The James Monroe Museum will hold an open house on Saturday, April 30 to celebrate the 253rd anniversary of James Monroe’s birth and the newly renovated Memorial Garden. The event, which is free, will be held from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
The celebration will feature 18th-century music performed by the living-history acoustic duo Doug Marshall and Lauren Smith, a dance performance by the Rappahannock Colonial Heritage Society dancers, and cake in honor of Monroe’s birthday. The museum’s galleries also will be open free of charge during the event.
“This is a chance for the community to see what we’ve done with the garden and what it has to offer,” said Adele Uphaus-Conner, membership and special events coordinator at the museum. “We are excited about the opportunity to hold many more public events like this in our new space.”
In addition, the museum plans an annual series of educational and cultural events for the Memorial Garden. Registration is required for the events that include:
- Afternoon tea in honor of Elizabeth Monroe on Sunday, June 5, from 2 to 4 p.m.
- An evening of chamber music by award-winning violin and viola duo Marcolivia on Saturday, June 25 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, June 26 at 3 p.m.
- “Wine and the Founding Fathers,” a lecture by author James Gabler, followed by a tasting of Virginia wines on Friday, August 19 at 6 p.m.
The James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library is the largest repository in the country of artifacts and documents related to the fifth president of the United States. The museum was first opened in 1927 by Monroe descendants as a place to house their own personal collections, which had been handed down through generations of the family. The museum is both a Virginia Historic Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. Administered now by the University of Mary Washington, it is open daily, except for major holidays, with an admission charge.
More information is available by calling (540) 654-1043 or visiting the museum’s website at www.umw.edu/jamesmonroemuseum.