Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont will host a spring open house Sunday, April 10. The museum will open its doors free of charge to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., allowing visitors to experience the 28-acre estate and former residence of the artists Gari Melchers and his wife Corinne.
Featuring complimentary house and studio tours, the open house will allow visitors to stroll the restored gardens and find unique gifts in the museum shop. A special display of the traveling LOVE sculpture, circulated by the Virginia Tourism Corporation, will be set up on the main lawn for guests to use as a backdrop for photos.
The open house will also host the first Belmont Wedding Reunion from 2-3:30 p.m. in the Studio Pavilion. Couples who have been married at Belmont over the past 20 years are invited to return to re-live their special day and meet other couples who had their ceremonies at the museum.
In addition, Belmont is hosting a selfie contest, encouraging guests to take their picture with Gari and Corinne Melchers, tag it #BelmontOpenHouse and post it to Instagram or Facebook for a chance to win a free Friends of Belmont membership.
The property, both a Virginia Historic Landmark and a National Historic Landmark, is located at 224 Washington St. in Falmouth, across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg. Public hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1-5 p.m.
For directions and more information, call (540) 654-1015, or visit the museum website at www.GariMelchers.org.