In a bold move at the November 18, 2009, board meeting, Virginia Historical Society (VHS) trustees voted to waive admission fees next year.  This decision comes as part of a long-term strategy to promote access to the society’s collections and remove obstacles to sharing history.  Effective January 2, 2010, it will not cost guests any money to visit the VHS museum or research library.

“In spite of a serious economic environment, the board unanimously agreed that we cannot balance the budget by pricing history out of the public’s reach,” said Virginia Historical Society President and CEO Paul A. Levengood.

“I am pleased we can offer free admission in 2010. Although the highest a ticket price has ever been at the VHS is $5, that is still a barrier to some. I will do everything in my power to ensure that anyone who takes advantage of this opportunity will have an enjoyable, educational, and entertaining visit.”

“We will adopt a fundraising strategy to make free admission permanent,” said Pamela R. Seay, Vice President for Advancement at the VHS. “VHS donors understand that the intrinsic value of history is far greater than the price of admission to a museum. The value of history is measured by what we learn from it.”

The VHS is presenting the following new exhibitions in 2010: Cold War Crisis: The U-2 Incident  (January 16–May 30, 2010); Memories of World War II: Photographs from the Archives of The Associated Press (May 9–August 1, 2010); Bizarre Bits from Virginia: Oddities of the Collection (June 12, 2010–February 13, 2011); Virginia Rocks: Rockabilly Music in the Old Dominion (August 28–December 30, 2010); and Organized Labor in Virginia (September 4–December 30, 2010). The Portent: John Brown’s Raid in American Memory and The John Marshall High School Corps of Cadets opened in October and will continue to be on display until April 11, 2010.

For more information, click here, or call (804) 358-4901.

– The information above was provided by Jennifer M. Guild at the VHS