with its next very American exhibit, "Barbie: A Cultural Icon," which will open in October.