Events & Programs
Upcoming Events & Virtual Programs
Commemorating the Lives: Women’s History Month
Saturday, March 16, 2024
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Learn more about the women of Stratford Hall. We are offering $5 admission, including access to the grounds and house. Enjoy the Leading Ladies tour while exploring the grounds and house. Visit Stratford at the Crossroads exhibit in the Visitor Center to see objects and learn more stories of these leading ladies.
Friends of Stratford Members and Children under 5 are Free.
Tickets available for pre-purchase and at the gate.
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.
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 accepted through March 15th.
Wine & Oyster Festival
Saturday, September 21, 2024 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, September 22, 2024 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Virginia wineries, coastal oysters, local food trucks and breweries, artisan booths, live music, and more! Ticket sales begin in July.
Interested in becoming a vendor for this year’s festival? Check out the Vendor Guidelines for more information and apply today.
Easter Eggstravaganza & Bunny Breakfast
Saturday, March 30, 2024
Join Stratford Hall Historic Preserve & the 32 Fraternal Order of Police of the Northern Neck for an Easter Eggstravaganza!
Admission and activities for the Easter Eggstravaganza are free.
Does not include entrance to the Bunny Breakfast or the historic Great House.
Bunny Breakfast Buffet from 9:00am to 10:45am, enjoy a delicious pancake bar with your favorite toppings, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes and more!
Advance reservations are required for Bunny Breakfast.
Adults (12+) $20
Children (ages 4-12) $10
Children (3 and under) are free.
Don’t wait! Make your Bunny Breakfast reservation today!
Easter activities from 10:00am to 2:00pm, with the Easter Egg Hunt beginning promptly at 11:00am. So don’t be late for this very important date. Special prizes will be awarded to the most egg-ceptional collectors!
Additional activities include a spring inspired craft provided by the Art Center of Montross, jellybean guessing game, face painting, yard games, and a chance to meet our special guest – the Easter Bunny! A Light hot dog lunch, provided by the #32 FOP of the Northern Neck, will be available follow the Easter egg hunt.
Don’t miss out on the joy and egg-citement of our Easter Eggstravaganza and Bunny Breakfast!
Important Details:
- Plan to arrive between 10 – 10:30 a.m. for the egg hunt.
- Bring your own basket for the egg hunt.
- Don’t forget your camera for photos with the Easter Bunny.
Mark your calendars and hop on over to Stratford Hall for a day of Easter fun!
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.
2024 Fossil Hunting Excursions at Stratford Hall
Sunday, May 12 (Registration opens April 1st)
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.