2019 Schedule of Events
* All Events Are Held at Henricus Historical Park Unless Otherwise Noted.
* Located at 251 Henricus Park Road Chester, VA 23836
* For more info on reenacting, Connect with us on Facebook @HenricusMilitia
January 2019
Henricus Historical Park will be closed
February 28, 2019 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Adult Program – Birth & Mortality
What were the religious, governmental and social concepts and activities that were involved in the life cycle of people in 17th century Virginia? Meet and join the colonists that were a part of these life experiences. See the practical aspects of life in the colonies from a medical, governmental, and social viewpoint – birth to burial. Adult groups, clubs, college classes, and individuals welcome. Registration required by February 26 by calling 804-318-8797.
Cost: $18/adult; Henricus Patrons: $16
March 2, 2019 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
A Roof Above My Head – Construction of an Early Soldier’s House
Ever wonder how the timber post and beam structures you see at Henricus Historical Park were built? Come to “A Roof Above My Head” – our program that explores how skilled carpenters, sawyers, and woodsmen arriving from England 400 years ago constructed houses, churches, and more – all without recourse to modern power tools.
Registration required by March 1 by calling 748-1611. This is a hands-on experience and you will get dirty!
Cost: $9/adult, $7/children aged 3-12; Henricus Patrons: free
March 9, 2019 6:00 pm – March 10, 9:00 am
Paranormal Overnight Experience
Join us overnight for a paranormal investigation of the site with Commonwealth Researchers of the Paranormal!
Tickets may be purchased for $45 through Dennis Estlock, founder of Commonwealth Researchers of the Paranormal and your host for the evening. Click here.
March 22, 2019 12:00 pm 12:30 pm
Commemoration of the 1622 Opecancanough Offensive
Gather at the 1622 commemorative marker donated by the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Virginia for a moment of remembrance and reflection.
April 13, 2019 10:00 am – April 14, 5:00 pm
School of the Musketeer at Henricus
April 18, 2019 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Annual Henricus Educator Open House
Participate in onsite tours, demonstrations from school programs, make-and-take activities, discussions about our new and upcoming SOL- and STEM-aligned programs and PBL sessions; enjoy light refreshments. Enter a drawing for educational items from our gift shop. Open to public, private, home school and other educators. Bring your children!
Registration recommended by calling 804-318-8797.
Cost: Free to all active educators and administrators and their immediate family members.
April 27-28, 2019 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Battle at Osborne’s Landing – Revolutionary War Re-enactment
Exact schedule TBD.
Visit Revolutionary War re-enactors in their American and British encampments as they re-create the 1781 Battle at Osborne’s Landing where Major General William Phillips ordered British forces, including Benedict Arnold, to attack the supplies of the Virginia State Navy and Virginia Militia. During this attack, most of the Virginia State Navy fleet was destroyed. Visitors will experience militia drills and artillery demos. Come see the sights and sounds of the American Revolution in Virginia!
Cost: $9/adults, $7/children aged 3-12; Henricus Patrons: free
May 4, 2019 1:00 pm – 8:00 pm
HenROCKus
Bring your lawn chairs, enjoy a brew (or two!) and wine from a local brewery and winery, rock out to local bands, and enjoy the outstanding views of the mighty James River – all while supporting educational programming at Henricus Historical Park. Free parking. No outside food or beverages allowed. No pets, please!
Cost: $5/adult, children under 12 FREE / No discounts for members or Groupon holders. Admission is paid at the door.
May 25, 2019 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
America’s First College 1619
In May 1619, King James I allowed a school to be established in the colony of Virginia. This event will demonstrate and commemorate the charter of America’s first English formal school, called the “College of Henrico,” initially intended for the literacy and vocational training of Powhatan boys. Interpreters will be conducting lectures and living history presentations on how this school affected the lives of both the Powhatans and the English colonists for years to come.
In recognition of Memorial Day, The Henricus Militia and Henricus interpreters will be conducting cannon salutes at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm, as well as musket firings throughout the day for our visitors. These weapons demonstrations will recreate the military origins of our early American militia and our modern armed forces on land and sea. Free admission will be offered to active and retired military members and their immediate families.
Cost: $9/adult, $7/children ages 3-12; Henricus Patrons: free
May 25, 2019 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Memorial Day Celebration
In recognition of Memorial Day, The Henricus Militia and Henricus interpreters will be conducting cannon salutes at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm, as well as musket firings throughout the day for our visitors. These weapons demonstrations will recreate the military origins of our early American militia and our modern armed forces on land and sea.
Free admission will be offered to active and retired military members and their immediate families.
June 8, 2019 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Reap What You Sow Day
Help sow the seeds in our English Settlement and Powhatan town of Arrohateck! Come out and learn about colonial horticulture and methodologies. Ask us about adopting a garden to care for at Henricus Historical Park!
Cost: $9/adult, $7/children ages 3-12; Henricus Patrons: free
June 22, 2019 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Trades of Antiquity
Come join Henricus Historical Park and the Southeast Virginia Primitive Skills Group for a weekend of historic skills. See demonstrations of life skills and trades from the pre-contact and Colonial eras in Virginia such as flint knapping, fire starting, wood turning, broom weaving, soap making, trapping, hide prep, and blacksmithing. Examples of artifacts made will be available for purchase, so bring your questions and take home a piece of history.
Cost: $9/adult, $7/children ages 3-12; Henricus Patrons: free
August 17, 2019 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Enslaved Africans to Virginia Planters: The Complex Journey of the 1619 First Africans
In August 1619, a Portuguese ship transporting enslaved Africans bound for Mexico was hijacked by the English and arrived at Point Comfort, Virginia. Henricus interpreters will present and demonstrate through lectures and living history the circumstances, myths, and realities of the introduction of Africans into the lives of the Powhatan and English communities, focusing on English laws of slavery at that time and the blending of three cultures into one, especially the food, tools, and clothing.
Cost: $9/adult, $7/children ages 3-12; Henricus Patrons: free
September 21-22, Saturday & Sunday, 2019 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Publick Days: The 1619 Burgesses and Godspeed from Jamestown Settlement
Watch 400 years of history come to life at Henricus’ signature Publick Days celebration! Explore life in Virginia beginning with the Powhatan Indians and the founding of Henricus in 1611 and ending with the Civil War in 1861. This year’s event will largely focus on the 400th anniversary of the 1619 House of Burgesses. Gather inside the church and help the Henricus colonists select who will represent them at the first legislative assembly in Jamestown! Visitors will also be able to come on board the 17th-century ship replica, Godspeed from Jamestown Settlement.
Cost: FREE
September 23-24, Monday & Tuesday, 2019 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Godspeed Days – School & Adult Group Tours of Henricus & Godspeed from Jamestown Settlement
Participate in specialized guided tours with many Powhatan and English living history Interpreters at the re-created Citie of Henricus and the Powhatan site of Arrohateck. Board Jamestown Settlement’s Godspeed and see what life was like on the colonial-era sailing ship,. Hands-on activities included. This special opportunity is available only two days every other year! Booking slots fill quickly. All school (public, private, and home) and adult groups (adult groups are booked only in the afternoon) are welcome on these special days. The tour lasts 2.5 hours and registration is REQUIRED by calling 804-318-8797. No walk-in attendance allowed during the morning hours. Individual walk-in attendance is welcome from 1 – 2 p.m.
School Group Cost: $13/student, 1:10 teacher chaperones free. $10/additional adults
Adult Group (or individuals) Cost: $15 /adult
October 5, 2019 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
400th Anniversary of Virginia Company Brides for Planters in 1619
In 1619, the Virginia Company of London began the recruitment and transport of young women who contracted to marry Virginia planters. Women in large numbers would ensure a permanent colony for the English. Our event will demonstrate through lectures and living history the contributions this cadre of women would bring to the success of Virginia. Women on site will demonstrate the various jobs and roles they would perform in the colony and offer a glimpse of the hardships and tragedies they faced. The life of Mistress Alice Proctor will be highlighted and her role in defending her husband’s plantation for three weeks after the 1622 offensive.
Cost: $9/adult, $7/children ages 3-12; Henricus Patrons: free
October 25-26, Friday & Saturday, 2019 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Haunted Henricus: Things That Go Bump in the Night
This weekend, legends and tales from Europe and the early colonies come to life before your eyes! What will you encounter out in the darkness? Will it be the Headless Horseman? The demon hounds of the Wild Hunt? Deals with the devil gone wrong? Find out, at Things that Go Bump in the Night!
Light refreshments served. Tours not appropriate for children under 6. Tickets will be available for purchase online closer to the event date. Henricus Members are asked to register online.
Online Exclusive:$9/adult, $7/children ages 3-12; Henricus Patrons: free
Day-of Purchase: $13/adult, $11/children 3-12; Henricus Patrons: free
October 26-27, Saturday & Sunday, 2019 9:00pm – 9:00 am
Haunted Henricus Overnight Event
Spend the evening with Henricus staff and be involved in a paranormal investigation of the historic citie.
Cost $30.
Reservations available online (link will be posted once tickets go on sale)
Limited availability
November 9, 2019 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Hops in the Park
Help us toast Virginia’s agricultural pride with food, music, beer, and more! The Henricus Foundation presents the fifth annual Hops in the Park, a national award-winning hops & harvest festival celebrating Virginia agriculture and the long and rich history of brewing in our Commonwealth! Hops in the Park features over 40 Virginia craft beers, brewing demos and seminars, farmers market, music, food, and of course – Virginia history.
Visit www.hopsinthepark.com for more information.
November 30 2019 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Friendship, Trade & Feast
Come join the English and Powhatan historical interpreters at Henricus for the autumn harvest feasts and fun common to all people in 17th-century Virginia. Visitors will have a chance to be immersed in the cooking, games, and songs that were common to the homes in 1611-1622 Virginia. This event will further interpret the history of the first “Thanksgiving” in English America – the one which happened in 1619 in Virginia! Join us for smells, sounds, and frolic of the 17th century past.
Cost: $9/adult, $7/children ages 3-12; Henricus Patrons: free
December 6-7, Friday & Saturday, 2019 / 7 – 9 pm Friday; 6 – 8 pm Saturday
Boar’s Head Feast
Tis’ the Season to step back in time! Follow the merry Lord of Misrule to England in the 1590s and enjoy the sights, sounds, and flavors of Christmas as we knew it then: a multi-course feast including roasted meats, pies, ale, cider and more, served at table in our spacious, candle-lit Guest House with a blazing Yule log fire. Dine to the sounds of period musicians, with wassailing a-plenty, and many a toast to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I. Begin your holidays with one of the oldest English Christmas traditions in one of the oldest English settlements in North America: Henricus!
Tickets will be available online beginning July. Henricus members will receive an email to purchase tickets. Follow Henricus on Facebook for updates!
December 14, 2019 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Three Centuries of Virginia Christmas
Celebrate Three Centuries of Virginia Christmas at Henricus Historical Park! Begin in 1611 at Henricus Fort and see how Dutch ideas influenced English holiday traditions. Move on to 1778, when the Revolution called for simpler ways to mark the season. Next, it’s 1860: celebrate with carols and hot cider while decorating a Victorian Christmas tree by the fireside! Make sure to bring the kids! Your festive journey through time will end with a visit from Father Christmas – he’ll be there to hear everyone’s Yuletide wishes! Make your holidays historical at Henricus.
More details to come!
Cost: $9/adult, $7/children ages 3-12; Henricus Patrons: free
December 14, 2019 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Henricus Patron Christmas Reception
Time TBD.
Join your fellow Henricus members and celebrate the Christmas season amidst the warm fires of Mt. Malady! Patron Reception is by invitation only.