Virginia Museum of the Civil War

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NEW SHOPPING EXPERIENCE: The VMI Museum System has launched its brand new online store – in time for your holiday shopping needs. Explore the new site to find vintage and museum-inspired apparel and gifts celebrating the proud history and spirit of Virginia Military Institute.

Located in New Market, Virginia, our museum provides opportunities to reflect upon the Battle of New Market which raged just outside on May 15, 1864.

Students from the Virginia Military Institute as young as 15 years old fought in the battle. In addition to museum exhibit galleries, the site features the state-certified Shenandoah Valley Tourist Information Center, an Emmy-winning film, Field of Lost Shoes shown every hour, and a 300-acre battlefield park preserving the core areas of the battlefield and historic Bushong Farm.

Museum Experiences

Planning a visit?

Learn about our museum and grounds and find information on people, places, and events that influenced history.

Have you visited recently?

Thank you for choosing our museum! We’d appreciate your feedback in a brief survey.

Want to learn on the go?

Start your audio tour of the New Market Battlefield just outside of the museum. Park admission required.

Promote your business

Learn about how advertising at the museum can help help your business connect with visitors. For more information contact us at 540-462-6360.

Learn and Teach On-Site

Schedule a student tour to connect the museum and battlefield to your curriculum.

Hear from our experts

Schedule a guided tour with one of our museum interpreters and learn about the history of the Battle of New Market and the Civil War in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Featured Exhibits

Artifacts from VMI, Battle of New Market, and Bushong family

Kaminsky Gallery of Civil War Firearms

The Robert Raeburn, VMI 1951, Civil War Art Gallery

Stained Slab Glass Mural Wall by Ami Shamir

“Field of Lost Shoes” in Theater – Watch the docudrama

Learn about the museum

Outdoor Highlights

300-acre battlefield park with walking trails

Historic farmstead with original structures several buildings to explore

Two scenic overlooks of the Shenandoah River

LOST SHOE TRAIL, part of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail System

Dog-friendly (leashed)

Explore the grounds

Tourist Center

Located in New Market, Virginia and representing the entire Valley, our Tourist Information Center at the Virginia Museum of the Civil War is a good place to start your visit.

Find out where to eat, where to stay and where to visit from the hundreds of brochures and travel guides available.

Our information center is certified by the Virginia Tourism Corporation and offers official state highway maps, specialty maps and all sorts of guides are free to travelers. It features a real-time digital signage display providing visitors with up to the minute weather, local traffic information, upcoming special events.

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