D.C. isn’t the only place to explore history. Northern Virginia’s museums offer visitors in-depth looks at the places, people and inventions that made this country what it is today while paying homage to those who got us here.
ARLINGTON
Arlington House
Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA 22211
Reopening: January 2020
The Arlington House, a memorial to Robert E. Lee on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, has just gone through a multi-million dollar rehabilitation and focuses on the Confederate general’s role in promoting peace and reunion after the Civil War.
Arlington National Cemetery
Open: daily; October 1 – March 31 8 AM-5 PM & April 1 – September 30 8 AM-7 PM
This hallowed place is the resting place for more than 400,000 active duty service members, veterans and their families, and includes memorials of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Challenger Space Shuttle Memorial, and the grave sites of John F. and Robert Kennedy.
DEA Museum
700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA 22202
Closed until Fall 2020 due to renovations
This museum is housed in the Drug Enforcement Administration and serves to educate the public on the history of drugs, drug addiction and drug law enforcement in the United States.
Arlington Historical Museum
1805 S Arlington Ridge Rd, Arlington, VA 22202
Open: Saturday, Sunday and the first Wednesday of each month; Saturday-Sunday 1-4 PM Wednesday 12:30-3:30 PM
Designated as a Virginia State Historical Landmark and also on the National Register of Historic Sites, The Arlington Historical Museum features exhibits on county history and a permanent exhibit on the Civil War with period memorabilia and artifacts.
Black Heritage Museum
3108 Columbia Pike, Floor M, Arlington, VA 22204
Open: Tuesday 11 AM-3 PM; Thursday 3-6 PM; Saturday 1-4 PM; Closed Mondays, Wednesdays and Sunday. Closed: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observed, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day
The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington’s focus is to acquire, preserve, catalogue and display historic items relevant to the black history of Arlington County and Northern Virginia as an institution dedicated to the exposition of African American experiences, leading to, and proceeding from the abolition of slavery in the United States.
Ball-Sellers House
5620 Third Street S, Arlington VA 22204
Open: 1-4 PM on Saturdays from April through October and summer holidays: Memorial, Independence and Labor Day
This farm cabin, built in the 1740’s, is the oldest structure in Arlington County and has been restored to its original condition. Docents discuss its owners as well as provide free tours of the farm cabin and the grounds.
Fort C.F. Smith
2411 24th St N, Arlington, VA 22207
Open: Sunrise to sunset; Visitor Center open 10 AM-2 PM Saturdays and Sundays
This former Civil War fort is situated on 19 acres filled with open grounds, the Hendry House (a restored 20th century mansion) and a visitor center that showcases preserved earthworks of the 1863-era fort, along with other items from the 22 forts that were located in Arlington County during the Civil War. The visitor center houses displays about Union soldiers, artifacts from archaeological studies from Forts Ethan Allen and C.F. Smith, and children can try on replica Civil War uniforms and learn about camp life.
CITY OF ALEXANDRIA
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
105-107 S. Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA 22314
Open: November-March: Wed.-Sat. 11 AM-4 PM; Sunday 1-4 PM; April -October: Tuesday-Sat. 10 AM-5 PM, Sunday and Monday, 1-5 PM; Closed: New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas
The Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum pays homage to one of Alexandria’s oldest continuously run businesses that was a family business founded in 1792 and operated from 1805 until 1933. The Museum has a vast collection of herbal botanicals, hand-blown glass, and medical equipment, along with housing archival materials, including journals, prescription and formula books, ledgers, orders and invoices. The museum hosts one-hour specialty tours with varying themes on occasional Sunday mornings throughout the year.
Alexandria Black History Museum
902 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA 22314
Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 AM-4 PM; Closed: Sundays and Mondays, New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas
The Alexandria Black History Museum exists to bring awareness, understanding and tolerance to the cultures that made up this city in its earlier years and to stimulate appreciation of the diversity of the African American experience throughout history. The museum includes the museum itself along with the Watson Reading Room and the Alexandria African American Heritage Park. Other African American historic sites in Alexandria include the Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial and the Freedom House Museum.
Freedom House Museum
1315 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Open: Friday and Saturday, 1-5 PM
The Museum at 1315 Duke Street was once the headquarters and holding pen for the largest domestic slave trading firm in the United States and the basement of this rowhouse serves to pay homage to those who passed through the firm. Through a recent purchase, the City of Alexandria raised funds to keep this museum open.
Torpedo Factory Art Center
105 N. Union St., Alexandria, VA 22314
Open: Daily 10 AM-6 PM; Thursdays 10 AM-9 PM; Closed New Year’s Day, Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Founded in 1974 in an old munitions plant, the Torpedo Factory Art Center is home to the nation’s largest collection of working-artists’ open studios under one roof, housing hundreds of pieces over 80 artists from a variety of media including painting, ceramics, photography, jewelry, stained glass, fiber, printmaking, and sculpture.
Alexandria Archaeology Museum
105 N. Union Street, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA 22314
Open: Tuesdays-Friday, 10 AM-3 PM, Saturdays 10 AM-5 PM; Closed Mondays, November-March, New Year’s Day, Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas
The history in the grounds on Alexandria are still being found and you can see archeologists at work at this museum where volunteers can be found washing, marking and cataloguing artifacts from the latest dig.
Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum
201 S. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Open: Monday-Saturday, 10 AM-5 PM, Sunday 1-5 PM; Closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas
Founded in 1838 by local, well-educated men to serve as a space for education and culture, The Alexandria Lyceum has also served as a Civil War hospital, a private residence, the Chamber of Commerce and the Nation’s first Bicentennial Visitor’s Center.
National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum
600 Dulany St., Alexandria, VA 22314
Open: Monday-Friday, 10 AM-5 PM, Saturday 11 AM-3 PM; Closed Sundays and federal holidays
Housed at the Patent building, the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum showcases technology and inventions of years past and the intellectual minds who have moved us forward to today.
Carlyle House
121 N. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Open: Tuesday-Saturday 10 AM-4 PM, Sunday noon-4 PM; Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Day
Take a peek into a well-to-do home of John Carlyle, a wealthy merchant and founder of Alexandria. Completed in 1753, the home serves as a place for exhibits, programs and tours.
Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site
4301 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria, VA 22304
Open: Tuesday-Saturday 10 am.-5 PM, Sunday noon-5 PM; Closed Mondays, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site is a place to learn of the lives of every day Civil War soldiers and civilians as well as to understand the vital role Alexandria played. A focus of military engineering is seen through the preservation of the fort’s walls and reconstruction efforts to bring the fort back to its original condition. The fort also houses a variety of medical tools, instruments, equipment and images from the Museum’s Civil War collection.
Friendship Firehouse Museum
107 S. Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Open: Saturday and Sunday 1-4 PM; Closed Monday-Friday, New Year’s Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
The Friendship Firehouse brings visitors back to the days of fighting flames in the early 1800s and exposes children to hands-on activities. Listen to the stories of the big blazes in 1827, 1855, 1871 and 1922, and see some of the equipment that is still preserved today. The Museum holds open houses on Presidents’ Day, Fathers’ Day and Mothers’ Day, and The Friendship Veterans Fire Engine Association holds its Firehouse Festival on the first Saturday in August.
The George Washington Masonic National Memorial
101 Callahan Drive, Alexandria, VA 22301
Open: Daily, 9 AM-5 PM; Closed on federal holidays
Built almost 90 years ago as a communing place the George Washington Masonic National Memorial is currently undergoing renovations yet you can still take advantage of the architectural beauty through five daily tours focused on informing and inspiring visitors with insights about George Washington, American history and the Masonic heritage.
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden
614 Oronoco Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-2308
Open: Wednesday-Saturday, 10 AM-4 PM, Sunday 1-4 PM; Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
The Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden allows visitors the chance to experience the lives of people who lived and worked on the property from 1785 to 1969. Furnishings on display include a collection of Lee family heirlooms, such as portraits, jewelry, decorative objects, documents, letters, and books, along with period pieces produced by local and regional craftsmen.
FAIRFAX
Gunston Hall
10709 Gunston Road, Lorton, VA 22079-3901
Open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day; Guided tours occur daily, from 9:30 AM-4:30 PM; The visitor center and the outbuildings close at 5 PM; Grounds close at 6 PM
The former home of Louis Hertle has been a beacon of education on George Mason since 1952. After years of curation, the home showcases a collection of furniture, art, books and more. Gunston Hall is The Home of American Rights.
National Museum of the United States Army
1775 Liberty Drive, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060
Opening June 24, 2020
On the grounds of Fort Belvoir, this summer Northern Virginia will welcome its newest museum when The National Museum of the United States Army opens. The museum celebrates over 240 years of Army history and the nation’s soldiers. Though it will focus on Army history and traditions, the museum will also offer educational exhibits on the Army’s role in the nation, its humanitarian missions, public contributions and technological and medical breakthroughs.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, VA 22121
Open 365 days a year, including holidays: April-October, 9 AM-5 PM; November-March, 9 AM-4 PM
The estate of George Washington is a mecca of education on our nation’s first president, the time period in which he lived and the events that brought about the United States of America. Throughout the year, events focus on all aspects of our country’s and area’s history and host state-of-the art exhibits. The estate went through a major renovation over the past few years and houses the Library of the First President.
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum
134 N. Royal Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Open November to March: Wednesday-Saturday 11 AM- 4 PM, Sunday 1 – 4 PM, Monday and Tuesday: Closed (Last entry: 3:45 PM); April to October: Tuesday-Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM, Sunday-Monday: 1 – 5 PM (Last entry: 4:45 p.m.); Closed: New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas
Gadsby’s Tavern was a communing place for social, cultural, political and educational engagements in the late 1700s and early 1800s and continues to spotlight those traditions today through events the museum holds. You can still partake in period dances and special tours.
Civil War Interpretive Center at Historic Blenheim
3610 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22030
Open: Civil War Interpretive Center and Gallery 10 AM to 3 PM, Tuesday-Saturday; House tours: 1 PM Tuesday-Saturday
More than 122 signatures, pictographs, games and thoughts were left written on the house walls of this Greek Revival-style brick farmhouse built in1859 by Union soldiers during their occupation of the Fairfax Court House area in 1862-63. The gallery includes an illustrated timeline of Civil War events, artifacts of the everyday soldier, biographies of several of the wall signers and temporary displays. Monthly Civil War programs are also held throughout the year.
Fairfax Museum
10209 Main St., Fairfax, VA 22030
Open everyday 9 AM- 5 PM
Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center is housed in the former Fairfax Elementary School built in 1873. The museum hosts permanent and special exhibitions on Fairfax City and Fairfax County history, brings in touring exhibitions and holds monthly Second Sunday programs.
Fairfax Station Railroad Museum
11200 Fairfax Station Road, Fairfax Station, VA 22039
Open most Sundays 1-4 PM
The Orange & Alexandria Railroad not only played a critical role in the American Civil War, but it built the thriving community of Fairfax County. During the Civil War, it was a supply and medical evacuation site. Today the museum offers displays, activities and events.
Franconia Museum
6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA 22310
The Franconia Museum serves to show that the bustling commuter hub was once a small community. It showcases pictures, artifacts and stories and hosts exhibits at local libraries and community meeting places throughout the year. Staff host story-swaps two or three times a year and Franconia History Day in the fall.
Laurel Grove School Museum
6840 Beulah St., Alexandria, VA 22310
Open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 AM – 2 PM
The Laurel Grove School is the only remaining African American schoolhouse in Northern Virginia and is now a living museum. The schoolhouse was built in the early 1880s as a one-room schoolhouse and was opened until 1932.
Freeman Store and Museum
131 Church St., Vienna, VA 22180
Open March-December, Wednesday-Saturday from noon – 4PM
Built in 1859, the Freeman Store and Museum operated as a general store until the late 1920s, during which it was a hub for commerce, military, politics and government. The building operated as a post office and served in various capacities for both the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. In 1955 it became a private residence and in 2011 was placed on the Virginia Landmarks Register.
Workhouse Prison Museum at Lorton
9601 Ox Rd, Lorton, VA 22079
Open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Noon to 3 PM, Saturday and Sunday Noon to 4 PM; Closed most federal holidays
Rewriting history, or making amends to change the past is seen at the Workhouse Prison Museum. In 1910, this campus in Lorton was deemed a great location for a prison and housed members of the National Woman’s Party movement in 1917, for which a Lucy Burns Museum is opening. Now it is a campus for the arts hosting work studios, productions and workshops with more than 100 artists in the center. Second Saturday Art Walks are held throughout the year.
Historic Herndon Depot Museum
717 Lynn Street, Herndon, VA 20170
Open March through mid-December, Sundays, except holidays, from noon – 3 PM
One time a major rail stop, Herndon was a major dairy capital. The Herndon Depot Museum showcases the town’s past and displays historic items and maritime memorabilia in honor of the town’s namesake, Commander William Lewis Herndon.
National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, VA 20151
Open everyday 10 AM – 5:30 PM; Closed Christmas Day
Built as an annex to the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., the Chantilly location holds the majority of the Smithsonian’s aeronautical offerings, including the Discovery space shuttle, the Enola Gay and a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Onlookers can watch from a glassed-in mezzanine as restoration specialists work on preserving well over a hundred aircraft, parts, instruments and equipment. And children can get a special look at the museum through the Sleepover programs.
Reston Museum
1639 Washington Plaza, Reston, VA 20190
Open Monday through Saturday 11 AM – 4 PM
Reston is known as a community many others look to for thought-out planning. Staff at the museum continue to grow upon this role by hosting exhibits, public programs, and events including the Reston Home Tour, Lake Anne Cardboard Boat Regatta, and Founder’s Day to engage the public in an exploration of community history and to collect, preserve and interpret the artifacts and documents of Reston’s history.
Stuart-Mosby Civil War Cavalry Museum
13938 Braddock Road, Centreville, VA 20120
Open Saturday 10AM – 4PM, Sunday 1PM – 4PM, Monday 10AM – 4PM; Closed holidays
The museum displays artifacts connected to Confederates Gen. James Ewell Brown “Jeb” Stuart and Col. John Mosby, whose Partisan Raiders turned most of Fairfax County into what was known as Mosby’s Confederacy. The museum is adjacent to the Mt Gilead house, built circa 1785, the oldest standing structure in the county.
