Explore the Lorton Prison Museum & Lucy Burns Gallery

A Landmark of History and Healing in Lorton, VA

Located within the vibrant Workhouse Arts Center at 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA 22079, the Lorton Prison Museum, featuring the Lucy Burns Gallery, preserves the 91-year legacy of the former Occoquan Workhouse (1910–2001). Once conceived as a progressive correctional facility without bars or towers, the site is now a cultural hub and museum space.

A Legacy of Reform, Resistance, and Art

  • Progressive Roots (1910): Built on 2,000 acres to pioneer humane incarceration; inmates made bricks, worked farms, and learned trades.
  • Suffrage Struggle (1917): Lucy Burns and 72 other suffragists were imprisoned for picketing the White House. Their hunger strike and protests led to widespread attention and helped push for the 19th Amendment.
  • Rise and Fall: Over time the facility expanded and became overcrowded and unsafe. It closed in 2001, and Fairfax County later launched the Workhouse Arts Center in 2008.
  • Lucy Burns Gallery (2020): A museum celebration of suffrage and prison history, preserving stories of reform and resistance, complete with artifacts, jail logs, and life‑sized sculptures of Lucy Burns, Alice Paul, and Dora Lewis.

For more details on exhibits, events, and gallery hours, visit their website.

Visiting the Museum Today

  • Hours: Wednesday–Saturday, 11 AM–6 PM; Sunday, 12 PM–5 PM; includes 2nd Saturday extended hours.
  • Admission: Free for main galleries; $5 (or $3 Veterans/youth) to tour a historic cellblock .
  • What to Expect:
    • Displays tracing 91 years of prison life.
    • Suffrage-era artifacts: jail logs listing Lucy Burns and fellow protesters, plus exhibits on forced feedings.
    • Artistic elements: bronze sculptures honoring key suffragists and historic photos.
    • The complex hosts live performances, art studios, festivals, and educational tours .

Take a break from history and immerse yourself in nature here.

Keep Your Chimney Safe with Expert Care

Just as this historic site preserves stories with precision, your chimney needs expert maintenance too. Sixpenny Chimney Sweeps provides professional chimney sweep and repair services in Woodbridge and surrounding areas. Our trained technicians clean, inspect, and repair chimneys to ensure safety, prevent fire hazards, and extend your system’s life.

Schedule your expert chimney sweep today!

Driving Directions: Lorton Prison Museum → Sixpenny Chimney Sweeps

Start: 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA 22079
End: 13000 Harbor Center Dr, Suite 200, Woodbridge, VA 22192 (Sixpenny Chimney Sweeps)

  1. Exit east on Workhouse Way toward Ox Road (VA-123).
  2. Turn left onto Ox Road/VA-123 South.
  3. Merge right onto I-95 South via the ramp to Richmond.
  4. Take exit 161B for VA-234 North/Prince William Parkway.
  5. Turn right onto Harbor Center Drive.
  6. Sixpenny Chimney Sweeps will be on your right in Suite 200.

Estimated drive time: 20–25 minutes, depending on traffic.

Visit the Lorton Prison Museum and Lucy Burns Gallery to connect with powerful stories of justice—and then keep your home safe with a professional chimney sweep from Sixpenny Chimney Sweeps.

 

Sixpenny Chimney Sweeps
13000 Harbor Center Dr Suite 200, Woodbridge, VA 22192
(703) 491-8697