The Exchange Hotel was built in 1860 in Gordonsville, Virginia next to an important railroad junction, to offer a welcome stop and resting place for the passengers on the Virginia Central Railroad and Alexandria Railroad. When the civil war began, the railroads became a supply route for transporting troops, supplies, and the wounded to Gordonsville and the beautiful hotel, with high ceilings, luxury parlors and a grand veranda changed into the Gordonsville Receiving Hospital and provided care for over 70,000, both Confederate and captured Union soldiers. Between 1865 and 1877 the hospital provided care and education to the newly freed slaves as a Freedman’s Bureau. Since 1971, the old hotel has been restored and converted into a museum and an African-America Memorial Site. The museum, located in the Gordonsville Historic District, contains diverse artifacts from the Civil War era, such as medical artifacts, uniforms and firearms.

Address: The Exchange Hotel Civil War Medical Museum, 400 S Main St, Gordonsville, VA 22942, Phone: 540-832-2944

Plan Your Trip

Get Ready to Go!

Need some more help?


Read our Reservations & Travel Planning Tips guide.