Media Alert
October 9, 2023
Taylor Fuqua, Manager of PR & Marketing; tfuqua@VirginiaHistory.org; 804.342.9661

Richmond, Va. – The Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) is pleased to present the official Virginia History Christmas ornament for 2023. This year’s ornament features a whimsical, holiday interpretation of the Capitol of Virginia, an historic structure located in Richmond, Virginia, depicted in gingerbread, icing, and candy.

The real Capitol of Virginia has been home to the Virginia General Assembly since 1788. The central portion of its current structure was built using plans provided by Virginian Thomas Jefferson, who took inspiration for the design from the Maison Carrée, an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, France, that he observed while serving as United States Minister to France in 1785.

The Commonwealth’s executive and judicial branches moved into the building in 1789, with the General Court and Supreme Court of Appeals meeting there until 1840. Two wings, added on the east and west side of the structure, were completed in 1906. The east wing is now home to the House of Delegates, while the Senate of Virginia occupies the west wing. An underground extension was completed in 2007 as the Commonwealth and the nation marked the 400-year anniversary of the Jamestown settlement.

“ Our annual Christmas Ornament provides a keepsake of Virginia History that we hope captures the spirit of the season, and helps Virginians celebrate the present while remembering the past,” Michael Plumb, Vice President for Guest Engagement at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, said in a statement.”

The Virginia History Christmas Ornament has been a tradition at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture since 2018. Past ornaments have included the various regions of the Commonwealth, the Virginia-made Kline Kar, and a magnolia wreath with an assortment of Virginia historical symbols. The 2023 ornament can be purchased at ShopVirginiaHistory.org/2023Ornament.

Shop with conscience and with purpose this holiday season by supporting local museums on Museum Store Sunday. On Sunday, November 26, 2023, more than 21,000 museum stores across all fifty states, 25 countries, and five continents will offer a unique shopping experience of highly curated and mission-specific gifts. Shopping at local museums and cultural institutions helps to support the organization’s mission and sustain its service to their community and the public.

The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is the only institution dedicated to presenting the entire history of Virginia over time and across regions. Its nationally significant collection of more than 9 million objects, renowned research library, galleries and public programs demonstrate the centrality of Virginia to the narrative of the United States.

The VMHC is owned and operated by the Virginia Historical Society — a private, non-profit organization established in 1831. The historical society is the oldest cultural organization in Virginia and one of the oldest and most distinguished history organizations in the nation.