Explore Gunston Hall via a variety of hiking trails.  View a wide variety of critters, from groundhogs to bald eagles.  Discover the beautiful native flora that blanket the property, and enjoy the scenery of the Potomac River.  Trails are located throughout the estate and range in length from ¾ of a mile to 2½ miles.

Is a meander through the historic area more your style?  Gunston Hall’s grounds are scenic and beautiful on their own. A walk around the grounds can serve as a perfect pick-me-up or a leisurely stroll.

Gunston Hall is the perfect place to take your family. Whether you choose to explore the grounds, go on a guided tour of George Mason’s home with our experienced and approachable guides, or attend any of our family-friendly events, every member of your group will leave having learned something, and having had tons of fun.

While you visit, explore hands-on objects throughout the mansion.  Look through the tutor’s quarters above the school house.  You may try the bed, read the newspaper, and more!  Smell fresh herbs growing in the garden, and try to identify some of the historic trees.  Fly a kite or simply run through the open fields.

Top off the experience by bringing a picnic lunch.

Don’t miss special events such as:

• Christmastide
• Kite Festival
• Summer Saturdays
• Declaration Day
• Archaeology Day
• Revolutionary War Day

Discover the charm of George Mason’s Gunston Hall’s endless photo opportunities. Shutterbugs will find inspiration in  both the grounds and the mansion’s interior.

Celebrate an engagement with romantic photographs on the grounds and around the mansion. Capture the beautiful scenery; and revel in the stunning architectural detail.

Gunston Hall’s landscape will take your breath away with its gorgeous views in all directions.  Overlooking the Potomac River and flanked by a stately magnolia alley and vast green field, Gunston Hall can serve as the perfect canvas for your next masterpiece.

Gunston Hall welcomes the use of its historic grounds for professional photography.  Reservations are required.

The fee for professional photography is $50 per two-hour session. Parties of 8+ are subject to an additional $25 fee.  Full payment is required at time of booking. Please note that professional photography is available on the grounds, only.  The interior of the Gunston Hall mansion is not available.

The site is perfect for

• engagements
• wedding parties
• family portraits
• senior pictures
• product promotions
• and more.

For more information on reserving a professional photography session, contact our Leader of Business Enterprise, Nicole Morton, at 703-550-9220 or nicole.morton@gunstonhall.org

The grounds of Gunston Hall are the perfect place for history lovers of all kinds. From archaeology to decorative arts, George Mason’s home, the historic core, and the surrounding grounds present many different paths of history for you to explore.

Tour the mansion, peek into the outbuildings, and stroll to the family cemetery.  Learn how archaeology has helped us uncover information about enslaved people at Gunston Hall.  Watch the recreation of the 18^th century garden take shape.

In warm weather, extend your visit by bringing a picnic lunch.

Follow our recreation of the 18th-century riverside garden.  Until construction finishes, visitors may preview the garden by going on a guided tour and looking out the mansion windows.  Or, climb the exterior steps on the side of the mansion to peek over the fence.  You will be able to see something new every time you visit, as we establish the perennial beds, plant the fruit trees, and tend the kitchen garden.  

Visit often to see the space develop and discover the changes since your last visit.

Once the garden is finished, it will increase the authenticity of Gunston Hall’s historic core. Plus, the rest of the grounds offer many different flowers, plants, and rare trees. You may even see our horticulturist onsite!