Maymont has announced it’s debuting a series of new historical programs, along with new guest facilities to house artifacts + welcome visitors. These additions were funded by a $1 million Commonwealth grant given in 2020.

The grant had Maymont’s historical curators working to create a full picture of life for the African American staff who worked for James and Sallie Dooley from 1893-1925, during the Jim Crow era.

All audio tours are professionally written and narrated, designed to let guests move at their own pace. | Photo courtesy of Maymont.

The exhibit “In Domestic Service” will be updated with a new audio tour — one of six new audio tours to be offered at Maymont. It will reopen in June on the lower floor of the mansion.

The summer months are also bringing some kid-friendly tours with “Hands on History” opening on the third floor. Visitors can interact with Gilded Age costumes, artifacts + recreations on display.

Two more tours will highlight what’s around the estate, including the Carriage House, Stone Barn, and Garage buildings. The programs will illuminate how groundskeepers have tended the gardens and arboretum over the years.

In the Stone Barn, Maymont is opening a new Orientation Center and Active Learning Classroom. The center will display special artifacts from the Maymont collection + the classroom will provide an interactive space for the thousands of students who visit the estate.

The audio mansion tours are self-led and are $8 per person, $6 for children and older adults (65+). Guided tours — which require early registration — are $15.

Click here to explore the mansion, farm, and Robins Nature Center.