Events for April 4 - November 23, 2025

  • Memorializing the Enslaved Stumbling Stone Dedications in November

    The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington and AHS invite you to the unveiling of “Stumbling Stones.” These bronze markers commemorate the lives of the enslaved people who helped build our county (and our country). The markers are placed in the sidewalk at the last known location where these enslaved people lived. Memorializing the Enslaved in […]

  • 15 Minute History: “Where did the name come from?” Let’s Talk About Clarendon

    Arlington Historical Museum 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, United States

    Sean Denniston, AHS Vice President, will talk about the history of Clarendon, one of Arlington’s most interesting neighborhoods. He'll talk about its start as a development of six streets, its dash for independence, growth as a commercial center, and today’s mixed use, walkable, and transit friendly neighborhood. And what's with the name??

  • Museum Store Sunday: Shop with Purpose this Holiday Season

    Consider shopping small this season and visit the Arlington Historical Museum shop on Museum Store Sunday. Every purchase supports our mission to strengthen our community by building a better understanding of local history. We have unique gift ideas made by local artisans, as well as gift memberships to the Arlington Historical Society and books about […]

  • Women of the Ball-Sellers House

    Pohick Regional Library 6450 Sydenstricker Rd, Burke, VA 22015, Burke, VA, United States

    The Ball-Sellers House (in Arlington) was originally in Fairfax County when Lord Fairfax established the county for King George II in 1742. The Arlington Historical Society will share stories of the exceptional women who owned this farmhouse throughout its 280-year history. We’ll learn about Elizabeth Payne Ball, the wife of the builder who took a […]

  • 1946 Arlington: The First Crack in the Byrd Machine

    Reinsch Library Auditorium, Marymount University 2807 North Glebe Road, Arlington

    In 1946, after four years of a world war, the citizens of Arlington focused on local challenges, highlighted in the fall by an aggressive County Board campaign from a political newcomer who challenged the local Byrd Machine in Arlington. The story includes a controversy over our governance structure, extreme unhappiness with the school system, and […]

  • 15-Minute History: 1961 Arlington Transportation Planning with David Pearson

    Arlington Historical Museum 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, United States

    Join David Pearson, former AHS president, to learn about how Arlington County planned transportation in the early 1960s and what we now have as a result. Our speaker will use the maps in the current Map Exhibit on the second floor to explain the first General Land Use Plan (GLUP), show what was built, paths […]

  • A Different Look from a Different View Artist Exhibit: Opening Reception

    Arlington Historical Museum 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, United States

    Experience the vibrant, story-filled work of artist Zane Killgo, an Arlington County visual artist whose bold use of color and mixed media explores community, identity, and the changing urban landscape. […]

  • Butterfield’s Brigade at Mount Olivet Church

    Mt. Olivet. United Methodist Church 1500 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, United States

    Completed just before the Civil War, by the end of the conflict's first year Mount Olivet Church's original structure was reduced to its foundations, variously used and abused by the United States Army as – possibly– a hospital, storehouse, picket post, and stable. Cherrydale neighbor and local historian Michael Schaffner will explore the likely actual […]

  • Dark Star Park and the Birth of Arlington’s Public Art Program

    Reinsch Library Auditorium, Marymount University 2807 North Glebe Road, Arlington

    Arlington Historical Society presents Nancy Holt’s Dark Star Park (1979 –1984) and the birth of Arlington's Public Art Program. AHS hosts Angela A. Adams, Founding Director of Arlington Public Art as she discusses the creation, stewardship, and legacy of Nancy Holt’s Dark Star Park and how it inspired a more than 40-year commitment to public art […]

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