American Civil War Museum

Richmond's most important Civil War museum sits at the foot of the James River at the site of the Tredegar Iron Works, which produced artillery for the Confederacy throughout the war. The museum takes the unusual approach of presenting the war from three perspectives simultaneously: Confederate, Union, and enslaved — running parallel narrative lines through the same events. It's one of the most thoughtful Civil War interpretations in the country.

The outdoor site includes the original 19th-century iron foundry buildings, a small park along the riverfront, and the starting point for the Richmond Canal Walk. Admission is charged for the main museum; the outdoor areas are free. The companion site, the White House of the Confederacy, is about a mile east.

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A story
The museum sits on the site of Tredegar Iron Works, which produced roughly half of all the Confederate artillery used in the Civil War. The original furnace and foundry buildings survive and form the backdrop for the exhibits. When Richmond fell to Union forces on April 2, 1865, Confederate soldiers set fire to the tobacco warehouses along the James — the fire destroyed much of the city, but Tredegar survived because Union troops arrived quickly enough to save it.