Maymont

?? ?? We've got so many awesome organizations joining us for World Wildlife Day on March 1! In the Exhibitor Hall in The Robins Nature Center from 10am–3:30pm, you'll be able to meet and chat with experts like: Wildlife Center of Virginia Orange Frame Productions James River Soil and Water Conservation District Hollee Freeman,PhD VPM Science Matters Rockwood Nature Center Virginia Herpetological Society Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia State University College of Agriculture MANRRS Virginia Master Naturalist Program – Pocahontas, James River and Riverine Chapters Bat Conservation and Rescue SCRAP RVA: Richmond Creative Reuse Center Preregister today at maymont.org/wwd. Admission is free, but select sessions are capacity-limited – admission is first-come, first-served. ?? Cathy Hoyt

The Maymont grounds & gardens will open late at 12pm on Thursday, February 20 due to the inclement weather. Be careful out there and enjoy the snow ?? ??

This print was given to Maymont by Harold Bailey, grandson of Maymont head butler William Dilworth, who remembers it hanging in his grandparent’s living room when he was a child. Titled “Jesus Died for Both,” the image represents not only the importance of religion and church to the Dilworth family, members of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church on Rosewood Ave, but also the vision for racial equality. To learn more about William Dilworth, and others who worked at Maymont in the overlapping Gilded Age and Jim Crow Era, join us for a FREE guided walking tour of the estate on February 24. Register at https://lnkd.in/edVvFWNS

The Maymont grounds & gardens will be closed today due to the inclement weather. ?? maymont.org/visit

Coming up on Wednesday & Thursday this week! ?? Create a beautiful container garden with guidance from Maymont staff in these make-and-take workshops. Learn how to customize and care for your container garden. Adult beverages will be available for purchase with ID (21+). Feb 19 & 20, 6–8pm. Register today at https://bit.ly/40J1FOL

Happy Valentine's Day! ?? We hope you get to spend time with someone special today (four-legged friends definitely count). ?? Animal Keeper Skye (with Storm the alpaca)

?? To: The Maymont Animals ?? From: All of Us! Our educators and animal keepers delivered handmade Valentine's to our animals this week, made by Maymont staff and our after-school program, Youth Ambassadors at Maymont. These Valentines also function as enrichment to help keep the animals happy and healthy! If you were writing a Valentine to one of the Maymont animals, what would you write? ??

For many African Americans at the turn of the century, oppressive laws, low pay, and social inequality made the South an impossible place to live. In the early 1900s, nearly half a million African Americans in the South relocated to northern cities in search of better opportunities, among them some former Maymont domestic staff members. This massive movement to cities like New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia became known as the Great Migration, and led to movements like the Harlem Renaissance. Four known Maymont employees joined this move, all of them children of Maymont’s head cook, Frances Twiggs Walker. Her son, Tom, led the charge in the early 1920s, moving to Philadelphia and finding work as a cook in a country club. Within the next few years he was joined by his sister Mary and his brother Abraham. In 1931, the last Walker sibling to relocate was Frances Walker, who lived in Philadelphia until she returned to Richmond in the 1970s. ?? To learn more about Maymont, the domestic staff who worked here, and the overlapping Gilded Age and Jim Crow Era, join us for a FREE guided walking tour of the estate on February 24. Register at https://bit.ly/4hohUYH (Left to right: Frances Walker, courtesy of her daughter Doris Walker Woodson; Abraham Walker, photo courtesy of his granddaughter Vera M. Pleasants; John Walker, photo courtesy of his son Sylvester Walker. Background photo is an aerial of Maymont from the 1930s.)

Beat the winter blues with some indoor gardening! ?? Create a beautiful container garden with guidance from Maymont staff in these make-and-take workshops. Learn how to customize and care for your container garden. Adult beverages will be available for purchase with ID (21+). Feb 19 & 20, 6–8pm. Register now at https://bit.ly/40J1FOL

Why Richmond? Because few places capture the beauty and history of our city like Maymont! ????? Whether you’re strolling through the stunning gardens, visiting the wildlife habitats, or exploring the historic mansion, this 100-acre estate is a must-visit. Perfect for a peaceful escape or a family adventure, Maymont showcases Richmond’s charm in every season! #WhyRichmond #Maymont #ExploreRVA #HistoryMeetsNature