What's New

elow is a list of coming events. We will be updating this page frequently to keep you informed about the special events scheduled for Arlington House. Check back often to find out what is new at the park and to plan your next visit!

Does Lee Matter?
January 17 and 18, 2007

On the 200th anniversary of his January 1807 birth, this is the question before a two-day symposium exploring the complicated nature of the storied general's hold on the American imagination. The National Park Service is sponsoring "Does Lee Matter?" to discuss this interesting man and his times. The program is free and open to the general public. Sessions will be held on January 17 and 18, 2007 at the Women in Military Service to America Memorial, located on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, the site of Lee’s former plantation home, Arlington House.

Historian and author Elizabeth Pryor will offer a fresh and provocative analysis of Lee through his personal and military correspondence in her new book "Reading the Man," and will re-examine Lee's decision to resign from the U.S. Army on the eve of the Civil War. Scott Hartwig, the noted military historian from Gettysburg National Military Park, will analyze "Lee the General," replying to critics of Lee's military strategy with a special focus on the Battle of Gettysburg.

Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial, historian Karen Kinzey will probe the general's family life in "The Lees of Arlington." National Park Service education specialist Matt Penrod will guide a discussion of the general's life and times through the eyes of local tenth graders, and their surprising insights and perspectives. The contentious story of Lee's pardon by the United States' government and the meaning of his postwar career will be addressed by Arlington House volunteer and journalist Delia M. Rios in a talk titled "Citizen Lee."

Finally, "Lee's Great Decision" to resign from the U.S. Army will be open to discussion with the entire panel.

Robert E. Lee is at once one of the most revered men in American History and one of the most reviled because of his role and actions in the Civil War and in the early painful years of reconciliation between North and South. The complexity of his legacy is such that, even today, those who either criticize or praise him risk censure and ostracism. He remains an enigmatic figure into the 21st century.

"Does Lee Matter?" will be held at the Women In Military Service to America Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery from 9:30 a.m.to 4 p.m. The site is accessible via the Washington Metro on the Blue Line stop at Arlington National Cemetery. By vehicle, take the George Washington Memorial Parkway and exit at Arlington National Cemetery. Parking is available for a fee at the cemetery visitor center. The Women in Military Service to America Memorial is just inside the main gate in Arlington National Cemetery. For further information and reservations, please call 703-235-1530.

The Arlington House Mansion to Temporarily Close Weekdays from November 2 through November 22, 2006

The National Park Service will temporarily close the Arlington House Mansion at Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial weekdays only, beginning Thursday, November 2, and ending Wednesday, November 22, 2006. The Mansion will be open to the public on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) during this period. Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, including the mansion portico, the kitchen garden, flower garden, Slave Quarters and bookstore, will remain open. The Arlington House mansion will also be open on Thanksgiving.

This limited closure is designed to safeguard the museum collection while it is being packed and transported to another National Park Service site for temporary display in anticipation of safety and infrastructure work scheduled for 2007.

The museum collection consists of over 3,300 objects including personal items, books, and furniture once owned by the Lee family. Most of these objects will be placed on temporary display at Friendship Hill National Historic Site, Albert Gallatin’s 1789 Pennsylvania home. This action not only ensures continued public access, but will also save up to $200,000 per year in museum storage costs.

Following the collections move, the National Park Service will initiate restoration projects inside the Arlington House mansion. Improvements include lead paint abatement, plaster and window repair, and painting and rehabilitation of original flooring. Anticipated design work will address the installation of a new fire suppression system and improvements that will offer increased protection from damages caused by a lack of ventilation and humidity control.

During restoration work, visitors will be allowed unprecedented access to areas of the mansion where there are no construction related safety concerns. Park rangers will offer new tours on the architectural significance of the mansion and the unique construction elements associated with Robert E. Lee’s 204 year old home.