TO ENTERTAIN AND GRATIFIE THE EYE: THE HISTORY OF TABLE CENTREPIECES IN AMERICA
April 17, 2010 ~ June 11, 2010
Tour Wilton House Museum and view the history of table decorating in early American culture. Displays will showcase different trends in early American households from salts to centrepieces ; fresh flowers to paper flowers; dazzling displays of silver and glass; to elaborate figural garden designs complete with boxwood, temples and fountains.
Admission Fee

WITH EVERY SEASON: KEEPING COOL IN VIRGINIA
July 1, 2010 ~ September 6, 2010
Tour Wilton House Museum and discover how Colonial Virginians lived without the modern conveniences of air conditioning, refrigeration, window screens, bug spray, shorts and sandals! Learn how people lived during the hot summer months over 200 years ago; what they wore; how they ate; and how different it was from modern-life today. The first floor of the museum has been set for Summer Establishment and is a sight to behold.
Admission Fee

1784: DEATH COMES TO WILTON
September 26, 2010 ~ November 5, 2010
Death has never been a stranger to any house, but in the early years of America, rituals, expectations, and technology were much different than they are today. Did you ever wonder why people wear black or gray at funerals? or why caskets sometimes had handles on the inside? Tour Wilton and find out these answers and more as we celebrate the life of Peyton Randolph, who died a mysterious death here at Wilton in 1784. Exhibit features items from private collections and the Virginia Historical Society.
Admission Fee

IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL: THE BIG WORLD OF MINIATURE HOUSES AND DECORATIVE ARTS
December 4, 2010 ~ February 20, 2011.
Back by popular demand!! Tour a festively decorated Wilton House-- Richmond's only colonial plantation home-- and view a visual history of dollhouses, furniture and toys of all shapes and sizes; room boxes; and cabinet houses filled with miniature works or art and furniture from the Virginia Historical society and private collections around the Commonwealth.
Admission Fee

David Pippin Presents: GARDEN CENTREPIECES- Cancelled
April 10, 2010; 2:00 p.m. $20 per person
Join noted floral designer, David Pippin, to learn about and view the sumptuous and often elaborate designs in the history of table centerpieces in America. Create an arrangement similar to elaborate miniature jardini res or gardens popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Participants should bring their own clippers; smocks and gloves are optional; greens, flowers and decorations are included with fee. Advanced reservations required. Contact (804) 282-5936, ext.4 for reservations.

Camp Wilton on the James
Saturday, May 15, 2010; 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; and Sunday, May 16, 2010; 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For 10 days in May of 1781, General Marquis de Lafayette and over 900 troops made camp in the tobacco fields surrounding Wilton before the Siege of Yorktown. This weekend-long living history encampment will have several demonstrations of the military drill of the Continental soldier. Walk through camp and find out how soldiers --as well as campfollowers-- slept, ate, and lived while on the march.
Tours of the encampment are FREE. Tours of Wilton will be offered at a discounted rate. For more information call (804) 282-5936 ext. 4.

Jammin on the James: Free Concert Series
Saturdays: June 19; July 24; and August 21, 2010 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Bring a picnic dinner and your favorite lawn chair for family-friendly music on our grass terrace overlooking the James River. Enjoy walk-through tours of Wilton. Kids will be entertained by face-painting, games, and a balloon artist while parents revel in the sounds of the live melodies.
Free admission. Donations encouraged. Seating is on a first-come basis. Call (804) 282-5936 ext.4 for more information.

Wilton By Night
Mondays: October 4, October 11, October 18, and October 25, 2010 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Death comes to Wilton for the month of October. Ever wonder what final rites came with the passing of our forefathers? Come by Wilton after the doors have closed to the public and find out what it was like to be dead in the 18th century. Tour part of Wilton s October exhibit 1784: Death Comes to Wilton, enjoy hot cider, and keep warm by an open fire. Oh, and did we mention the ghost?
Admission fee. Space is limited, advanced reservations are required. Please call (804) 282-5936 ext. 4 for more information and to make reservations

Family Halloween Haunt
Friday, October 22, 2010 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Bring your little ghouls and goblins to a family-friendly All Hallow s Eve at Wilton. Enjoy storytelling, a pumpkin hunt and decorating, and a costume contest. Guided tours of 1784: Death Comes to Wilton will be provided by costumed interpreters. Come and enjoy all the spooky fun!
Free admission. Advanced reservations required. Contact (804) 282-5936 ext. 4 for more information or to make a reservation.

Classics By Candlelight
December 7, 2010; 7:30 p.m. Fee: $50.00
Colonial and federal America was rich in music of all kinds, and music was composed and played on a variety of instruments. In this special concert in the historic house, acclaimed international musicians from the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia present a program of beautiful music written and enjoyed by 18th and 19th century Americans.
Contact the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia at (804) 519-2098 for more information or to order tickets.

Wilton Winter Market
Saturday, December 11, 2010; 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday December 12, 2010; 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Fee: $10 per person (12 years old and up)
During the Colonial and Federal periods in Virginia, outdoor markets served as the main source for farmers, merchants, and artisans to peddle their wares; and as the main way for consumers to buy goods for their homes. Join us at Wilton House Museum to experience an outdoor open market overflowing with modern-day and reproduction goods for sale- just in time for the last-minute Holiday shopper! Children and families will be entertained by local puppeteers and jugglers; and FREE tours of the festively decorated historic house and exhibit, It s A Small World After All: The Big World of Miniature Houses and Decorative Arts are available at scheduled intervals.
For more information on this event please call (804) 282-5936 ext. 4

Mike Cecere Presents: “Great Things Are Expected From the Virginians”
Saturday, May 15, 2010; 2:00 p.m.
From Patrick Henry s call to arms in Richmond to Daniel Morgan s victory at Saratoga, Virginia and her forces were expected to achieve great heights. Professor, author, and historian Mike Cecere discusses what those expectations were and the great heights Virginians reached throughout the war. Copies of Great Things Are Expected From The Virginians and other works by Cecere will be available for purchase after the lecture.
Free Admission. For more information on this and other lectures please call (804)282-5936 ext. 4

Cathy Hellier Presents: “Proper 18th Century Dining Deportment”
Saturday, April 17, 2010; 1:00 p.m.
Has it always been improper to put your elbows on the table during dinner? What was the right way to sit during dinner? Join noted Colonial Williamsburg historian Cathy Hellier for a discussion and demonstration of how to properly dine in the 18th century.
Free Admission. For more information on this and other lectures please call (804)282-5936 ext. 4

Dr. Mark Valeri Presents: “18th Century Death and Funeral Rites”
Saturday, October 30, 2010; 1:00 p.m.
Death! Not always the easiest thing to talk about, but join us as Dr. Mark Valeri discusses the details of death, funerals, and last rites in the 18th century. Find out about the religious practices of the British colonists and the early American founders. Dr. Valerie is the E. T. Thompson Professor of Church History at Richmond s Union Presbyterian Seminary, as well as author of various books and essays.
Free Admission. For more information on this and other lectures please call (804)282-5936 ext. 4