Discover Archaeology at Mount Vernon
Visit the Interactive Family Hub & Archaeology Hub
9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Bowling Green)
At the Family Hub, learn about the archaeological process with Mount Vernon educators through hands-on activities.
You can participate in your own miniature dig, put broken objects together, make your own replicas out of clay, and pick up take-home activities (while supplies last).
At the Archaeology Hub, hear from Mount Vernon archaeologists about their role at Mount Vernon and their recent discoveries. You can also learn more about the archaeological process directly from them!
See Musical Performances & Blacksmith Demonstrations
Listen to Music of the Revolution
10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
During this program, hear our resident fifer play different fifes, flutes, and a drum to demonstrate their different sounds and functions.
Watch Iron Forging & Make Historical Connections
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Talk to Historic Trades team members in the blacksmith shop to learn more about blacksmithing at Mount Vernon. Watch our tradespeople recreate tools, utensils, and hardware to assist with preservation work around the estate.
Learn About Other Local Historical Locations
George Mason's Gunston Hall
9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Bowling Green)
From aiding the reconstruction of the historic garden to being the cornerstone of ongoing work at the enslaved community known as the East Yard, archaeology is a key part of Gunston Hall.
Explore how these projects depend upon archaeology, and try your hand at using archaeological artifacts to make conclusions about the past.
Patrick Henry's Red Hill
9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Bowling Green)
At Patrick Henry's final home and resting place, archaeological research has uncovered lost pieces of the plantation's landscape as well as information about how people lived at the site across hundreds of years.
Red Hill's archaeology team is currently investigating the remains of two cabins in a part of the property known as the Quarter Place, where enslaved laborers and their free descendants lived and worked.
Come learn about Red Hill, the research being conducted there, and how volunteers can get involved with the estate's archaeology.
Hear a Children's Book Talk: First Ladies Make History With the Authors
On July 19, listen to a reading of First Ladies Make History by authors Anita McBride and Giovanna McBride at 12:30 p.m. in the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Auditorium.
First Ladies Make History is a unique book, taking young readers on a journey with first ladies and to discover the important contributions they have made throughout American history.
Pick up your own copy at The Shops at Mount Vernon, and get it signed from 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
This event is sponsored by:
