Calendar of Events 2008
Enter into the world of 1784, a focus for many of Gunston Hall’s programs for 2008. America is still a young independent nation and there are many growing pains. During this year, George Mason agrees to serve on a Virginia / Maryland commission to settle questions concerning the Potomac River. On a personal note, three of his children, including his eldest son, decide to marry in 1784.
Architecture in the Afternoon
The first Sunday of each month, April through October 
2:00 p.m.
Architecture is the focus for this hour-long tour of the mansion interior and exterior spaces. Discover the stunning mid-18th-century architecture of George Mason’s home. Find out why carpenter-joiner William Buckland, who designed the interior of Gunston Hall, continues to be highly regarded.
Regular admission. The tour is recommended for persons 12 years and older.
Mother's Day Tea and Eighteenth-Century Fashion Show
Sunday, May 11 Tea at 2:00 p.m.
Bring your mother and grandmother to an elegant tea and 18th-century fashion show. See for yourself what you might wear as a stylish gentry, or servant, woman at Gunston Hall. For a broader background on women’s lives in Virginia in the 1700s, take a World of Women tour of the plantation at 1:00 or 4:00 p.m. The price of tea includes admission to the fashion show, women’s tour, and mansion tour.
$30 / person. Reservations required. Please call 703/550-9220.
Songs of Freedom
Sunday, June 8 Performances at 2:30 p.m.
Performances of spiritual music will tell the story of African Americans’ flight to freedom. During mansion tours, learn about Mason family slaves who ran away.
Regular admission.
Plantation Sleuth
Tuesdays and Thursdays in July and August 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Calling all young detectives to Gunston Hall to solve an 18th-century mystery. Children and their adult companions will uncover essential clues in the schoolhouse, hearth kitchen, wash house, and garden. The mystery will unfold as you take a child-friendly guided tour of the mansion. Receive an 18th-century prize if you successfully put together all the clues. What a fun and educational day at George Mason’s home!
$5 for ages 6 - 12, free for children under age 6, regular admission for adults. Groups of ten or more may take a Sleuth tour any day of the week at $4/child. Call 703/550-9220 for group reservations.
The Chesapeake in Revolution: Daily Life and Politics in Virginia and Maryland, 1750 - 1800
Teachers' Institute
Tuesday, July 29 - Thursday, July 31 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
A Teachers’ Institute in conjunction with The Society of the Cincinnati
The world of Virginians and Marylanders was transformed between 1750 and 1800. During this three-day intensive workshop, teachers will explore the profound changes in day-to-day life and politics in the Chesapeake. The varied syllabus features hands-on activities, small group work, informal lectures, and first-person presentations, all geared to elementary and secondary curriculum standards in Virginia and Maryland. One workshop highlight is touring the collections and American military library of The Society of the Cincinnati headquarters in Washington, D.C. Teachers completing the program will earn 27 re-certification points. Limited spaces are available for museum staff and volunteers involved with interpretation.
Participation is complimentary upon acceptance to the Institute. Access an application on-line or contact the Education Department at 703/550-9220. Applications are accepted beginning February 1, 2008. Acceptances are offered within two weeks of application.
Workshop on the Craft of Living History
Saturday, September 13 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Re-enactors and first-person interpreters invest dearly in their period clothing and accessories, but how much is spent on learning the craft of living history? When a person asks “So … who are you supposed to be?” can you answer the question? The workshop, sponsored by Gunston Hall’s living history troupe, the Gunstonians, is intended to give you the tools and techniques necessary for first-person interpretation. Break-out sessions will be directed toward the novice or experienced player.
$75 / person. Group rate for five or more, $65 / person. Fee includes lunch and program materials. Reservations required by calling 703/550-9220.
Archaeology Day
Saturday, October 18 Noon - 4:00 p.m.
It’s your day to be an historical archaeologist! Under the tutelage of Gunston Hall’s archaeology staff, screen for artifacts, clean and mend found objects, and become acquainted with other basic techniques of the profession. To learn about important discoveries made on site, take the Hunting for George Mason’s Garden tour at 1:15 or 3:15 p.m.
Young people under the age of 14 years must be accompanied by an adult. Groups of five or more must make a reservation. Regular admission.
Near and Far Sighted: Refocusing on Regionalism and Imports in Virginia (Part 2)
Decorative Arts Symposium
Thursday, November 6 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
What do furnishings reveal about the people who own them? How do patterns in the consumption and production of objects define a region? Symposium speakers will investigate the influence of imported decorative arts objects and printed materials in the Chesapeake region from 1607 to 1850. This program is the second and final part of a series looking at regionalism in the field of material culture.
It is necessary to reserve in advance. Call 703/550-9220 for a brochure and registration form. The fee includes lunch and a symposium packet. $85, $70 Friends of Gunston Hall.
Veterans’ Day Commemoration
Tuesday, November 11 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Colonel George Mason served as a member of the Virginia militia. How else did Mason further the cause of American freedom and what sacrifices did he and his family make along the way? Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights, written in May 1776, played a critical role in the story of independence for Virginia and the nation. Consider these topics during mansion tours and conversations with period reenactors.
Regular admission. In honor of Veterans’ Day, free admission will be granted to active military personnel and veterans.
Plantation Christmas
Friday and Saturday, December 12 and 13 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Experience the hospitality of an 18th-century plantation holiday. Lanterns will line the path that takes you to George Mason’s fine home, illuminated inside by candlelight. Ride in a horse-drawn carriage, sip warm cider by the fire, and sample period recipes prepared in the colonial hearth kitchen. Costumed characters engaged in seasonal activities will greet you in the house and throughout the grounds.
$14 for adults, $7 for ages 6-18, free for children under age six. Reservations are not required.
Plantation Christmas Yuletide Dinner
Friday December 12 6:30 and 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 13 4:30, 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.
While enjoying Plantation Christmas, indulge in delicious traditional fare. Reservations are necessary for the full complement of courses served in an elegant candlelit setting. Private parties may reserve a table for ten.
$39.95 for adults and ages 11 and older, $19.95 for ages 6 - ten. The cost of the meal includes admission to Plantation Christmas. Please telephone 703/550-9220 for reservations.
Travel Back to the 18th-Century Hearth Kitchen – What a Trip It Will Be!
Gunston Hall’s highly-acclaimed Historic Foodways Program is now in its 23rd year. Throughout the year, small classes of four to six persons take place for the beginning to the accomplished hearth cook. Give the gift of a cooking class for a birthday or holiday. Reserve a private class for a group of friends. For a modest fee, Gunston Hall Foodways experts are happy to work with historic sites and museums interested in establishing or broadening a hearth cooking program.
Open-Hearth Cooking Class, Level II
Saturday, April 5 or Sunday, April 6 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Experience preparing a dinner over the open hearth in the kitchen outbuilding. With guidance from Gunston Hall’s veteran cooks, read and research period receipts (recipes). Discover the region’s 18th-century culinary history and the seasonal uses of ingredients. This advanced class is held in conjunction with Fairfax County Adult Education. Prerequisites are the completion of the Level I class or permission from the instructors.
For more information, call 703/658-1222. Contact 703/658-1201 in order to register for course HI03882. $99 fee includes tuition and all materials.
The Family Cooks!
Colonial Culinary School for Children and Parents
Saturday, July 19 9:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Children ages 8 - 12 and one or both parents will discover firsthand cooking techniques, using receipts from the 1700s and working in Gunston Hall’s replica kitchen. But there was more to feeding a family than just cooking! Registrants will process milk to make butter and soft cheese in the dairy; preserve foods near the smokehouse; and gather culinary herbs in the garden. Space is limited for this hands-on, intensive class.
Reservations required at $50 for one child and one parent and $25 more for each additional child/parent. Experience is not necessary. Contact the Education Department at 703/550-9220.
Always Time for Dessert
Saturday, October 4 and Sunday, October 5 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Work alongside Gunston Hall’s hearth cooks to prepare an array of simple and fancy 18th-century desserts. While you do so, you’ll acquire important basic skills in period cooking over the open hearth. As an added treat, some recipe adaptations to the modern kitchen will be provided. All levels of students are welcome.
Tuition and all materials are included in the $99 fee. Contact 703/550-9220 to reserve a place.
Open-Hearth Cooking Class, Level I
Saturday, October 25 or Sunday, October 26 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Learn the basics of 18th-century hearth cooking from veteran members of Gunston Hall’s Historic Foodways Program. Use traditional cooking techniques and period recipes in order to make a number of dishes representative of the period. This class is offered in partnership with Fairfax County Adult Education.
Call 703/658-1222 for the program fee and other information. Tuition and all materials are included in the fee. Contact 703/658-1201 in order to register for class HI03881.
Events do not require a reservation unless specifically stated. The calendar is subject to change. Public program attendees are welcome to take a 30-minute mansion tour as part of their site experience. Tours are offered from 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
