Join in the celebration of the semiquincentennial anniversary of Virginia and our nation as notable speakers share stories of the start of our democracy 250 years ago.

A hands-on, interactive, and immersive “museum on wheels,” the VA250 Mobile Museum Experience titled “Out of Many, One” is housed in an expandable tractor trailer that is traveling throughout Virginia and beyond.

Join the MHC Historical Society for a fun evening of music, food and drink, outdoors on the courtyard of the historic Henry County Courthouse, now the MHC Heritage Museum.

Garrett Channell, the executive director of the Salem Museum, will present a program on the fascinating life of William Byrd.

Col. George Waller SAR invites the public to join them with a reading of the Declaration of Independence, followed by a 1-mile Independence Walk coordinated and led by All Vets.

Celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary of independence with a special patriotic-themed Sounds on the Square! Da Capo will perform music. Food will be for sale, along with beer and wine from Scuffle Hill Brewing. Admission to the event on the museum’s courtyard is free, and admission to the museum will be half-price until 9 p.m.

Experience the emotional depth of America’s involvement in World War One through a series of 45 letters from a local soldier to his wife, in this program by Hunter Haskins at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 21, at the MHC Heritage Museum.

Jake Earles will perform, and Tammy’s Grill and Bahama Sno Shack will sell food; beer and wine from Scuffle Hill Brewing will be for sale. Admission to the concert is free, and admission to the museum will be half-price all day, until 9 p.m.

Will Gravely will tell the story of his family’s unique role in the furniture industry with his talk “The Right Place, The Right Time - The Story of Ridgeway Clocks, division of Gravely Furniture Co., Inc.” at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 17, for the MHC Historical Society’s Sunday Afternoon Lecture series. Admission is free.

Groovy, high energy music by the Andy Burnette Trio will kick off the Sounds on the Square music series - from 7-10 p.m. Friday, May 1, on the courtyard of the MHC Heritage Museum.

The MHC Heritage Museum at 1 E. Main St. is the tour headquarters for Historic Garden Week on Wednesday, April 22. Tickets ($25) are sold at the museum. The three houses that will be open for tours are 928 Mulberry Road, home of Dr. James Julian; 1 Dan-Lee Terrace, home of Dr. Andrew and Mrs. Anna Gehrken; and 9 Dan-Lee Terrace, home of Dr. Benton and Mrs. Debra Lewis.

Jarred Marlowe takes us on the fascinating journey of how our present system of funerals came to be during his program, “Laying the Past to Rest: A History of Funeral Traditions”, at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19.

Join the MHC Historical Society on March 15 as Debbie Lewis, a former Garden Club of Virginia (GCV) president, talks about historic gardens of Virginia. Everyone who attends this program will receive free perennial plants and/or bulbs for their own gardens because, of course, gardeners love to share and spread the beauty!

Before the internet, local residents had a myriad of ways to keep connected. Join MHC Historical Society Executive Director and former Martinsville Bulletin editor Holly Kozelsky for “Connected Community,” a look at the history of the area’s media. The program covers newspapers, radio, television stations, company newsletters and more. The program will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, at the MHC Heritage Museum, as part of the Sunday Afternoon Lecture series.

Learn about the evolution of medical care, from the horse-and-buggy home doctor visits to modern technology, in the Founder’s Day program on Sunday, Jan. 18, at 3 p.m.

Be the first to see the museum’s new exhibits, “A History of Setting Style” and “From Stills To Speed: A History of Motorsports” at our reception Friday, Jan. 9, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Jake Abell, of Scuffle Hill Brewing, will present a program on cider, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, as part of the MHC Historical Society’s Sunday Afternoon Lecture series at the MHC Heritage Museum, 1 E. Main St., Martinsville.

Salem Museum Executive Director Garrett Channell will share spooky stories told about local areas.  Learn about ghost stories from across the counties, local Sasquatch sightings, dogmen, and more at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12.

Blue Jeans & Bling - where fancy meets laid back - will feature dinner, entertainment and a silent auction on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the MHC Heritage Museum, starting with a social at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6.

Graves Anthony and Hunter Haskins will present a program on distilling, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, as part of the MHC Historical Society’s Sunday Afternoon Lecture Series. The program will be held at the MHC Heritage Museum.

The Virginia 250 Symposium will celebrate the 250th anniversary of Virginia with three speakers: VA250 Executive Director Cheryl Wilson, Jeff Briggs, and Hunter Haskins. It will be held at the MHC Heritage Museum, 1 E. Main St., Martinsville.

Scott Koebel of Woodmen of the World will present the program “American Flags” as July’s Sunday Afternoon Lecture, 3 p.m. Sunday, July 20, at the MHC Heritage Museum in the courtroom.

The Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society will host "Patriots on the Square" to celebrate Independence Day, from 6-9 p.m. Friday, July 4. It will feature historical reenactments, free music, and the sale of food and drink. It will be held at the MHC Heritage Museum, 1 E. Main St., Martinsville.

Virginia and Mervyn King, benefactors of the MHC Heritage Museum annex, will present a program on antiques, including how to identify quality antiques and furniture. The program will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, at the Martinsville Branch Library. The program is free to attend.

Thomas M. Slaydon and Jake A. Keller will present a program on the history of Martinsville's Hydroelectric Dam and Powerhouse at the Smith River, at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 15, at the MHC Heritage Museum, 1 E. Main St., Martinsville. His lecture is part of the MHC Historical Society's Sunday Afternoon Lecture Series.

The Patrick Henry and General Joseph Martin Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution will present a Flag Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 14, at the MHC Heritage Museum.

Hunter Haskins, Assistant Director of the Salem Museum in Salem and a member of the MHCHS Board of Directors, will bring to life the story of a young couple’s World War I experiences through their 45 letters. This program will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 20, at the Bassett Historical Center.

The topic of the 2025 Annual Meeting & Distinguished Lecture will be “Baseball Cards at the Edge of War 1941: The Games, The Gum and The Glory", presented by Todd Marcum.

Beverly Woody’s social studies students will conduct a mock trial in the Historic Henry County Courthouse’s restored courtroom.

The MHC Historical Society will host a reception to celebrate the opening of the “Pan-tastic Journey: Cookware through time” exhibit on Friday, April 25, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.