Petersburg Museums will open its doors free of charge on Saturday, September 27, 2014, as part of Smithsonian Magazine’s 10th Annual Museum Day Live! A nationwide event, Museum Day Live! offers free admission to visitors presenting a Museum Day Live! ticket at a participating museum or cultural institution.
Inclusive by design, the event represents Smithsonian’s commitment to make learning and the spread of knowledge accessible to everyone, giving museums across all 50 states the opportunity to emulate the admission policy of the Smithsonian museums in Washington D.C. Last year’s event drew over 400,000 participants, and this year’s event expects record-high participation.
The Petersburg Museums participating in this year’s event are:
? Historic Blandford Church – 111 Rochelle Lane, (804) 733-2396. Originally constructed in 1735 as an Anglican church, the building now is a memorial to Confederate soldiers. Fifteen windows designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany were installed between 1904 and 1912 in memory of soldiers from each Confederate state.
? Centre Hill Museum – 1 Centre Hill Avenue, (804) 733-2401. Built in 1823 by Robert Bolling IV, a Revolutionary War veteran and prominent citizen of Petersburg, Centre Hill remained a residence until 1936. U.S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln and William H. Taft visited while they were in office. Through guided tours, visitors learn about the building’s architecture and collection of decorative arts.
? The Siege Museum – 15 West Bank Street, (804) 733-2402. Exhibitions interpret civilian life in Petersburg before, during, and immediately after the Civil War. An additional exhibit features Civil War photographs taken by Matthew Brady. “The Echoes Still Remain”, a film narrated by Petersburg native, actor Joseph Cotten, is shown every thirty minutes.
The Museum Day Live! ticket is available to download at Smithsonian.com/museumdaylive. Visitors who present the Museum Day Live! ticket will gain free entrance for two at participating venues for one day only. One ticket is permitted per household, per email address. For more information about Museum Day Live! 2014 and a list of participating museums and cultural institutions, please visit:
Smithsonian.com/museumday/venues.
For additional information call: (804) 733-2402. Hours and tour times are also posted on the City of Petersburg’s website: www.petersburgva.gov.