Long Branch Historic House (Photo: Metropolitan Pictures)
Set amid the rolling landscape of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, three distinguished historic houses—Glen Burnie, Belle Grove, and Long Branch—offer a window into the region’s architectural and cultural heritage. Led by regional historian Hayden Mathews, explore how these estates and their landscapes shaped life in the valley from the mid-18th through the early 19th centuries.
Begin at Glen Burnie House, the late 18th-century home of Winchester founder James Wood and now part of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. A guided tour from the head curator highlights the Wood family, the house’s fine Georgian craftsmanship, and an exceptional collection of decorative arts, followed by a walk through its terraced gardens.
After a boxed lunch, continue to Belle Grove, the 1794 limestone manor built for one of James Madison’s sisters. One of the valley’s most outstanding historic mansions, Belle Grove reflects the cultural traditions of early settlers and late 18th-century architectural ideals. A guided tour examines its Jeffersonian design and collections while also considering the lives of the free and enslaved people who lived and worked on the estate.
At Long Branch Historic House, a refined Classical Revival mansion whose design was influenced by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the second Architect of the Capitol, discover early 19th-century grandeur set against the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Conclude at the Burwell-Morgan Mill, an operational 18th-century gristmill illuminating the agricultural economy that sustained the valley’s great houses.
Know Before You Go
- The tour departs by motorcoach from downtown Washington, DC with a designated secondary pick-up outside the city. Content delivered by the study leader on the way to the destination, after the secondary pick-up, is an integral part of the study tour experience. Meeting the group once the tour is en route is discouraged.
- Tour participants meet at and leave bus from the Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C St., SW, with a pickup stop at the Vienna Metro south-side Kiss & Ride kiosk at about 8:40 a.m.
General Information
- Registration for this tour will end by 2 p.m. ET on Friday, July 17, 2026.
- Smithsonian Associates is a mask-friendly environment. Please feel free to bring and wear a mask at any time during a tour, both for your safety or the safety of others.
- As we aim to move away from single use water bottles, guests are strongly encouraged to get in the habit of bringing their own reusable water bottle on tour.
- For additional tour information:
