In celebration of the 241st anniversary of American independence, the VHS will host a full day of patriotic festivities (with extended hours, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), including a large-scale citizenship naturalization ceremony, the opening of a new exhibition, a community concert, and much more.
The naturalization ceremony, held in partnership with the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, will be the centerpiece of this new celebration. One hundred candidates for citizenship from nearly 50 countries will take the Oath of Allegiance on the front terrace of the museum (weather permitting) at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will be officiated by the Honorable Roger L. Gregory, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Washington: The Myths and the Man, will open at 9:00 a.m. and features 13 beautiful oil paintings of Washington, an original diary that he kept during his presidency, his presidential chair and inaugural sword, and other rare Washington artifacts.
Guests are encouraged to picnic on the VHS’s front lawn where concessions will be for sale 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. The John Marshall High School Alumni Band will entertain guests with an outdoor concert from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Inside the museum, a family-fun scavenger hunt will allow guests to explore the many objects on display that relate to America’s founding and citizenship. Behind-the-scenes tours, which will feature independence-related items in the museum’s archives, will be offered at 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, and 2:00 p.m. for $5 per person.