News Flash

The Hampton History Museum Association, the non-profit affiliated with the Hampton History Museum that underwrites all museum programming through fundraised dollars, has elected to cancel all museum events, including Hampton Heritage Day, and monthly lecture and concert series, through June 30.  This programmatic decision is based the financial impact from COVID-19 and the need to cancel its main fundraiser “Dockside Seafood Feast” scheduled for early May.

“We’ve made this move for financial reasons but also out of concern for the public that attend our events, our museum members and staff during this unprecedented health emergency,” says Hampton History Museum Association board member and Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Old Point National Bank, Robert F. Shuford, Jr.

“This is blow to us. Our events are central to our mission, and they engage the public with history in a way that makes it relevant by providing insight into who we are as a community. This year’s Heritage Day was going to be the biggest yet, and I know many will be disappointed that it won’t be taking place,” adds Hampton History Museum Association President Susan Edmonson.

Scheduled for May 9, the 8th Annual Hampton Heritage Day festival would commemorate the Native American, European and African cultures that shaped the city’s early history with traditional music, dance, storytelling, cultural displays, demonstrations and presentations. The event was to include more performers and presenters this year than ever before. There are no plans to reschedule this event during this fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2020.

Also affected are the museum’s monthly Port Hampton Lecture Series and Front Music Series. Museum staff will reschedule these presentations.

Along with other City of Hampton buildings, the museum is currently closed to the public. In anticipation of possible extended closure, the museum staff is planning ways for the public to engage with the museum’s extensive online collections through social media, particularly Facebook. The collection features a wealth of photographs, objects and other materials donated by individuals over the years. Highlights include maps and surveys of Hampton from the Chambers Collection, and incredible images from the Cheyne Studio Collection, among others. The site offers a variety of search tools, as well as an interactive map, to browse collections. These resources can be found at www.hamptonhistorymuseum.org/collections.