Crowds descended on the Arlington Historical Museum on Saturday as the facility reopened after months of renovations.
Hundreds of people filtered through the six-hour open house, appreciating the new facelift to the museum’s physical presence and exhibitions. The building at 1805 S. Arlington Ridge Road had been closed since the summer of 2024 to allow for the restoration of 47 original windows.
“We’re reframing the history of Arlington,” said Peter Vaselopulos, vice president of the Arlington Historical Society.
The closure also permitted historical-society officials, led by museum director Bethany Baker, to reimagine what’s offered to the public in the building. The result is a “living, breathing space” with more on the horizon, said society president David Pearson.
Pearson envisions a host of interactive history-themed community activities throughout the year, “giving people more of a reason to come” multiple times.
Since the early 1960s, the Arlington Historical Society has operated the museum in the former Hume School.
Renovations opened up space on the second floor, which previously had been off-limits to the public. There, visitors who pull hard on a rope can ring the school bell sitting atop the building.
The second floor will be used primarily for educational offerings and community gatherings.
Exhibitions also have been refreshed, looking at what is now Arlington from the time Native American tribes controlled the region through the colonial and Civil War eras and the ever-changing landscape of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Much of the organization’s planning focus in coming months will be on dual anniversaries in 2026, which will mark both the nation’s 250th birthday and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the historical society.
The Hume School building dates to the late 19th century. Pearson said recent restoration efforts have addressed the most pressing concerns, although there is still more plasterwork to be completed and, ultimately, the desire to install a floating elevator to increase accessibility to the upper level.
A chimney renovation also is on the to-do list.
The Arlington Historical Museum is open weekends from 1-4 p.m. The society also owns the Ball-Sellers House, located in Glencarlyn, which is open weekends from 1-4 p.m. from April to October.
Admission to both facilities is free.
