History Behind
the Scenes

AHS is celebrating its 50th Anniversary with a new series of events called History Behind the Scenes, which will take us out of the lecture hall for more in-depth looks at how history is being preserved and presented in Alexandria. Through tours, demonstrations, and Q&A sessions, we will talk to historians about their work. Our current plans for 2024 include:

June 13th Ivy Hill Cemetery — History & Today’s Technology Come discover the history of this cemetery important to Alexandria history and how it is using Ground Penetrating Radar to learn more. Includes live hands-on GPR demonstration. 

July 13th Civil War US Colored Troops Walking Tour
With stops at Freedom House (site of the Slave Pen and  L’Ouverture Hospital) and the Alexandria National Cemetery, experts at each site will connect the story linking these sites to the story of the USCT in Alexandria.

August 8th via Zoom: Learning about History through Photographs Alexandria Archaeology staff member Dr. Benjamin Skolnik, will explain what he found looking at Alexandria’s Civil War photographs.

November 11th via Zoom: Basics of Oral History Francesco De Salvatore, manager of the Office of Historic Alexandria’s Alexandria Oral History Center describes the process & how to hear the recorded interviews.

More details about History Behind the Scenes will be forthcoming as we get closer to each event.