Dahlgren Heritage Museum

Nov 1, 2021 | Tourism

Recently, I met with Rob Gates from the Dahlgren Heritage Museum. While the building is small, the amount of information and the quality of the exhibits is amazing. I need to go back, but pictured above is the prop from the first unmanned flight (1924 at Dahlgren) and the crew responsible for the flight. The gentleman 3rd from the right is Lt. John J. Ballentine, who later became Admiral and retired in King George.

The museum has two working model cannons, no firing mechanisms. The cannons are encased because kids wanted to play with the round shot on display, and the engineers were playing with the cannons.
Dahlgren Heritage Museum’s building sat empty for about ten years, then the museum was able to strike a deal with the state, and they opened their doors in October of 2013. The building operates as a museum and tourist information center for King George and the Northern Neck.

By partnering with the University of Mary Washington’s Historic Preservation Department, they have acquired grants and hired interns. The interns work on cataloging items, assisting with rotating exhibits, updating, and adding to the video collection. The museum proudly started the Ira and Gladys West Scholarship, and it awards $1000.00 annually to a King George High School senior pursuing math or stem program in college.

This is an amazing museum, well worth the time to visit. They are still looking for docents and members, so come check it out.
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