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Historic Tours & Programs

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Historic Tours

Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House guided tours for all ages are provided on a walk-in basis by a knowledgeable docent at the oldest residence in Fairfax City (10386 Main St.). The house is open from noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays from April through September, as well as during many city-sponsored events, such as the Fall Festival.

Old Town Fairfax Guided Walking Tours .  2025 Schedule to be announced in the Spring!

Self-guided tours of Old Town Fairfax are available with A Walk Through History, a free brochure available on the city website (click here) and from the Museum and Visitor Center, 10209 Main St.

Group Tours

Guided adult tours for groups of eight people or more at any city historic sites may be reserved for a $25 fee per group.

Guided youth tours for students and scouts are available; please make reservations at least one month in advance. Cost is $3 per child, chaperones free, no charge for schools located within the City of Fairfax. Programs are tailored for different age groups and educational needs, and incorporate hands-on activities. Space and staff scheduling limits apply.

  • Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center tour information: email, 703-385-8414
  • Historic Blenheim and the Civil War Interpretive Center tour information: email, 703-591-6728
  • Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House tour information: email, 703-385-8414

 

History Talk: George Mason and the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights

  • Date: 11/19/2022 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM  
  • Location: Civil War Interpretive Center at Historic Blenheim
    3610 Blenheim Blvd.
    Fairfax, Virginia 22030
  • Introduction: George Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights --ratified in 1776. It was foundational to the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Gunston Hall executive director Scott Stroh discusses the historical context and continuing relevance, and Mason's views on slavery

Free Program in conjunction with traveling exhibition, "Freedom: History of US" from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.   Visit the exhibition before or after the talk.

 Scott Stroh, Director of George Mason’s Gunston Hall, will discuss George Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights that was ratified on June 12, 1776, in Williamsburg.  This defining document pressed the ideology of the American Revolution and was foundational to the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.  What was the historical relevance of the Article I declaration “That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights…” and the continuing contemporary relevance of this important document.  What were Mason’s views of on slavery and the contradictions evident when considering Mason’s ideas, choices, and actions specific to enslavement?

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Educational Programs

 The Office of Historic Resources offers a wide variety of history-related programs.  Programs are free and in person unless otherwise noted.

'I have no doubt...He will Prove Himself an Able Commander,' George Armstrong Custer’s Path from Lieutenant to Brigadier General

Historic Blenheim
Nov. 23, 2 p.m.

Join author Robert O'Neill as he discusses his book George Armstrong Custer’s Path from Lieutenant to Brigadier General.  Through in-depth research, the author will focus on Custer’s soliciting support to become a general in the Fairfax Court House area. O'Neill most recently published Small but Important Riots: The Calvary Battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville. He also runs the Civil War Cavalry blog, Small But Important Things. Free; books will be available for purchase.

History Talk: George Mason and the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights

  • Date: 11/19/2022 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM  
  • Location: Civil War Interpretive Center at Historic Blenheim
    3610 Blenheim Blvd.
    Fairfax, Virginia 22030
  • Introduction: George Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights --ratified in 1776. It was foundational to the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Gunston Hall executive director Scott Stroh discusses the historical context and continuing relevance, and Mason's views on slavery

Free Program in conjunction with traveling exhibition, "Freedom: History of US" from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.   Visit the exhibition before or after the talk.

 Scott Stroh, Director of George Mason’s Gunston Hall, will discuss George Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights that was ratified on June 12, 1776, in Williamsburg.  This defining document pressed the ideology of the American Revolution and was foundational to the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.  What was the historical relevance of the Article I declaration “That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights…” and the continuing contemporary relevance of this important document.  What were Mason’s views of on slavery and the contradictions evident when considering Mason’s ideas, choices, and actions specific to enslavement?

Return to full list >>