The Ball-Sellers House Museum season opening day welcomes you to explore how colonial Virginia made things we now buy. This c. 1750 farmhouse will host demonstrations and "do-it-yourself" experiences. From […]
The Ball-Sellers House invites you to discover the plants our colonial forebears grew to add color to their clothing. Explore local plants you can use to dye your own fabric in this fun garden talk by Sandy Newton. Learn about natural dyes and color all around you. Come for Sandy's talk at 1:30, stay for […]
In 1801, a wealthy landowner who lived in present-day Arlington County freed his slaves and their descendants. His deed of emancipation would have ripple effects across Northern Virginia—especially for one […]
The Ball-Sellers House and the Glencarlyn Community Garden celebrate gardening. Free guided tours of the c. 1750 farmhouse from 10 AM - 4 PM. At 1:00 PM: find out what […]
An original scripted reenactment brings history alive! Join us for an original performance depicting an 1842 trial - Julia Roberts v. Austin Adams and Anne Harding - in which Julia Roberts, an enslaved woman, sues to win her freedom. This script is based on original documents, notes on the testimony from the 1842 trial, and research […]
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 […]
An original scripted reenactment brings history alive! Join us for a performance of an original play depicting an 1842 trial - Julia Roberts v. Austin Adams and Anne Harding - in which Julia Roberts, an enslaved woman, sues to win her freedom. This script is based on original documents, notes on the testimony from the 1842 […]
The Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington 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) and are placed in the sidewalk at the last known site of their enslavement. Memorializing the Enslaved in […]
The Arlington VA250 Committee is hosting an Arlington HistoryFest 250, a free, one-day outdoor festival commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. It will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Kenmore Middle School. “We’re proud to welcome visitors and residents to experience the living legacy of […]
Walk in the footsteps of George Washington on a guided walking tour with local historian, Kevin Vincent. In 1775, George Washington bought 1200-acres of forest in what is now Arlington. […]