Events
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Gingerbread House Exhibit at Ferry Farm
Enjoy the whimsical sights and delicious smells of wondrously festive gingerbread creations during the 39th Annual Gingerbread House Contest and Exhibit at George Washington’s Ferry Farm! See the contest-winning entries, cast a vote for People’s Choice, and play “iSpy Gingerbread.” This year’s theme is Cozy Winter Spaces.
Exhibit open during museum hours: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm; Sun 12-4pm.
Purchase tickets at the door:
$6 adults
$3 for students (ages 6-17)
Free for children ages 5 & under
For questions about visiting the exhibit, email learn@gwffoundation.org or call 540-370-0732.
Wee Christmas Dollhouses & Miniatures Show at Historic Kenmore
Visit a delightful neighborhood of dollhouses and miniatures this holiday season at the 11th Annual Wee Christmas Dollhouses & Miniatures Show at Historic Kenmore! Admire and awe over highly-detailed replica dollhouses – including one of Kenmore itself – and miniatures in the Crowninshield Museum. Share memories of your dollhouse with your family as you explore life in miniature. Put your minds and eyes to the test with our “iSpy Miniatures” challenge – fun for young and old alike.
Exhibit open during museum hours: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm; Sun 12-4pm.
Purchase tickets at the door:
$6 adults
$3 for students (ages 6-17)
Free for children ages 5 & under
For questions about visiting the exhibit, email learn@gwffoundation.org or call 540-370-0732.
Experience the holidays at Historic Kenmore with a festive flair at our Taste Through Time program! This session we will cook up some traditional seasonal recipes to celebrate the winter holidays.
Visit the historic Kitchen Dependency to learn a little more about the holidays in the 18th Century. Discover (and sample!) indulgent holiday dishes served in the homes of the gentry around this celebratory season. See what life entailed not only for the Lewis family and their guests during the holiday season, but also those of the enslaved living and working on Kenmore’s property. This time of year brought more celebrations and gatherings, thus a shift in duties for the enslaved supporting the household.
The Kitchen will be open throughout the day, and entry is included with general admission fees. Visitors may reserve house tour tickets online (for December 14) or purchase on-site at the front desk. Museum-only admission can be purchased on-site. Both admission rates include entry to the Kitchen.
AND — make sure to stop by and see the Wee Christmas Dollhouse & Miniature Show in Kenmore’s Visitor Center before or after the program!
ADMISSION
With House Tour
$12 for adults
$6 for students ages 6-17
Free for children under 6
Online processing fee applies.
Museum Admission
$6 for adults
$3 for students ages 6-17
Free for children under 6
DATE & TIME
Sunday, December 14, 2025
12:00pm to 4:00pm
LOCATION
Historic Kenmore
1201 Washington Ave
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
If you have any questions, please call 540-370-0732 or email learn@gwffoundation.org.
Join us on December 18, 2025, for a holiday-themed program revolving around the Gingerbread Contest and Exhibit held at George Washington’s Ferry Farm. Children 6 and under will learn about the shapes and colors on the gingerbread houses on display for the holiday season and participate in an interactive story time!
The Mini-Mornings program series introduces young learners (ages 3-6) to our museum spaces. Children and their caregivers participate in a story time and related craft and activity while exploring George Washington’s Ferry Farm or Historic Kenmore.
Children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Following the program, children and their caregivers are invited to take an abbreviated tour through the Washington House.
REGISTRATION:
$6 Children (6 and under)
Adults free.
DATE & TIME:
Thursday, December 18, 2025
10:15am-11:15am
LOCATION
George Washington’s Ferry Farm
268 George Washington Way
Fredericksburg, VA 22405
If you have questions, please email Learn@gwffoundation.org or call (540) 370-0732
Twelfth Night at Kenmore: A Dramatic Performance
Experience the candlelight, music, and decorations of a Colonial Christmas …and the uncertainty of Revolution.
In Twelfth Night at Kenmore, it is early January 1776 and the first Christmas that Fielding and Betty Washington Lewis celebrate in their newly built home. In the 18th century, December 25 was just the start of Christmas, a twelve-day celebration that ended on Twelfth Night. This final night was the most festive of the holiday season, if not of the entire year! Twelfth Night 1776 is not the usual joyous atmosphere, however. The Revolutionary War brings fear, doubt, and frustration to the Lewis family, their friends, and Kenmore’s enslaved community.
View dramatic scenes by costumed actors in the first-floor rooms of Kenmore.
Dates:
January 9-11, 2026
TICKETS
Advance ticket purchase strongly encouraged.
Performance Times: 4:15, 5:00, 5:45, 6:45, 7:30 p.m.
$20.00 – adults
$10.00 – students (ages 6-17)
Free – children (ages 5 & under)
Online processing fee applies.
For more information, email learn@gwffoundation.org or call 540-370-0732 x11.
Historic Kenmore
1201 Washington Ave
Fredericksburg, VA 22401