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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

 

CANCELED: Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House Open; Free Guided Tours

The Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House tours are canceled on June 17 due to the the Juneteenth Celebration.

Click here for more information: fairfaxva.gov/juneteenth.

*****

The Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House (c. 1807) is the city's oldest residence within what was the original six-block Town of Providence.

Enjoy a free guided tour of the current exhibit, Kitty Barrett Pozer: A Life to Remember, from noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays through October.

The house was owned by a number of people — the final two being Kate Waller Barrett, a prominent social reformer, and her daughter, Kitty Pozer.

Following Barrett's death, Pozer purchased the house with her husband, Charles Pozer, and joined a new 1927 prefabricated house to the earlier brick structure. A respected gardener, Kitty Pozer deeded the house to the city in 1973. 

Following Kitty Pozer's death in 1981, the city purchased her extensive property that extended to North Street to create the Kitty Pozer Garden, a passive park showcasing her plantings.

The Kitty Pozer Garden is directly behind the 1927 house and includes carefully chosen plantings to emulate Kitty Pozer's gardening tastes intertwined with meandering pathways, and benches beneath a tall tree cover.  A wayside sign interprets the life and achievements of Kitty Pozer,a t rue preservationist.  Click here to view the Kitty Pozer Garden Map.


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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.

CANCELED: Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House Open; Free Guided Tours

The Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House tours are canceled on June 17 due to the the Juneteenth Celebration.

Click here for more information: fairfaxva.gov/juneteenth.

*****

The Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House (c. 1807) is the city's oldest residence within what was the original six-block Town of Providence.

Enjoy a free guided tour of the current exhibit, Kitty Barrett Pozer: A Life to Remember, from noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays through October.

The house was owned by a number of people — the final two being Kate Waller Barrett, a prominent social reformer, and her daughter, Kitty Pozer.

Following Barrett's death, Pozer purchased the house with her husband, Charles Pozer, and joined a new 1927 prefabricated house to the earlier brick structure. A respected gardener, Kitty Pozer deeded the house to the city in 1973. 

Following Kitty Pozer's death in 1981, the city purchased her extensive property that extended to North Street to create the Kitty Pozer Garden, a passive park showcasing her plantings.

The Kitty Pozer Garden is directly behind the 1927 house and includes carefully chosen plantings to emulate Kitty Pozer's gardening tastes intertwined with meandering pathways, and benches beneath a tall tree cover.  A wayside sign interprets the life and achievements of Kitty Pozer,a t rue preservationist.  Click here to view the Kitty Pozer Garden Map.


Return to full list >>