History

• Featuring an operational 19th century, water-powered gristmill, recreational and educational activities for all ages through tours, school programs and special events. • On the National Register of Historic Places • Listed on the Virginia Landmark Register • Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums • Colvin Run General Store features a selection of flour, cornmeal and grits ground at the mill.

General Store open Thursday-Sundays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Miller’s House open most Saturdays-Sundays.

(All Ages) Enjoy a tour of historic Colvin Run Mill Built c.1811. The Mill is a tribute to industrial and mechanical innovation, and to the working people who made it happen. You will learn the importance of the Mill to the multifaceted, surrounding community. Explore why our operational, water-powered gristmill is a prime example of how people, technology, and society rely upon each other for survival and success. You will see how the miller continues to make flour and cornmeal today. The tour covers the main grinding floor and the basement, including the gear pit. This tour is ADA compliant. Private tours available upon request. Please contact the site for details. Individual tour tickets available at Parktakes online

(All Ages) Come see the millstones grinding grain like it’s 1811. Experience the 20-foot tall waterwheel turning the machinery inside and learn how an early American mill operated. Grain, stone ground in the mill, available for purchase in the historic general store. Come anytime between 12-2:30 p.m. on Grind Days. Most visitors spend between 30-45 minutes in the mill. Ticket also includes entry into our 19th century miller’s house when open. Tickets available at Parktakes online or at the General Store.

(All Ages) Bring Dad or Grandad out to see and hear 19th century technology at work. The miller will be grinding, conditions permitting. Please call the site to confirm. Free admission for Fathers and Grandfathers. Tour is 1 hour, reservations recommended.

(All Ages) Come behind the scenes at Colvin Run Mill! This tour consists of an award winning Millers House Exhibit preview before it opens to the general public and a four floor tour of the Mill which allows you to see the upper two floors that are not part of our standard tour. Please note the upper floors of the Mill are not ADA accessible. Tour tickets available at Parktakes online.

(5-Adult) Water was and is essential to the people and animals of Colvin Run. Discover the animals that live in and around the mill pond, watch water turn the giant wheel to power the mill, help wash clothes like it’s 1880, and have a glass of lemonade.

ColvinRunMill Su 12pm 9H2.CZFL 6/5 $8/ea. (3-Adult) Enjoy a summer afternoon like the miller’s family did in the 1800s. Churn and Eat ice cream. Play with historic games and toys, then make a toy to take home.

ColvinRunMill Sa 12pm GRG.S7E2 7/23 $8/ea.

The Walney Visitor Center features natural and cultural exhibits and a hands-on area to introduce the public to the past farmland and present parkland. • Historic structures and foundations: dairy foundation, spring house, icehouse foundation and smokehouse • Gardens • Kid-friendly red wagon sandboxes

Visitor Center open Monday, Wednesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 12 p.m.-5 p.m. (closed Tuesdays).Programs meet at the Walney Visitor Center unless otherwise noted. Various themed tours are available for $10 per person. For more information, call 703-631-0013. Grounds open dawn to dusk.

(6-Adult) On June 10, 1752, Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity through experiments. Follow the scientific method and learn the history of this experiment. Then use the scientific method, and run and experience yourself.

ECLawrncePk Sa 4pm IMR.2FXE 6/11 $9/ea.

(8-Adult) Hear the names and stories of many African American families who lived and worked here at Walney. Learn about slave tenancy, stories of resistance and survival.

ECLawrncePk Su 4pm 775.ULE2 6/19 $8/ea.

(7-Adult) Explore the lives of the men and women during the Revolutionary War who passed along secrets and information and the technology they used in dangerous times. Try your hand at a little spy craft to take home!

ECLawrncePk Su 1pm 1EF.L7TC 7/10 $9/ea.

(6-Adult) Our Continental Army, formed in 1775, was created from colonial volunteers. Farmers and tradespeople learned to follow directions, march and fight as one unit. Join us as we practice drilling and talk about the Army’s struggles and successes around the campfire.

ECLawrncePk Sa 3pm 5XV.8OBW 7/16 $8/ea.

(12-Adult) Join us for a spell-binding tale of espionage and secret payments. We will walk and talk about a spy who used Fairfax County parks as a drop off locations with Russia through 2001. Program meets at Cabell’s Mill.

ECLawrncePk Su 10am BE3.FA7G 7/31 $8/ea.

(6-Adult) Join us on a hot day in the park to learn how to make lemonade. Discuss the history of the popular beverage and how people would chill their drinks in summers throughout history.

ECLawrncePk Su 1pm 57A.T2B4 8/14 $10/ea.

(12-Adult) From the Brown family in the 1740s until Ellanor C. Lawrence in the 1970s, women have defined the Park’s cultural and natural history. Hike around Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, learning about the women whose lives and work helped shape our land. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.

ECLawrncePk Su 6pm 7B6.QL6M 8/14 $8/ea.

(Adults) Learn the challenges of cooking in the 1800s. Make historic desserts over an open hearth. Desserts will reflect the season.

ECLawrncePk Sa 6:30pm 279.J5ZQ 6/4 $12/ea. ECLawrncePk W 6:30pm 279.BP2I 8/17 $12/ea.

Families occupied the 1784 Historic House until the mid-20th century when Green Spring became a public park. Features include: • Historic House and garden • Lectures • English tea programs • Tasting parties • Workshops • Changing art exhibits • Historic photo exhibit and informational videos • On the National Register of Historic Places • Listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register • Tea-themed gift shop

Historic House is open Wednesday-Sunday, 12 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Grounds open dawn to dusk daily.

A traditional English tea follows each lecture. Full tea includes finger sandwiches, pastries and scones with cream and jam. Programs are by reservation only. Call 703-941-7987, TTY 703-324-3988.

June’s full moon is the strawberry moon, and a supermoon. The Moon is an object of enduring fascination. Explore its many incarnations throughout history, including deity, feminine symbol, and green cheese! Consider the moon’s influence on human behavior, from “lunar lunacy” to its intimate connection with women.

(Adults) Take a walking tour of the glorious summer demonstration gardens with a Green Spring Master Gardener docent. Afterwards, relax over afternoon tea in the Historic House

What were Jane Austen’s views on slavery? Recent “historical interrogation” research has provided new details about Austen family ties to colonialism and the slave trade. Hear about exhibit updates at the Jane Austen House Museum in England that will reflect historical context, and consider what Jane’s writings, tastes, and connections may reveal about her sentiments on the issue.

Superstitions are present in all human societies. Discover the origins and rationale of believing in the unbelievable across centuries and cultures. Hear fascinating stories behind common superstitions and discover that tea is steeped in superstition. Learn to be careful how you drink it.

Knickknacks and sentimental mementos of vacations are tangible memory keepers that preserve the past. Discover the origins of “tourist art” and consider souvenirs as historical storytellers, from ancient relics and keepsakes to t-shirts and key chains! Take home a souvenir of Historic Green Spring.

Since antiquity, works of art have been censored. Discover how every art form has been subject to suppression: books, songs, paintings, movies, cartoons, and more. See how censorship changes with the times with bans imposed in the past that surprise and amuse us today.

(Adults) Tour the vibrant summer gardens with a Green Spring Master Gardener docent. Finish at the Historic House lawn to enjoy delicious ices, served with toppings and garnishes.

GrnSprGardn Sa 10am I7Q.G0TU 6/11 $15/ea. GrnSprGardn Sa 10am I7Q.RGAF 7/9 $15/ea.

The Huntley Villa, built circa 1825 and connected to the Mason family, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmark’s Register. Historic Huntley is a three-acre park containing the Federal style villa, a brick privy, an ice house, root cellar, an additional residence and cultural landscape features. Tours available on Saturdays during spring, summer and fall. Purchase tickets online. Private tours are also available upon request. Contact the site directly for more info. The grounds at Historic Huntley are open dawn to dusk from March through November.

(All Ages) Discover a Historic Huntley and the many vistas, voices, and stories which reflect the American quest for freedom. The tour includes the unfurnished late Federal style 1825 villa, farm out-buildings, stories from the Huntley community, and an unparalleled view of the Hybla Valley. The short walk to the villa proceeds up a steep hill, an ADA compliant cart is available on request (please contact us in advance). Private tours are available upon request. Please contact the site for details. Individual tickets available at Parktakes online.

(All Ages) Make and enjoy hand-cranked ice cream as Huntley’s Harris family may have done. Discover how the histories of ice cream and Huntley follow a similar path from elite luxury to family fare. Ice well and Historic Huntley House tour included.

HistHuntley F 3pm 633.A3GO 6/3 $10/ea.

(8-Adult) What happens when you fudge a batch of caramels? You create a new candy, called fudge, of course! Celebrate the ratification of the 19th Amendment by helping to make a batch of fudge and learn how this candy particularly sweetened the lives of women.

HistHuntley Sa 2pm A85.XQL4 8/27 $10/ea.

(Adults) Take a stroll with us on the less-visited side of the park to uncover the history of spies, espionage and how the Cold War struggle between the US and the USSR shaped Huntley and the Fairfax County we know today. Meets at South Kings Highway entrance includes a 2.4 mile walk over flat terrain.

HuntMdws W 10am F8B.V6TL 6/8 $12/ea.

The 1794 home of Northern Virginia’s frst congressman, Richard Bland Lee, combines aspects of Georgian and Federal architecture. Guided tours highlight the early 19th century Lee family, the enslaved community, and other families who lived here before it became a park in 1959. Features include: • Historic house • Original outbuildings • Slave quarter cabin • Heirloom garden • Squirrel’s Nest gift shop • Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums • On the National Register of Historic Places • Listed on the Virginia Civil Wars Trail • Part of the Underground Railroad Network to

Freedom

Gift shop Open Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. and by appointment Monday-Wednesday.

(All Ages) Enjoy a 45-minute tour of the 1794 dwelling, built for Richard Bland Lee, Northern Virginia’s first Congressman. The story includes his family, political career and the life of the enslaved community that supported Sully. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, Sully is on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Private tours available upon request. Please contact the site for details. Individual tickets available at Parktakes online.

(All Ages) The tour includes a walk into the original outbuildings and representative slave quarter cabin. Learn the history of the enslaved people who lived and worked at Sully over 200 years ago. Individual tickets available at Parktakes online.

(5-Adult) Hike the trails and learn about the history of abandoned sites hidden from most visitor’s view. Follow trails of forested areas and Cain’s Branch waterway to learn about the life of early inhabitants who made Sully their home. This outdoor guided program does involve some walking over uneven terrain and along trails. For more information, please call 703-437-1794.

Sully Th 11am ZNR.W2QP 6/9 $10/ea. Sully Th 11am ZNR.G938 6/23 $10/ea. Sully Th 11am ZNR.2JSD 7/28 $10/ea. Sully Th 11am ZNR.0NR7 8/11 $10/ea. Sully Th 11am ZNR.NBXA 8/25 $10/ea.

(5-Adult) Churn butter, crank ice cream, milk a fake cow, play 18th century games, and experience the products of an historic dairy. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Sully Sa 11am 851.3255 6/11 $8/ea. Sully Sa 1pm 851.3ZRF 6/11 $8/ea. Sully Sa 3pm 851.YDYU 6/11 $8/ea. Sully Sa 11am 851.EQRA 6/25 $8/ea. Sully Sa 1pm 851.3R68 6/25 $8/ea. Sully Sa 3pm 851.3VKH 6/25 $8/ea. Sully Sa 11am 851.2926 7/2 $8/ea. Sully Sa 1pm 851.O8DM 7/2 $8/ea. Sully Sa 3pm 851.0OW1 7/2 $8/ea. Sully Sa 11am 851.0FNS 7/23 $8/ea. Sully Sa 1pm 851.ZQNS 7/23 $8/ea. Sully Sa 3pm 851.E7PP 7/23 $8/ea. Sully Su 11am 851.3YPZ 7/31 $8/ea. Sully Su 1pm 851.K4MW 7/31 $8/ea. Sully Su 3pm 851.R0DD 7/31 $8/ea. Sully Sa 11am 851.F0U5 8/6 $8/ea. Sully Sa 1pm 851.W4Z9 8/6 $8/ea. Sully Sa 3pm 851.NV3Y 8/6 $8/ea. Sully Su 11am 851.FVT4 8/7 $8/ea. Sully Su 1pm 851.J23B 8/7 $8/ea. Sully Su 3pm 851.OYGS 8/7 $8/ea. Sully F 11am 851.OYQX 8/19 $8/ea. Sully F 1pm 851.MNHH 8/19 $8/ea. Sully F 3pm 851.SXZC 8/19 $8/ea. Sully Sa 11am 851.UOK6 8/20 $8/ea. Sully Sa 1pm 851.E52A 8/20 $8/ea. Sully Sa 3pm 851.ZCAH 8/20 $8/ea.

(5-Adult) Enjoy an afternoon of mid-summers solstice of Celtic music. This world renowned group combines vocals and with fiddle, flute, guitar, mandolin, bass and many other instruments. IONA blends songs, dance tunes and airs into a rich stunning tapestry. Performances are FUN! Audiences learn words to songs, and have a chance to participate and dance! The concert will be outdoors on the south lawn of Sully, unless there is inclement weather. Seating is limited. Refreshments such as cookies and lemonade included.

Sully Sa 1pm 5CE.SLUC 7/9 $25/ea.