Arlington Historical Society

06/19/2026

See "1776" in the THEATER! You'll be seeing stars and stripes as the most fascinating leaders in American history come to life in 1776, a musical about the birth of a nation! With the Boston Harbor still stained from over-taxed British tea, a revolution is brewing in the colonies! And now England has thousands of troops headed for America's shores to squelch her subjects' freedom-loving spirit! It's up to John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to convince a stubborn congress of British colonists to unite as American patriots turn the inevitable war with England into a Declaration of Independence!

With fellow history lovers AND at prices comparable to prices paid years ago. Get your tickets today for a special showing of the classic "1776" at Ballston's Regal theater. Jun 30 @ 7 PM. Proceeds benefit the Arlington Historical Society. For deeply discounted tickets, visit: https://arlhist.org/1776-movie/
See the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-u8v8nxeOI

06/19/2026

What is the Arlington Historical Society doing today (6/19) on Juneteenth?
We are at Arlington's Annual Juneteenth Community Day! and YOU are invited!

This family-friendly event at Wakefield High School commemorates the emancipation of Africans who were enslaved and honors African American culture and heritage. Join us to honor and celebrate those who came before us who exhibited strength, resilience, and determination in the pursuit of liberation and freedom.

Enjoy live music, cultural performances, delicious food, and activities for all ages. Visit the AHS table to learn more about the resilience and accomplishments of African American Arlingtonians.

Kickoff is at 4:00 pm with special guest speakers and more at 4:30. We are gathering with our neighbors to honor the past, celebrate the present, and look toward a brighter future together. See you there!!!

Admission is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/challenging-racisms-3rd-annual-juneteenth-community-day-tickets-1989831884732?aff=oddtdtcreator

LEARN MORE Here: https://challengingracism.org/events/juneteenth/

06/18/2026

"1776" is an adaptation of the 1969 Broadway musical and vividly portrays the events and debates leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. See it again in the theater with fellow history lovers AND at prices comparable to prices paid years ago. Get your tickets today for a special showing of the classic "1776" at Ballston's Regal theater. Jun 30 @ 7 PM. Proceeds benefit the Arlington Historical Society. For deeply discounted tickets, visit: https://arlhist.org/1776-movie/
See the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-u8v8nxeOI

06/18/2026

Today Fairfax County Lifelong Learning Institute/NoVA got a special in-depth tour of the Ball-Sellers House. Docents, Tim Aiken and Annette Benbow, covered the history of the house and its residents and area history since 1742. We had a great time talking with the group!

If you have a group, organization, church, or family who would like a special tour (FREE!) of the oldest structure in Arlington County (c. 1750) email the Arlington Historical Society at [email protected]

06/17/2026

See it again in the theater! With fellow history lovers AND at prices comparable to prices paid years ago. Get your tickets today for a special showing of the classic "1776" at Ballston's Regal theater. Jun 30 @ 7 PM. Proceeds benefit the Arlington Historical Society. For deeply discounted tickets, visit: https://arlhist.org/1776-movie/

See the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-u8v8nxeOI

06/16/2026

The Arlington Historical Society will be there, too! We're proud to have celebrated this new federal holiday since it started.

Join us this Friday for Juneteenth!

We’re proud to volunteer at the 3rd Annual Juneteenth Community Day, hosted by Challenging Racism, in partnership with Arlington Public Schools. Come out for live music, great food, cultural performances and local artisan vendors — free and open to all.

📅 Friday, June 19
🕓 4–7 p.m.
📍 Wakefield High School, 1325 S. Dinwiddie St.

Stop by, celebrate the day with your neighbors and say hello to our team. We’d love to see you there.

06/16/2026

Get your tickets today for a special showing of the classic "1776" at Ballston's Regal theater. Jun 30 @ 7 PM. Proceeds from these heavily discounted tickets benefit the Arlington Historical Society.

As part of Arlington’s VA250 commemoration activities, the Arlington Historical Society is partnering with the Ballston Quarter to provide you with the opportunity to see the movie 1776. The one-time only event will take place at the Ballston Regal Cinema on Tuesday evening, June 30, at 7 PM. The...

06/14/2026

The Arlington Historical Society was at Sails on the Potomac in Alexandria yesterday. Thank you Alexandria Historical Society for the invitation! We had fun!

The event is going on for one more day today! (6/14). Go see the tall ships: https://visitalexandria.com/events/sails-on-the-potomac/

06/13/2026

Once It Was Arlington’s Favorite Summer Hangout\
by Kim O'Connell for Arlington Magazine
Jun 9, 2026
In postwar Arlington, Virginia, this popular drive-in theater near Reagan National Airport was all the rage. As darkness fell on September 10, 1947, a black-and-white title card flickered onto a large outdoor movie screen. Soon, the glamorous actress Gene Tierney sashayed into view as the star of the film "Dragonwyck," a gothic period drama and the evening’s main attraction.
READ MORE:

In postwar Arlington, Virginia, this popular drive-in theater near Reagan National Airport was all the rage.

06/13/2026

A BIG thank you to author Bob Dover who spoke to an AHS audience at our monthly free public program Thursday. He talked about the history behind each of the bridges in Virginia leading into DC or Maryland.

Thank you!

You can see his recorded talk on the AHS You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0a-4THYZEc
OR
you can learn about ALL of DC's bridges (the beautiful, the historic, and the ugly) by buying his book on the AHS website: https://arlhist.org/product/book-bridges-of-washington-d-c-a-history-guide/