Spotsylvania County Museum at Lick Run

Spotsylvania County Museum at Lick Run A free museum dedicated to Spotsylvania County's 300-year history. The museum is open every day and admission is free.

The mission of the Spotsylvania County Museum is to collect, preserve, interpret and share Spotsylvania County’s cultural and natural history with local citizens and area guests through a variety of innovative and creative medias, educational programming, and local events, while continuously striving to ensure inclusive accessibility for all visitors.

06/18/2026

Are you ready to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday? 🇺🇸

Join us at this year’s Spotsylvania Stars & Stripes Spectacular for an unforgettable Semiquincentennial celebration on Saturday, June 27! Here is a sneak peek of VA250 happenings on the Historic Courthouse lawn:

🏛️ History: Explore historic building tours and meet living history interpreters.
🎵 Tunes: Enjoy the songs of Colonial America performed by the musical ensemble Colonial Faire on the children's stage.
🛍️ Swag: Stop by the Visit Spotsy booth to grab your VA250 keepsakes and official commemorative T-shirts ($15 youth, $20 adult/women's sizes).
🏆 Plus: We will announce the winners of the VA250-themed Journey Through Spotsylvania Virtual Scavenger Hunt at 6 p.m. on the Children’s Stage! (It's not too late to play for your chance to win: https://ow.ly/wor650ZciHg)

All of this will happen in addition to incredible music on four stages, food vendors, children's activities, demonstrations, and truly spectacular fireworks show! Catch all the fun June 27 from 4-10 p.m. throughout the Spotsylvania Courthouse area. Rain date is June 28. For schedule, maps and more details, visit https://ow.ly/bHlS50Zcj42

Spotsylvania Parks Recreation

🔍 The Marquis de Lafayette played a large role in Virginia’s defense during the late stages of the Revolutionary War. Se...
06/18/2026

🔍 The Marquis de Lafayette played a large role in Virginia’s defense during the late stages of the Revolutionary War. Serving as a shield to block and parry the advancing British forces of Lord Cornwallis and Banastre “the Butcher” Tarleton, Lafayette positioned himself as the main defender of Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg in June 1781. Though deeply beleaguered by the area’s exhausted militias, Lafayette nonetheless made effective use of what men he could raise to defend the region. Years later, with no British soldiers to give him trouble, Lafayette passed through Spotsylvania during his 1825 tour of America, staying overnight at an estate that would witness the bloodshed of another war decades later.

👉 This is Clue No. 18 - the final clue - in Spotsylvania County Museum's Journey Through Spotsylvania VA250-themed virtual scavenger hunt! Test your local knowledge for the chance to win big! Please do not comment or message answers; all entries must be submitted via official form(s) found at link below. Winner(s) will be announced at Spotsylvania Stars & Stripes Spectacular on June 27. Participants can guess one clue at a time via individual clue forms or tackle all at once in one form containing all 18 clues. Happy hunting!

📝 To submit your guess or for rules and prize info, go to: https://ow.ly/hXnv50YNC0q

VA250 - American Revolution 250 Commission

🔍 We've certainly come a long way from the days of chewing on weevil-infested hard tack! Forget those rock-hard rations ...
06/15/2026

🔍 We've certainly come a long way from the days of chewing on weevil-infested hard tack! Forget those rock-hard rations that were staples of the Revolutionary War soldier’s diet — today, you deserve something delicious! Instead of a tough, dry biscuit meant for mere survival, stop by this restaurant at Spotsylvania Courthouse Village for a mouth-watering biscuit — a modern treat that pays homage to the flour staple of the past, without any of the historic misery!

👉 This is Clue No. 17 in Spotsylvania County Museum's Journey Through Spotsylvania VA250-themed virtual scavenger hunt! Test your local knowledge for the chance to win big! Please do not comment or message answers; all entries must be submitted via official form(s) found at link below. Clues will be posted here twice per week through June 18. Winner(s) will be announced at Spotsylvania Stars & Stripes Spectacular on June 27. Participants can guess one clue at a time via individual clue forms or tackle all at once in one form containing all 18 clues. Happy hunting!

📝 To submit your guess or for rules and prize info, go to: https://ow.ly/hXnv50YNC0q

VA250 - American Revolution 250 Commission

When it comes to understanding Spotsylvania County's early history, there is one book we heartily recommend! 📖Born at Lo...
06/12/2026

When it comes to understanding Spotsylvania County's early history, there is one book we heartily recommend! 📖

Born at Locust Grove Farm near Post Oak on June 30, 1910, James Roger Mansfield spent his youth cultivating to***co in the final days of Spotsylvania's storied to***co-farming era. After graduating from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (better known today as Virginia Tech) and serving the U.S. Army during World War II, Mansfield became a teacher at Spotsylvania High School.

Later in life, Mansfield expanded upon his interest in history and genealogy by researching and documenting Spotsylvania County and its historic families, providing invaluable information to descendants and historical groups across the Rappahannock region. Mansfield was also among the local historians author Alex Haley consulted while researching his groundbreaking 1976 novel, "Roots."

Soon after Mansfield’s death in 1977, his research findings and writings were published in "A History of Early Spotsylvania County," a book Spotsylvania County Museum still sells today. It succinctly chronicles our county's history, from early pre-contact Native American settlements to the end of the colonial period. By examining the county through different aspects of daily life, this book provides an excellent, well-rounded introduction to our local history.

Want to learn more about Spotsylvania County or purchase a copy of Mansfield's book? Visit Spotsylvania County Museum! We are open every day (except some major holidays) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come on in!

🔍 Among the many Spotsylvanians who answered the call during the Revolutionary War was Oliver Towles, a lawyer-turned-of...
06/11/2026

🔍 Among the many Spotsylvanians who answered the call during the Revolutionary War was Oliver Towles, a lawyer-turned-officer who was commissioned into the 6th Virginia Regiment on February 16, 1776. Towles’s service was marked by personal and professional strife. At one point, George Washington declined Towles’s request to resign after a fire destroyed his home along with many of his clients’ legal documents; instead, he was granted temporary leave to stabilize his affairs. His military career took a dramatic turn when he was captured at the Battle of Germantown on October 4, 1777. After years as a prisoner of war, Major Towles was freed, allowing him to witness the British surrender at Yorktown. Despite being awarded extensive land bounties for his service, crippling debt later forced the veteran to sell off much of his property.

👉 This is Clue No. 16 in Spotsylvania County Museum's Journey Through Spotsylvania VA250-themed virtual scavenger hunt! Test your local knowledge for the chance to win big! Please do not comment or message answers; all entries must be submitted via official form(s) found at link below. Clues will be posted here twice per week through June 18. Winner(s) will be announced at Spotsylvania Stars & Stripes Spectacular on June 27. Participants can guess one clue at a time via individual clue forms or tackle all at once in one form containing all 18 clues. Happy hunting!

📝 To submit your guess or for rules and prize info, go to: https://ow.ly/hXnv50YNC0q

VA250 - American Revolution 250 Commission

🔍 Though initially fueled by an outpouring of patriotism and zeal, Spotsylvania residents grew increasingly weary as the...
06/08/2026

🔍 Though initially fueled by an outpouring of patriotism and zeal, Spotsylvania residents grew increasingly weary as the Revolutionary War dragged on. Harsh living conditions for Virginia-raised Continental soldiers, combined with severe losses from combat, a collapsing economy, and inadequate pay, all weakened public morale. Each call for raising men into service became more unpopular than the last. Regardless, Spotsylvania resident and militia Capt. Francis “Frank” Coleman maintained command over what few men remained in service, joining the Continental Army’s push toward Yorktown in mid-1781. Though his unit was ravaged by disease, his men played a vital role in the Siege of Yorktown that fall, helping to secure the Pigeon Hill Redoubt as British forces withdrew. In this final push to defeat the British, the men of Spotsylvania stood witness as the long conflict finally reached its conclusion on Virginia soil.

👉 This is Clue No. 15 in Spotsylvania County Museum's Journey Through Spotsylvania VA250-themed virtual scavenger hunt! Test your local knowledge for the chance to win big! Please do not comment or message answers; all entries must be submitted via official form(s) found at link below. Clues will be posted here twice per week through June 18. Winner(s) will be announced at Spotsylvania Stars & Stripes Spectacular on June 27. Participants can guess one clue at a time via individual clue forms or tackle all at once in one form containing all 18 clues. Happy hunting!

📝 To submit your guess or for rules and prize info, go to: https://ow.ly/hXnv50YNC0q

VA250 - American Revolution 250 Commission

Today marks the 65th anniversary of the start of the 1961 Berlin Crisis. Although the intense standoff played out on the...
06/04/2026

Today marks the 65th anniversary of the start of the 1961 Berlin Crisis. Although the intense standoff played out on the other side of the Atlantic, its impact was felt across the world, including in Spotsylvania County.

To prepare for a potential nuclear strike, many localities mobilized civil defense forces. The Spotsylvania region’s civil defense planners anticipated three possible outcomes of a nuclear attack:

☢ A direct hit, which one planner darkly joked would eliminate all of their problems.

☢ Nuclear fallout, if a nearby location was hit and the winds blew in Spotsylvania's direction.

☢ An influx of refugees, if a nearby location was hit and the winds blew the fallout away from the county.

To learn more about the local side of the Cold War and other fascinating stories from the past, explore the Spotsylvania County Museum at 6159 Plank Road, open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

🔍 During the American Revolutionary period, beer was a fundamental dietary staple and a safer alternative to often-conta...
06/04/2026

🔍 During the American Revolutionary period, beer was a fundamental dietary staple and a safer alternative to often-contaminated well and river water. The war dramatically impacted the brewing landscape, forcing colonists to shift from reliance on English imports to using local ingredients and domestic production. Today, Spotsylvania County is home to three breweries with locally crafted brews on tap.

👉 This is Clue No. 14 in Spotsylvania County Museum's Journey Through Spotsylvania VA250-themed virtual scavenger hunt! Test your local knowledge for the chance to win big! Please do not comment or message answers; all entries must be submitted via official form(s) found at link below. Clues will be posted here twice per week through June 18. Winner(s) will be announced at Spotsylvania Stars & Stripes Spectacular on June 27. Participants can guess one clue at a time via individual clue forms or tackle all at once in one form containing all 18 clues. Happy hunting!

📝 To submit your guess or for rules and prize info, go to: https://ow.ly/hXnv50YNC0q

VA250 - American Revolution 250 Commission

🔍 In June 1781, as Lord Cornwallis and his British forces marched north toward Spotsylvania, the Marquis de Lafayette sh...
06/01/2026

🔍 In June 1781, as Lord Cornwallis and his British forces marched north toward Spotsylvania, the Marquis de Lafayette shadowed the British commander’s movements with tactical precision, anticipating his every step. Believing the military equipment stores in Fredericksburg were Lord Cornwallis’s primary target, Lafayette ordered local Spotsylvania militiamen and Continental soldiers to fortify a strategic crossing over the Rapidan River. When Cornwallis diverted his path toward Charlottesville, the Marquis maneuvered his troops over the river westward to shield Spotsylvania from the British advance. After this successful pivot, Lafayette’s forces joined Brig. Gen. “Mad Anthony” Wayne’s Continental soldiers at Racoon Ford in Culpeper County, beginning the decisive march south toward the ultimate victory at Yorktown.

👉 This is Clue No. 13 in Spotsylvania County Museum's Journey Through Spotsylvania VA250-themed virtual scavenger hunt! Test your local knowledge for the chance to win big! Please do not comment or message answers; all entries must be submitted via official form(s) found at link below. Clues will be posted here twice per week through June 18. Winner(s) will be announced at Spotsylvania Stars & Stripes Spectacular on June 27. Participants can guess one clue at a time via individual clue forms or tackle all at once in one form containing all 18 clues. Happy hunting!

📝 To submit your guess or for rules and prize info, go to: https://ow.ly/hXnv50YNC0q

VA250 - American Revolution 250 Commission

🔍 The structures built during the Revolutionary era, in Spotsylvania County and throughout Virginia, were often construc...
05/28/2026

🔍 The structures built during the Revolutionary era, in Spotsylvania County and throughout Virginia, were often constructed from sturdy log and timber to endure the demands of frontier life. This Spotsylvania County lodging venue honors deep colonial legacy by carefully relocating and meticulously restoring 18th- and 19th-century log cabins and cottages.

👉 This is Clue No. 12 in Spotsylvania County Museum's Journey Through Spotsylvania VA250-themed virtual scavenger hunt! Test your local knowledge for the chance to win big! Please do not comment or message answers; all entries must be submitted via official form(s) found at link below. Clues will be posted here twice per week through June 18. Winner(s) will be announced at Spotsylvania Stars & Stripes Spectacular on June 27. Participants can guess one clue at a time via individual clue forms or tackle all at once in one form containing all 18 clues. Happy hunting!

📝 To submit your guess or for rules and prize info, go to: https://ow.ly/hXnv50YNC0q

VA250 - American Revolution 250 Commission

Address

6159 Plank Road
Fredericksburg, VA
22407

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+15405077278

Website

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