Historic Blenheim - Tours & History

Historic Blenheim is famous for its graffiti! Blenheim is an attractive c.1859 brick farmhouse perched atop a grassy hill. Blenheim is nationally significant for the more than 120 Union solder signatures, drawings, and poetry inscribed on the interior walls. The “diary on the walls” provides insight into typical soldier life during the Civil War. Tours Tuesday - Saturday at 1pm.

The Civil War Interpretive Center is located in a separate building and features a full-sized replica of the house attic, which is closed to the public. Examine the graffiti up-close and be thrust back in time with soldiers who wanted to be remembered. Tours Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 3pm.

Exhibits, and the daily guided tour of the Historic Blenheim house, focus on the impact of war in the area, the family, and enslaved residents of Blenheim, and the Union soldiers that left their mark as they traveled through Fairfax Courthouse. Multimedia in our large viewing room shows specific features of the house’s walls.

Walk the 12-acre grounds and view interpretive signage along groomed pathways. No visit is complete without a stop at the Willcoxon family cemetery. The house and surrounding 12 acres of former farmland offer an attractive backdrop for your vacation photos.

Free Guided Historic Blenheim House tours

• Available Tuesday–Saturday at 1 p.m.


• Meet your knowledgeable docent in the Civil War Interpretive Center.


• Tour includes the house's first floor and historic landscape.


• Limited to one group (up to 7 people)

Group reservations

• Groups of 4+ should call 703-591-0560 to schedule.


• Tour groups of 8 or more and educational tours and programs require reservations and a fee. Visit the history & heritage events page for more information. 

Self-guided grounds tour

• Explore the secluded 12 acres of grounds and read interpretive signage along accessible pathways.


• See Grandma’s Cottage (c.1840)*, once home to Margaret Conn Willcoxon Farr, Albert Willcoxon’s sister. The cottage features rare log-wall construction with hewn timber framing and brick infill.


• Stop at the Willcoxon Family Cemetery, where both Willcoxon and Farr family members are buried.
  *Note: Cottage interior is not currently open to the public.

Visitor Information Brochure