Historic Garden Week in Virginia

Why is Historic Garden Week in Virginia such a huge annual event? Well, consider these words by Hugh Johnson:

"No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden."

Often called "America's Open House," the event is April 21-28 and will afford you entrance into 250+ gardens, homes, and historic landmarks-- some of them rarely open to the public.

The Garden Club of Virginia calls it "the oldest and largest statewide house and garden tour event in the nation." The event is grouped into local tours, each of which provide entrance into multiple estates.

Tour tickets range from $25-$55 per tour; in many cases, you can purchase single tickets for only $25. Plus, if you buy them in advance, you can save $5 or more per ticket in some cases. Advance tickets are available up to 48 hours before tours. 

Historic Garden Week Schedule

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Here's the full schedule for Virginia Historic Garden Week (I can't give you details about each tour - go to www.vagardenweek.org for that) but I've noted a few sights I particularly recommend):

Saturday, April 21 - 

• Ashland
• Morven, Charlottesville 
• Old Town Alexandria (includes access to Carlyle House, Lee-Fendall House, Gunston Hall, and Mount Vernon) 
• Orange County - Gordonsville 
• Staunton
• Suffolk
• Winchester - Clarke County
• Gloucester-Matthews

Sunday April 22 - 

• Albemarle-Charlottesville (includes Morven, Charlottesville/Ivy, and University of Virginia)
• James River Plantations (Westover, Shirley, Berkeley - click here for my James River Plantations review)
• Middleburg

Shirley Plantation

Monday, April 23 - 

• Charlottesville: UVA Pavilions and Carr's Hill
• James River Plantations 
• Middleburg

Tuesday, April 24 - 

• Williamsburg 
• Fredericksburg - Spotsylvania
• Lynchburg 
• Petersburg 
• James River Plantations
• Great Falls - McLean - Vienna

Wednesday, April 25 - 

• Newport News-Hampton
• Harrisonburg
• Northern Neck/Northumberland County 
  
• Richmond - Seminary
• Virginia Beach
• Martinsville

Thursday, April 26 - 

• Norfolk 
• Richmond - Mooreland Farms

Friday, April 27 -

• Middle Peninsula 
• Richmond - Kent/Valentine House
• Richmond - Westmoreland Place - Executive Mansion
• Smith Mountain Lake

Saturday, April 28 - 

• Eastern Shore
• Roanoke
  
• Clarkesville

Westover Plantation overlooking the James River.

If you're planning on going on several tours, consider getting a Statewide Pass, which gives you access to all 29 tours that week for $300.

For full details about the week, including area tours, ticket prices, and dates, go to www.vagardenweek.org.

Looking for more historic homes to visit all year long?

Don't miss the Downtown Mall on your Albemarle/Charlottesville tour.

You don't just have to rely on just this week to tour amazing, historic homes in Virginia. Check out these links to find historic estates you can tour all year:

• Presidents' Homes in Virginia 
• Maymont 
• Mount Vernon
• Museum of the Confederacy and White House 
• Swannanoa