A Taste of the Past: History Museums Hosts Free Lunchtime Discussion Series

Community members can join free discussions featuring local and regional history this fall. The Virginia Beach History Museums series of History Lunch and Learns returns with a full schedule of guest speakers.

These monthly gatherings at the Lynnhaven House, 4409 Wishart Road, bring the community together for history covering a variety of topics related to the Virginia Beach History Museums, Hampton Roads, Virginia and our nation.

History Lunch and Learns

All History Lunch and Learns are free to attend and begin at noon in the Lynnhaven Colonial Education Center, right in front of the historic Lynnhaven House. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lunches to enjoy during these discussions. 

• Parish and Power: Religion and Government in Colonial Virginia — Sept. 17
  More than a place of worship, the colonial Virginia parish was the foundation of community life. Long before there were public schools, social service agencies, or modern local governments, the parish cared for the poor, apprenticed orphaned children, maintained moral order, and played an important role in the administration of justice.  
  
  This lecture explores how the parish became one of the most influential institutions in early Virginia, shaping not only the religious lives of its people but also their legal, educational and civic experience. Talk will be led by John Ericson, executive director of Saint Luke’s Historic Church & Museum in Smithfield. 
  
  
• Enslaved People, Frederick Douglass, and Martin Luther King Jr.: Black Americans and the Declaration of Independence — Oct. 8
  A discussion will be led by Tony Williams, who has served as a senior fellow at the Bill of Rights Institute in Arlington, where he has written on history, civics and constitutional issues for 12 years. Williams has written seven books on the American founding, including "Washington & Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America," and his new book, "Divided Over the Declaration: The Enduring Debate that Sustains the Vision of America."
  
  
• The Tidewater Table: Fall Foodways in 18th Century Coastal Virginia — Nov. 12
  Discover how our Colonial Virginian forebears enjoyed the autumnal abundance of our local fields, forests and fishing grounds in the insightful and entertaining program. Explore the foods and beverages that may have been served by wealthy landowners like the Thoroughgoods and Boushes compared with the everyday fare of enslaved and free working-class people in our region.  

This talk, led by Allison Parker Hedrick, historian and program director for Handmade History LLC, will examine the techniques, tools and equipment used by colonial cooks, and even debunk some of the common myths about what 18th century colonists ate and drank. 

History Museums Tours

The Virginia Beach History Museums include the Francis Land House, Lynnhaven House, Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School Museum and Thoroughgood House. All four sites are open for free tours. Museum tour registration is available online and at the door.  

• The Francis Land House, 3131 Virginia Beach Blvd., and Thoroughgood House., 1636 Parish Road, are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. on Sundays.
• The Lynnhaven House is open at noon on the third Thursday of each month (except January and holidays) for preservation tours.
• The Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School Museum (located inside the Renaissance Academy, 5100 Cleveland St.) is open Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

If you would like to bring more than 10 people to tour one of the museums, Virginia Beach History Museums staff asks to give at least 24-48 hours advance notice by emailing vbhistory@vbgov.com or calling 757-385-5100. 

For the latest information about Virginia Beach History Museums events, tours and group visits, please visit VBMuseums.org. If you have any questions about these events, please call 757-385-5100 or email vbhistory@vbgov.com.  

• Cultural Affairs Events
• History Museums