WHAT IS THE DIGITAL HISTORY MUSEUM?
The Alexandria Digital History Museum is a new online resource created to share stories of Alexandria’s people, places, and past with its residents, visitors, students, researchers, and anyone interested in the city’s amazing history. You can use the DHM to find both bits of history you are looking for and bits of history that pop up unexpectedly. We promise that you will find something interesting about Alexandria you didn't know on every browsing trip through the DHM.
MUSEUM OPERATIONS & MISSIONS
Built using Axiell’s CultureConnect platform, the Alexandria Digital History Museum features more than 140 stories from across the Port City’s past, from the Indigenous communities that called the area home for thousands of years to the Alexandrians who continue to make history today.
From George Washington to Cass Elliot and from Old Town to the West End, the museum highlights the scope, complexity, and diversity of Alexandria’s story. Through engaging digital exhibits, the museum connects visitors with the people, places, and events that helped define the city. Links to other Alexandria Historical Society resources allow visitors to explore selected topics in greater depth. The museum also includes a section titled Explore Alexandria History IRL (In Real Life to the uninitiated,) which connects users to museums, historic sites, and history-focused organizations throughout the Port City.
The content you see now is just the beginning of what is intended to be a long-term public history project. New stories and resources will be added over time, and special exhibits will allow for deeper exploration of selected themes, people, neighborhoods, and moments in Alexandria’s past.
MUSEUM SUPPORT
The Alexandria Digital History Museum has been supported by generous financial assistance from the Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia and Virginia Humanities.
The Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia works to stimulate interest in the Civil War from political, cultural, military, and economic perspectives. It is also committed to preserving historic sites and landmarks through initiatives including its annual Edwin C. Bearss Awards.
Virginia Humanities is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s state humanities council. Founded in 1974, it is one of 56 humanities councils created by Congress with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities to make the humanities available to all Americans. Virginia Humanities provides grant support to humanities projects that help tell the story of Virginia and Virginians and also administers the Encyclopedia Virginia digital platform.