Nature Connects® Made with LEGO® Bricks Exhibition Opening

May 27-September 4, 2023

Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects® Made with LEGO® Bricks returns to the MSV gardens with new sculptures! Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects® Made with LEGO® Bricks is an award-winning exhibition that uses beautiful works of art made from simple toy blocks to explore animal endangerment, the balance of ecosystems, and mankind’s relationship with nature.

From the proud power of a mother polar bear to the quiet serenity of a coral reef, the exhibition’s 13 displays of Sean Kenney’s art spark a sense of wonder in people of all ages.

Exhibition admission—which includes gallery admission—is $15, $10 for youth (13–18) and senior (60+), $5 for ages 5–12, and free to MSV members and ages 4 & under. Please note: while MSV gallery admission is always free to ages 12 & under and free to all on Wednesdays, free Wednesday admission does not include Nature Connects or the house & gardens from May 27–September 4, 2023.

This exhibition is created by Sean Kenney Design and produced by Imagine Exhibitions, Inc.

MSV at Night

Experience the MSV after hours! Explore the gardens and look for larger-than-life sculptures of animals in the outdoor exhibition Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects; groove to The Dan James Band playing a mix of originals and covers of classic country, folk, rock, and R&B; meet painter Ant Litz and watch him create a portrait; stroll through the galleries; sip on beer/wine; and enjoy wood-fired pizza from 3Fires Oven. Bring a date, a group of friends, or the family to MSV at Night!

Discounted admission tickets are available online only here.
Regular admission fees apply for tickets purchased at the door.

Discounted Admission Ticket fees:
Members: free
Adult (ages 19-59): $12
Senior (age 60+): $8
Youth (ages 13-18): $8
Child (ages 5-12): 4
Ages 4 & under: free

Regular admission fees apply for tickets purchased at the door. Free to MSV members and ages 4 & under; all others: $15, $10 youth (13–18)/senior (60+), and $5 ages 5–12. Registration not required.

Food/drink available for purchase on site. Bring a chair or blanket for the music. Rain/shine.

Civil War Graffiti Tour

The 1840 Frederick County Court House (today’s Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum) served as a prison and hospital to both sides during the Civil War. Many of those soldiers wrote their names and drew pictures on the walls – including the famed “Jeff Davis Curse.” Join us for this special tour of the museum and the fascinating graffiti on its wall. Free.

Pre-registration is not required. Tour is hosted by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.

For more information, call 540-542-1145 or email info@svbf.net.

Civil War Used Book Sale

The SVBF presents a giant sale of used books and magazines, featuring primarily Civil War-related titles. Proceeds from the sale will go towards the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation’s library and archives.

The sale will begin with a one-hour early bird sale for SVBF Members-only from 9am-10am on Saturday, August 28. (If you’re not a Member and would like to join so you can take part in the early bird sale, click here or the button below.) After that the sale will be open to the general public during regular museum hours.

SALE HOURS

Early Bird Sale – SVBF Members Only
Saturday, August 28, 9am-10am

Sale Open to General Public:
Saturday, August 28, 10am-5pm
Sunday, August 29, 1pm-5pm
Monday, August 30 – Saturday, September 4, 10am-5pm
Sunday, September, 1pm-5pm (sale ends)

Morning Garden Walk

Get a behind-the-scenes look at spring in the formal gardens on this guided tour led by Perry Mathewes, MSV deputy director, museum operations and director of gardens.

MSV members: $5; all others: $10. Register by April 6. Register online or call 540-662-1473, ext. 240. Meet at the garden entrance. Walk-ins welcome as space permits. Mask required.

Orchid Show and Sale

Enjoy a display of prize-winning orchids, browse orchids available for purchase, and learn about growing and caring for orchids from the experts in the Lord Fairfax Orchid Society. Bring your problem orchids in for suggestions and have your orchid repotted (small fee). Free lectures on a variety of orchid topics will be offered each day.

Lecture Schedule

Friday
Noon: How to Grow Orchids in your Home
Speaker: Caleb Cornwell

1:30 p.m.: Repotting Orchids
Speaker: James Jones

Saturday
Noon: How to Grow Gorgeous Orchids
Speaker: Zita Winzer

1:30 p.m.: Repotting Orchids
Speaker: James Jones

Free admission to the show. MSV admission fee applies to visit the galleries (note the MSV gardens & Glen Burnie House open on April 2 for the 2024 season).

Opening Day at Belle Grove Plantation

Located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Belle Grove offers its guests a rare opportunity to see a Northern Shenandoah antebellum plantation that began in the 18th century and still is farmed today. Belle Grove’s expert volunteer docents and staff lead guided tours of the 1797 Manor House (please note we limit tours to 12 guests). Guided tours typically last one hour.

We strongly suggest that you allow additional time to view the exhibit Unearthing Enslaved Lives at Belle Grove about the archaeology at the Enslaved Quarter Site, tour the outbuildings, visit the Museum Shop, and enjoy the landscape. There are self-guided brochures of the grounds and outdoor signage that interpret the property. Picnic tables on the lawn are available for visitor use spring through fall.

Guided Tours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (tours at :15 past the hour with the last tour 3:15 p.m.) and Sunday 1-5 p.m. (tours at :15 past the hour with the last tour 4:15 p.m.) Admission is sold on a first-come, first-served basis in the Museum Shop and the limit per tour is 12. The Beverley B. Shoemaker Welcome Center (which includes the Museum Shop and exhibits) and Grounds are open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m.