Events & Programs

Upcoming Events & Virtual Programs

Plant Sale at Stratford Hall

April 20 – May 12, 2024

Bring a piece of Stratford Hall into your garden! Plants grown in Stratford Hall’s greenhouse are available to purchase throughout the month of April. A selection of heirloom vegetables, herbs, perennials, trees, and shrubs will be on sale daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Gift Shop.

Historic Garden Week at Stratford Hall

Wednesday, April 24

Historic Garden Week is coming to the Northern Neck on Wednesday, April 24th! Stratford Hall is offering free grounds admission to all Northern Neck ticketholders for a tour of the restored 18th-century East Garden, led by Stratford Hall landscapers and gardeners. Tour times 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.

Preservation Tour: Behind the Scenes Stratford Hall

Saturday, May 4, 2024

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. – SOLD OUT

1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Join the Stratford Hall’s Director of Preservation & Maintenance for a Preservation Tour of the Great House. The tour will focus on the main floor of the house and the most recent room restoration projects that span the past 15 years. The exterior and lower level will also be discussed. If you have ever wondered what it takes to preserve and restore a historic house like the Great House, now is your chance to hear the stories. You might even be able to see areas that are not normally seen by visitors. What better way is there to celebrate Preservation Month!

Limited spaces available and pre-registration is required.

$30 per person; Free for Friends of Stratford Members.

Purchase tickets today!

Wine Thyme Spring Festival at Stratford Hall

Saturday, May 11, 2024 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Join us for an unforgettable celebration of spring, where locally-crafted food and beverages, live music, artisan vendors, and colonial history come together against the backdrop of the c. 1738 Great House.

Interested in becoming a vendor for this year’s festival? Check out the Vendor Guidelines and apply today.

Early Bird Tickets: (February 1 through May 9): $20

Day of Tickets: $30

Ages 7 – 12: $10

Ages 6 and under: Free

This event is held rain or shine and tickets are non-refundable.

Purchase tickets today!

Teachers Seminar with Stratford Hall & Preservation Virginia

July 9 – 12, 2024

The 2024 Teachers Seminar with Stratford Hall & Preservation Virginia highlights the social histories, lived experiences, and concerns of a diverse range of women who belong to the ‘founding’ generation. With special attention to material culture, we think about how enslavement, resistance, war, an emerging new polity and national culture and mythology shaped and were shaped by these FOUNDING WOMEN. We ponder the persistent, lively dialogue between the multiple spaces of women’s agency, and reflect on the centrality of women’s roles to the ways in which conflict and resistance played out in early America.

From July 9 – 12, 2024, onsite presentations at Stratford Hall and travel-study to the John Marshall House and Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown will be capped with a workshop focused on translating Seminar insights for the k-12 classroom.

Applications now closed.

Hands-On History Day

Saturday, April 20, 2024

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Immerse yourself in the rich history and natural beauty of Stratford Hall Historic Preserve in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Join us for Hands-On History Day as we experience Stratford Hall and its people through the lenses of history, science, and culture! Spend the day exploring the historic area while participating in special activities provided by our education and interpretive staff. Pack a picnic lunch for the family and relax at one of the numerous picnic areas throughout the site. Take a nature walk, go for a hike, enjoy bird watching, fishing, or hunting for sharks’ teeth along the Potomac River.

Tickets are available for prepurchase and at the gate. This program is free for Friends of Stratford members.

For questions, contact Kelly Childress, Director of Education, at or (804) 493-1972.

Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 10:00am to 3:00pm.

Discover what life was like in colonial Virginia while taking a self-guided audio tour of the Great House and historic area.
Experience an 18th-century carpentry demonstration with Harold Caldwell as he crafts furniture in our historic carpenter’s shop.
Take part in an interactive African drumming demonstration while exploring the cultural and historical influences of the music of the African Diaspora.
Learn about common plant and animal fibers that were produced at Stratford Hall and experiment with natural dye stuffs.
Engage with a knowledgeable museum educator about the geology of Stratford Cliffs and get an up-close look at our paleontology collection.
Make a scented castile soap ball to take home as a souvenir of your visit!

This program is made possible in part by a gift from The Tidewater Foundation.

Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 10:00am to 3:00pm.

Discover what life was like in colonial Virginia while taking a self-guided audio tour of the Great House and historic area.
Experience an 18th-century cooking demonstration in the historic kitchen while learning about the Transatlantic trade, colonial foodways and the influences made by enslaved cooks on American cuisine.
Take part in an interactive African drumming demonstration while exploring the cultural and historical influences of the music of the African Diaspora.
Play with common colonial toys and games of the 18th-century.
Engage with a knowledgeable museum educator about the scientific study of Archaeology at Stratford Hall and how we use it to tell stories.
Make a hand-dipped bees wax candle to take home as a souvenir of your visit! Please note that this activity involves open flame, and we highly encourage participants to wear closed-toe shoes.

Register in advance today!

2024 Fossil Hunting Excursions at Stratford Hall

Sunday, May 12 – SOLD OUT!

Sunday, June 23 (Registration opens May 1st)

Saturday, July 27 (Registration opens June 1st)

Sunday, August 4 (Registration opens July 1st)

Sunday, October 6 (Registration opens September 1st)

Dating from the Miocene Epoch – approximately 17 to 10 million years ago, the Stratford Cliffs are part of a rare geological phenomenon ranking among the most important fossil research sites in the Mid-Atlantic region. Whether you are a seasoned collector, or this is your first experience, Stratford Hall is the place for you! Spend a day hunting for fossils along the shores of the Potomac, explore the Stratford Cliffs, and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the great outdoors!

Excursions are rated at a moderately strenuous to strenuous activity level requiring long periods of walking, hiking, standing, stooping, and bending. If you wish to access the further extremities of the beach, this will include climbing over or under washed up debris or felled trees. Minimum age requirements for all fossil hunting excursions are 8 years old. Any participant under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Event Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Cost: $40 per adult and $35 per child (ages 8 to 13)

Age requirements: 8+ years of age

Availability: 40 slots (35 adults, 5 children)

Additional information will be provided via email prior to your visit.

First Africans Day

Saturday, July 27, 2024 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Visit Stratford Hall for First Africans Day, commemorating the enslaved Africans and African Americans who built and sustained Stratford Hall and the Lee family for generations.

This will be a free, full day of remembering and honoring those enslaved at Stratford Hall and their descendants, through music, storytelling, special tours, and lectures.

Register today!