2009 Calendar

December 5 • Tour
Gingerbread Tea and Tour
Time: 10 am
SOLD OUT

December 5 • Young Virginia House Naturalists Program
Habitats and Food
Times: 1 and 3 pm

December 10 • Tour
Christmas Tea and Tour
Time: 3 pm

December 11 • Tour
Christmas Tea and Tour
Time: 3 pm

December 12 • Tour
Gingerbread Tea and Tour
Time: 10 am
SOLD OUT

Current exhibition

Warwick to Windsor Farms: Building Virginia House
• Long-term exhibition
The design and building of Virginia House, home of Alexander and Virginia Weddell, is the subject of this exhibit featuring vintage photos and architectural plans. The stones and much of the glass that became Virginia House in Windsor Farms were once part of a sixteenth–century manor house in Warwickshire, England, home to the Order of the Holy Sepulcher. The Weddells, with their architect Henry Grant Morse, created a composite design for their house including a center wing that recalled elements from the original manor house, a wing that replicated the Washington family's Sulgrave Manor, and a tower wing that reproduced the gatehouse at Wormleighton, home of the Spencer and Churchill families. When the house was completed in 1929, the Weddells deeded it to the Virginia Historical Society, retaining lifetime tenancy for themselves.

Tours and Events

Young Virginia House Naturalists Program
• September 19, 2009–June 5, 2010
This program introduces young children and their parents to the history and nature of a place. Children will have the opportunity to explore the grounds at Virginia House while learning about the natural world with their parents. Each program focuses on a different topic (see below) and includes a story, hands-on activity, and craft. Participants will be given a field notebook for tracking their observations from week to week and for keeping their educational handouts. Programs are offered twice on Saturday mornings: at 9 am for ages 4–5 and at 11 am for ages 6–7. This program costs $5 per child. Please call 804.353.4251 or email Tracy Bryan.
October 17: Trees
November 14: Birds
December 5: Habitats and Food (1 and 3 pm)
January 9: Plants and their uses
March 13: Clouds and Weather
April 10: Flowers
May 8: Insects and Butterflies
June 5: Other animals in your backyard (bunnies, lizards, toads!)

Gingerbread Tea and Tour
• December 5 & 12
Please note: These dates are SOLD OUT
Celebrate the holidays and create a new family tradition! Design and build your own gingerbread house using gingerbread pieces, snow-like frosting, gumdrops, candy canes, and other colorful treats. Cider and cookies will be served as Virginia House staff talk about holiday traditions in the Tudor home. Admission: $14 per family for VHS members; $16 per family for non-members. Reservations required; call 804.353.4251 or email Tracy Bryan. This program is co-sponsored with Agecroft Hall.

Christmas Tea and Tour
• December 10 & 11
Spend an afternoon at two famous Richmond Tudor homes! Your visit begins with a guided holiday tour of the great rooms of Virginia House followed by a walk through the gardens to Agecroft Hall. Your visit concludes with tea and a guided tour of the festively decorated Agecroft Hall. Admission: $22.50 for members; $25 per family for non-members. Reservations required; call 804.353.4251 or email Tracy Bryan. This program is co-sponsored with Agecroft Hall.