Join us for a Private Garden Tour, Rare Book Session, and Luncheon
Thursday, May 29, 2025
9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m
1776 Loughborough Lane, Upperville, VA 20184
$110 per person
Join us for an exclusive day in the foothills of Appalachia in Virginia just an hour from Washington, D.C., at the tranquil library, garden and residence of collector Rachel “Bunny” Mellon and her husband Paul Mellon. Managed by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation Mrs. Mellon herself established in 1993, the Oak Spring Garden estate inspires fresh thinking and bold action on the history and future of plants, including the art and culture of plants, gardens and landscapes. For this exclusive program, Attingham alums will enjoy all of the bountiful resources found across the estate while it is closed to outside visitors. This is a rare opportunity to explore Oak Spring Garden, which is typically open to the general public only a few days a year, due to local planning regulations.
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Our program begins at 9:00 a.m. at The Granary with a staff meet and greet and welcome remarks by OSGF President Peter Crane over coffee and tea. At 10:00, we will venture into the lush Biodiversity and Wildlife Garden with Charlotte Lorick, Head of Biodiversity Conservation, followed by a tour of the Biocultural Conservation Farm (BCCF) led by Director Christine Harris, that grows fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs for the estate’s programs and scholars-in-residence. Begun in the spring of 2019, the BCCF highlights culturally and historically important heirlooms varieties native to the region and is committed to saving seeds for preservation and sharing in the community. For lunch, we will return to The Granary for a delicious boxed lunch sourced from the BCCF.
After lunch, our group will delight in an intimate rare books and manuscripts session with Head Librarian Tony Willis and Carter Hulinsky ’24, a special privilege typically reserved for visiting scholars and authors by application only. We will examine a selection of works from Mellon’s collection of 19,000 rare books and manuscripts which focus on horticulture, landscape design, natural history, and voyages of exploration. Mellon amassed significant holdings in the history of botany, botanical illustration, and garden and landscape design, at a time when the field was still only of tangential interest to botanists, historians, and art historians. In 1981, architect Edward Larabee Barnes designed the spacious and pale oak interior to gracefully preserve the extensive collection, which was expanded in 1997 by architect Thomas Beach.
Finally, Head Gardener Allissa Montgomery will provide a tour of the Formal Garden so personal to Mrs. Mellon, before we enjoy time at your leisure in the gardens, gallery, and gift shop. The visit concludes at 3:45 p.m.
Capacity: Our group is limited to 25 people. We fully expect this program to sell out, however we’d be glad to add your name to a waitlist should a place become available.
Registration: Registration via Eventbrite is preferred and prioritized above registration by phone or email. Registration opens March 1. If you are unable to complete your payment via Eventbrite, please purchase your ticket using the AFA website (click link HERE). We fully expect this program to sell out, but will gladly add your name to a waitlist should a place become available.
Attire & Accessibility: Please wear comfortable shoes, as the tour requires physical stamina and the ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods.
Transportation: Transportation to Oak Spring Garden will be on your own and a vehicle is required. Kindly note that the garden is not accessible via public transportation. Please direct your preferred navigation app to: 1776 Loughborough Lane, Upperville, VA 20184. Loughborough Lane is off VA State Route 623 which is accessible from US Route 50 and Interstate 66. Upperville and the neighboring town of Middleburg are about 60 miles from Washington, D.C. Traffic on I-66 is often congested during rushhour, so please plan ahead.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM WASHINGTON D.C. and NORTHERN VIRGINIA via I-66:
Proceed west on I-66, past the I-495 Beltway, towards Centerville. Take US Rt.-17 S / US-17 towards Marshall/Warrenton. Exit onto US-17 Business North / Winchester Road. Continue on Rt. 17 to VA Rt. 623 and proceed for 1.9 miles. Turn right onto Loughborough Road. The entrance is on the left.
For more information to guide your travel, consult the museum’s instructions Getting Here. Please also kindly review the Visitor Guidelines to ensure we all share a successful visit.
Want to bring your family? Unfortunately, Oak Spring Garden Foundation is not typically open to the public for general admission due to local planning regulations. OSKF is therefore regrettably unable to welcome visitors with families for this visit. Please plan to visit with your family in 2025 during two spring open days in late April as part of Virginia Historic Garden Week, a state-wide event organized by the Garden Club of Virginia.
OPTIONAL EXTENSION: Alumni and their guests are encouraged to stay in the national capital region through the weekend and join Attingham alum at George Washington’s Mount Vernon for the 2025 Symposium, beginning Friday, May 30, and ending the afternoon of Sunday, June 2. For more information about the symposium, please click here.
Those planning to stay overnight are invited to a casual, pre-symposium dinner at the home of an Attingham alum in Washington, D.C. Please indicate your interest when you register. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.
We expect this program to sell out. Please register and purchase your ticket as soon as possible. Thank you for your interest in the programs of the American Friends of Attingham. All images courtesy Oak Spring Garden Foundation.