Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center

06/19/2020

The enslaved residents of Fairfax County knew they were emancipated January 1, 1863, long before those in Galveston Texas (who did not hear the news until June 19, 1865.) A number of Fairfax born African-American men went on to enlist in the Union Army. Here is the service record of Thomas Bailey, a coachman, who mustered in on Mason's Island (now Theodore Roosevelt Island) in June of 1863. Image from U.S. Colored Troops, Company Descriptive Book 1865 - courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration - and shown in "The Fairfax Story" at Fairfax Museum. #Juneteenth

05/27/2020

Collecting COVID-19 Stories in Fairfax City | City of Fairfax, VA

We want to hear from you! Today's events will be part of tomorrow's history. Help us collect your experiences as primary source material.

05/22/2020

Making a Cup and Ball Toy

Something fun to do for the weekend -make a Cup and Ball!

05/15/2020

Historic Fairfax City Scholarship

Congrats to the Historic Fairfax City, Inc. Scholarship Recipients - Trish Mikell and Nancy Murray of George Mason University!

Trish Mikell Trish Mikell is a junior History major and Sport and American culture minor. Spring 2020 is her second full-time semester back at...

05/12/2020

Did you know we have a special page with activities for you while we are closed? Check out our scavenger hunt, historic building coloring pages, and a beautiful garden map for exploring the Pozer Garden! https://www.fairfaxva.gov/government/historic-resources/online-history-activities

05/05/2020

Students Learn and Connect with Quarantine Journals | Fairfax County Public Schools

Primary source documents - such as personal journals - are crucial artifacts for historians studying past events. Did you know Anne Frank's diary, which just started out as a way to express her teenage life, became so much more for a reason?

"In March 1944, Anne heard a radio broadcast from the Dutch minister for education, art and science, who was in exile in London along with other members of the Dutch government. “History cannot be written on the basis of official decisions and documents alone,” he said. “What we really need are ordinary documents—a diary, letters.” Anne wrote about the broadcast in her diary and decided to edit and rewrite it with an aim for publication. " - history.com

This is the time of year we would be welcoming in students at our sites for Spring Field trips, including students from Daniels Run
Elementary, and we miss interacting with these students. We love what this teacher is doing to have students journal during this time - we hope to read about your thoughts and experiences in the future.

04/30/2020

Need ideas for Mother’s day? Our Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center Gift Shop has “curated” a few items Mom may like! For purchase information, see the gift shop page https://www.fairfaxva.gov/government/historic-resources/gift-shops – and check out these limited availability items- including a NEW locally made “Northern Virginia“ puzzle! All sales will be contact free (as we are still closed to the public ), and the deadline for Mother’s Day orders is May 7.

04/21/2020

Online History Activities | City of Fairfax, VA

Here's a fun activity! Walk down Main Street and try your eye at our architecture scavenger hunt. See the .pdf on our new "Online History Activities" page. Good luck!

Going for a walk down Main Street Fairfax to pick up some carry-out at one of our restaurants? Try this challenging visual three block scavenger hunt along the way!

04/17/2020

04/14/2020

Looking for a little something to do? How about our locally made Historic City of Fairfax or Historic Blenheim puzzles ? Email [email protected] to arrange a hands free purchase for $10 + tax - we’ll call you for credit over the phone and leave a packaged puzzle for you on the porch.

04/13/2020

The Road to Happiness - February 2012 Fairfax Scene

One of our most popular artifacts is the 1924 silent film "The Road to Happiness" shown in our Fairfax Story exhibit. Grab some popcorn and check out this episode of The Fairfax Scene (Including a description of the restoration techniques used in 2012, and the 1980's introduction narrated by former mayor George Hamill) on the City of Fairfax Government 's Youtube channel.

Enjoy this digitally enhanced silent film The Road to Happiness, originally produced by the Ford Motor Corporation in 1924 and filmed in and around Fairfax C...

04/09/2020

Sharing what will be an historic appearance by the Easter Bunny! Check out what Fairfax City Parks and Recreation has planned to be sure the Bunny can get around our City neighborhoods and say hello.

The Bunny is going to make a surprise appearance in Fairfax Neighborhoods! City vehicles will be hopping around town with the Bunny so your family can see him and some of his friends from your own home! 🐰🌸 Get ready to wave at him from your window, door, front patio or yard! 👋

Unfortunately, we can’t go by every house but we will do our best to get by most. If your house is not on the route, you can watch from safely inside your car at the parking lot at Fairfax High School at 10am.

🐰 PDF Map of Route: https://www.fairfaxva.gov/home/showdocument?id=15129

🐰 Parade Times
(Please note these are APPROXIMATE times, please check the bunny tracker on the day off for exact location)
- Fairfax High School - 10:00am
- Pink (Mosby Woods) - 10:20am
- Blue (Cobbdale/Fairchester Woods) - 10:50am
- Yellow (Westmore/Admore) - 11:20am
- Green (Green Acres/Fairfax Square) - 11:50am
- Orange (Little River Hills/Farcroft/Layton Hall) - 12:10pm
- Purple (Old Lee Hill/Country Club Hills) 12:35pm

🐰 Google Map of Route: https://drive.google.com/open?id=10A8nVMIbfGjn2KfP2nplt_yj0nE_MEKP&usp=sharing

🐰 Bunny Location Tracker - Saturday morning we will post a link to track the bunny LIVE on Google Maps

04/03/2020

04/02/2020

Join us 11 am Friday:
Facebook Live sneak peek of the exhibit
“A Material World: Newspaper Photographs of the 1980s”

03/20/2020

City of Fairfax, VA | Home

UPDATE 3/20
All City of Fairfax Historic Sites are closed to the public until further notice.
Please stay up to date on news via the City of Fairfax website: www.fairfaxva.gov

03/17/2020

Historic Blenheim/Civil War Interpretive Center

This update applies to all of our City of Fairfax Historic Sites.

UPDATE

All City of Fairfax Historic Sites are closed to the public through March 29. Further opening/closing decisions will be determined by the City prior to March 29.

Based on CDC guidance on group events, all of our public events through April have been cancelled. This includes Fairfax History Day, which will next be held April 24, 2021.

Please stay up to date on news via the City of Fairfax website: www.fairfaxva.gov

03/16/2020

The Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center will be closed 3/16-29. Thank you.

02/09/2020

It was terrific welcoming filmmaker Robin Hamilton to Historic Blenheim/Civil War Interpretive Center to show her film "Dignity and Defiance: A Portrait of Mary Church Terrell" for our Second Sunday program. Thanks to all the attendees! (Photo courtesy Chris Cohen)

02/05/2020

Hands on History! Enjoy our kids' activity room all month. Activities exploring women's suffrage ,the civil rights movement, and portraits of George Washington. Open and FREE to all - specially geared towards primary age "young historians".

02/02/2020

Chocolate Lovers Festival in the City Of Fairfax - Day 2! Tour the Ratcliffe Allison Pozer house (10386 Main St) from 12-4 and get a free chocolate treat ! Or visit us at the Museum until 5 to enjoy the kids Hands On History room.

01/22/2020

Just a few days left to see New Virginians! This travelling exhibit from The Library of Virginia explores immigration into Virginia over the last 400 years. Interactive listening kiosks profile living immigrants' stories from diverse countries and backgrounds. Open though Sunday January 26. (remember we are open 9-5 every day! )

12/28/2019

We're open 9-5 every day except January 1! Come see the traveling exhibit from the Library of Virginia - "New Virginians 1619-2019 & Beyond" (open through Jan 26.)

12/24/2019

We are OPEN until noon - we have a tiny handful of White House Ornaments left for sale- stop by for a last minute gft !

12/06/2019

Saturday December 7, 2- 5 pm - Tour the Ratcliffe- Allison-Pozer House (10386 Main St) to view Christmas decorations and hear about traditions of the past! Docents will share holiday customs from the different time periods of the home's use. Stay afterwards for the City of Fairfax Tree Lighting at 6 pm. FREE #dchousemuseum

11/07/2019

Second Sunday is going to be a fun one! November 10, 2 pm, Join us as Dr. Gregg D. Kimball, Director of Public Services and Outreach at the Library of Virginia, will trace the musical legacy of prohibition through spoken narrative, period images, and live and recorded music. Feel free to sing along! FREE

11/02/2019

Come see "Teetotalers and Moonshiners: Prohibition in Virginia, Distilled" now through December 7. This traveling exhibition from the Library of Virginia addresses the important impact of Prohibition on the Commonwealth and on America.

10/31/2019

We're ready for trick-or-treaters this afternoon!

Don’t forget the Trunk or Treat at City Hall today (1-4) and the other participating locations for indoor trick or treating. I think we will have a break in the weather and will have cruisers, fire trucks, cue bus and other vehicles decorated! Hope to see you there and have a great morning!

10/18/2019

Well, our TV visitor is NOT coming this afternoon - but you still can! A reminder we are open 9-5 every day.

10/17/2019

Need to buy a White House ornament? Want to visit with the kids and do our scavenger hunt? Haven't caught the WW2 quilt exhibit which closes Monday? A GREAT time to visit us would be Friday 10/18 from 3-5 pm - a little bird tells us we're going to have a TV crew visiting! We'd love to be busy during that time and show off our gem of a museum at its best - stay tuned...

10/13/2019

REMINDER: SECOND SUNDAY TODAY 2 pm, FREE: History of the pioneering newsmagazine "Gay Fairfax" and NoVA LGBTQ civil rights

10/09/2019

Second Sunday is this week! Join us Oct 13, 2 pm, FREE: Historian John Olinger will interview Bart Forbes, founding member of the pioneering cable access television newsmagazine "Gay Fairfax" in the 1990s. Forbes and Olinger will also discuss the broader LGBTQ civil rights movement in Northern Virginia.

07/14/2019

It's Second Sunday!
FREE talk at 2 pm
"Red Cross World War II Wartime Knitting"

07/10/2019

Sunday July 14 - 2 pm - "Red Cross World War II Wartime Knitting" - Learn about this volunteer relief work from Susan Robbins Watson of the American Red Cross. FREE

07/04/2019

Cake! Lemonade!
Happy Independence Day!
We are open 9-4 today.

07/02/2019