EVENTS AT CHERRY HILL FARMHOUSE AND BARN

Many events take place at the historic Cherry Hill Farmhouse and Barn each year.

OPEN HOUSE:  Each year, the historic Cherry Hill Farmhouse is open for free public tours of the historic Farmhouse on most Saturdays from April to October during the hours of 10 am to noon. In addition, on many Saturdays from April to October, the Barn is open during the hours of 10 am to noon for visits and free corn shelling and grinding using the Barn's period machines. Often other free public events, such as Ice Cream Socials are held when the Farmhouse is open for tours.

TEAS: The Friends of Cherry Hill host teas, which are offered on or around select holidays in the early afternoon, and are open to the public.  Some of the most popular seasonal teas are our Valentine’s Tea,  Mother’s Day Tea and Holiday Teas in December. Private teas in the Farmhouse can be scheduled for groups of 12-18 people. Please visit the Teas page for more information. 

PRIVATE TOURS:  Private tours of the Cherry Hill Farmhouse can be scheduled anytime during the year, Tuesday through Friday, during the hours of 9 am-4 pm at a cost of $5 per person.  

SCHOOL PROGRAMS: Two interdisciplinary school programs that support Virginia's Standard of Learning (SOLs) are offered for public and private school students.  

Now vs Then Program for Kindergartners

Students love this trip back in time. A tour of both the Farmhouse and Barn allow students to identify differences between life in 1860 and today. Hands on activities include identifying old kitchen tools and the chance to grind an ear of corn in our historic Barn. SOLs: History K.1, K.2. Fee is $4 per student.

Simple Machines Program for Third Graders

This tour offers many hands-on opportunities for self-discovery. Children will tour the Farmhouse and Barn to learn how both simple and compound machines made life easier for the 19th century farmer. Students will have a hands-on experience and examine and identify simple machines a housewife would have used in the kitchen; students will also identify simple and compound machines the farmer would have used in the barn. They will have an opportunity to operate a simple pulley and to shell and grind corn using period machines. SOLs: Science 3.1, 3.2; History 3.7; English 3.1. Fee is $4 per student.

Special programs are also offered for educational groups including home-schooled students. The programs focus on family life in mid-19th century rural Virginia and can be tailored to meet specific educational interests, such as the Civil War years at Cherry Hill or simple machines used by farmers. Fee is $5 Resident/$10 Non-Resident per child.  

GIRL SCOUT PROGRAMS: Two Girl Scout programs are offered which can be scheduled at the Cherry Hill Farmhouse.  

Making Games: Brownies
Scouts will tour the Farmhouse and learn from a variety of period parlor games. Participants will create their own parlor games and invent a sport using Victorian-era toys. This two-hour program fulfills all badge requirements. Fee is $15 per scout (actual badge not included).

Playing the Past: Juniors
Scouts will learn about children's lives in the mid-1800s while touring the Farmhouse and listening to the oral histories of past occupants. Scouts will have the chance to get into character by writing with quill pens, dressing in period clothes, and playing parlor games. This two-hour program fulfills all badge requirements. Fee is $15 per scout (actual badge not included).

SUMMER HISTORY CAMPS: From June to August, the City of Falls Church offers multiple week-long camps at Cherry Hill where children can step back in time and experience firsthand what life was like in 19th century Virginia. Children will make crafts, play old-fashioned games, become amateur archaeologists, and learn about the diverse history of Falls Church. The camps runs from Monday-Friday from 9am to 3 pm. Registration for these camps opens in February each year. To register for these camps, visit the registration website .

To schedule a private tour, school program or Girl Scout program or for additional information about camps, contact Holly Irwin at (703) 248-5171 or hirwin@fallschurchva.gov.