Riversdale House Museum Historic Site
4811 Riverdale Road
Riverdale Park, Riverdale
Tel: (301) 864-0420
Email: riversdale@pgparks.com
Hours:
Visitor Center :
Mon-Fri: 10am-4pm
Sun: 11:30am-3:30pm
Tours :
Fri & Sun, Noon & 2 pm
Grounds & Gardens :
Sun-Sat, Dawn-dusk
Amenities
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Gardens
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Parking Lot
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Picnic Tables
Rentals
Hours
Historic House Tours:
- Fridays & Sundays, tours depart from the Visitor Center at noon and 2 pm.
- Introductions begin 5 minutes prior to departure. Please arrive early to purchase your tickets at the Visitor Center. Pre-registration is not required.
Grounds & Gardens:
- Sunday-Saturday, dawn-dusk (occasionally closed for programs; contact office for details)
Visitor Center/Offices:
- Monday – Friday: 10 am-4 pm
- Sunday : 11:30 am-3:30 pm
Group Tours:
- Group tours may be scheduled at least two weeks in advance. Contact the office for scheduling and details.
Tour Admission
- Adults: $5/person
- Seniors and Groups of 10 or more: $4/person
- Ages 5-18 and Students with ID: $2/person
- Ages 4 & under: Free
During Your Visit to the Grounds
- Please do not walk in the garden beds. Seedlings and plants need to be treated with care. Help us keep the garden thriving and looking beautiful by keeping it on the grass and pathways.
- We kindly ask that you please do not harvest or pick any of the vegetables or flowers; if we have extra to share, you will find it in the bin located by the boxwood hedge.
Pets:
Guests are welcome to explore Riversdale’s grounds with their pets and are asked to follow the PAWS guidelines during their visit.
- Pick up after your pet: Trash receptacles are located next to the shed in the Visitor Center parking lot.
- Always leash your pet: Pets visiting the public grounds are required to be leashed at all times.
- Walk on the grass or pathways: Please keep pets from digging in or running through the garden beds.
- Stay safe: Be aware of others in your vicinity and help us keep Riversdale a safe and enjoyable space for all!
If you are looking for a space where your pets can explore, play, and train off-leash, visit Waggertail Dog Park in Riverdale Park.
Interpretive Gardens
Dedicated to long-time volunteer and Riverdale Park resident Betty Gossett, the kitchen garden and orchard feature a variety of fruits and vegetables that are representative of the food needed to support the early 19th-century Riversdale community. The gardens are maintained by a corps of volunteers who work in conjunction with Riversdale’s professional gardener. Learn more about volunteering in the garden.
- Please do not walk in the garden beds. Seedlings and plants need to be treated with care. Help us keep the garden thriving and looking beautiful by keeping on the grass and pathways.
- We kindly ask that you please do not harvest or pick any of the vegetables or flowers; if we have extra to share, you will find it in the bin located by the boxwood hedge.
- Guests are welcome to explore Riversdale’s grounds with their pets and are asked to follow the PAWS guidelines during their visit.
- Pick up after your pet: Trash receptacles are located next to the shed in the Visitor Center parking lot.
- Always leash your pet: Pets visiting the public grounds are required to be leashed at all times.
- Walk on the grass or pathways: Please keep pets from digging in or running through the garden beds.
- Stay safe: Be aware of others in your vicinity and help us keep Riversdale a safe and enjoyable space for all!
Riversdale Kitchen Guild and Seasonal Selections
Grab some 19th-century inspiration and a new recipe or two while viewing these demonstrations on select Sundays, 12 noon-3 pm, and during special events. Using produce harvested from the garden, Riversdale Kitchen Guild members cook up history and demonstrate open-hearth cooking and foodways techniques from the early 1800s.
Using produce harvested from the garden, Riversdale Kitchen Guild members demonstrate open-hearth cooking on selected Sunday afternoons during the museum’s operating hours from noon to 3:30 pm. Viewing the demonstrations is FREE!
- See the Riversdale Kitchen Guild in action on the following Sundays:
- September 4: Fruits & Veggies
- September 17 (Saturday): Echoes of the Enslaved
- October 2: An Early Harvest Menu
- October 8 (Saturday): Harvest Festival
- October 30: Highlighting the Pumpkin
- November 20: Native American Cuisine
Riversdale was one of the most distinctive homes in the region during the early Federal period. Today, the central portion of the house serves as a museum interpreting the lifestyle of an affluent family. The rental areas include a large carpeted ballroom in late 19th-century decor as well as a smaller meeting/banquet room and catering kitchen.
View our rental booklet for details (PDF).
Availability
Daily year-round, except Sundays and holidays.
Capacity
- 75 people maximum (theater-style) (indoor or outdoor)
- 50 seated
- Please call for details.
Rates
Saturday Rates: $1,495/7 hours; for fees, availability, and other information, please call 301-864-0420.
