Join us at Wilton House Museum for an exclusive collections pop-up event showcasing rarely seen mourning jewelry, portraiture miniatures, and intricate hair-work from our archives. Discover how 18th- and 19th- century Virginia residents translated personal loss into beautiful, wearable monuments of family love and legacy. This collections connections event style allows you to view these historical treasures up close and at your own pace, allowing you an intimate window into Early American material culture and the deeply sentimental rituals of the past. Admission is free, but an RSVP is required, so be sure to secure your spot!

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Throughout 2024 and 2025, the American Friends of Lafayette commemorated the Bicentennial of Lafayette's return to America as Guest of the Nation, hosting 350 events across 24 states. Learn about Lafayette's contributions during the American Revolution, his lifelong passion for human rights, and how his legacy spread across the United States in 1824-1825 and again in 2024-2025.

Once described as “one of the most ancient families in the country,” the roots of the Randolph family of Virginia run deep…as do the secrets etched into their history. Venture through the 1753 Wilton House under the cover of night to hear the unsettling historical accounts of murder, heartbreak, and scandal that transpired within and beyond these walls.

Tours begin on the hour and last approximately 45 minutes. Standing is required. Materials may not be suitable for children under 12. Tickets are non-refundable.

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McGill’s nationwide journey of sleeping in former slave dwellings is documented in Sleeping with the Ancestors, co‑written with Herb Frazier. The two authors partnered again for Divided Loyalty. While Sleeping with the Ancestors centers on the antebellum era, the 250th anniversary of American independence inspired them to shift their lens in Divided Loyalty, the prequel, toward the colonial built environment and the world that shaped the nation’s earliest history.