Discover the people who helped shape Arlington. This exhibit highlights early landowners and settlers whose decisions and choices laid the foundation for the county we know today. The Arlington Historical […]
Step into the moment Arlington helped shape the nation’s capital. In 1791, surveyors under President George Washington mapped a 100-square-mile federal district along the Potomac River, placing forty sandstone boundary stones; […]
In 1976, Americans celebrated the nation’s 200th anniversary with parades, festivals, and a surge of patriotic memorabilia. From commemorative glassware to toys and keepsakes, these objects brought history into everyday […]
Explore how Arlington has been governed, and who has held the power to make decisions, over time in Who Decides? Governing Arlington Through Time. This exhibit traces the county’s evolving […]
Join us for a 15 Minute History exploring the history of Escuela Key Elementary and Arlington’s groundbreaking Spanish immersion program. Hear from longtime educators and administrators Evelyn Fernandez and Dr. […]
The Arlington Historical Society will hold its annual meeting of members on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 7:00 pm. The meeting will be held BOTH on Zoom and in person at the Aurora Hills Community Center. If you are a member and plan to attend by Zoom, please register at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5hahdEKOetY34nQ9roXBAFSDf4BhdRF-8xSY-rXoPnYl3iQ/viewform (This is […]
In the late 1700s, the first bridges, now completely gone, connected the new Federal City to the outside world. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, more and bigger crossings arose to support industry, allow the expansion of suburbs, commemorate cultural and civic leaders, and enhance the aesthetics of the District’s waterfronts and parks. Although the […]
Join AHS as we help celebrate the Alexandria historic waterfront's tall ships at "Sails on the Potomac." Join in on family-friendly activities and experience engaging historic programs and performances. Explore the vibrancy of the region through booths like ours! along with other local museums and organizations. There's a lot going on all weekend: https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic-alexandria/sails-on-the-potomac-event-schedule#SaturdayJune13. As […]
See Theodore Roosevelt Island with a new lens. Walk the places where enslaved people lived and worked on "Mason's Island" plantation from 1792-1860s. This guided walking tour is sponsored by The Memorializing the Enslaved (MEA) Project, a joint effort of the Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington. The tour will educate […]
You’re invited to Arlington's Annual Juneteenth Community Day! This family-friendly event at Wakefield High School commemorates the emancipation of Africans who were enslaved and honors African American culture and heritage. Join us to honor and celebrate those who came before us who exhibited strength, resilience, and determination in the pursuit of liberation and freedom. Enjoy […]