Workhouse Arts Center Classes & Workshops
Workhouse Arts Center, 9518 Workhouse Wy, Lorton, VA 22079
About
Workhouse Arts Center Classes & Workshops offers theater performances, museum and walking tours, historic tours, TryMe! Classes, mini golf, and hands-on classes. The program also includes Sunday Wellness 90-minute classes that focus on creativity, movement, and/or mindfulness.
• Schedule: Open Wednesday–Saturday with daytime hours, extended evening hours on 2nd Saturdays, and Sunday afternoon hours; Sunday Wellness classes are 90 minutes long
• Price: General admission to the campus is free; some performances, classes, and special events may have a fee
The Workhouse Arts Center is a vibrant arts campus housed in a former historic prison and operates as a 55-acre arts campus in Lorton. Federal legislation in 1997 required the original prison to close by the end of 2001, and the land was sold to Fairfax County in 2002, rezoned in 2004, and opened to the public as the Workhouse Arts Center in September 2008. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to arts education, cultural enrichment, and community engagement, and a group of community leaders proposed transforming part of the former prison facility into this cultural arts center. The campus features 58 resident artist studios, more than 70 artists and instructors, 9 gallery and museum experiences, rotating exhibitions and juried shows, studio spaces for emerging and professional artists, the Lorton Prison Museum with the Lucy Burns Gallery, and 10 unique event rental spaces. The Workhouse Arts Center hosts over 800 events, performances, and classes and welcomes more than 225,000 visitors per year. Photography and videography may occur on site, and visitors may be photographed, filmed, or recorded for educational, archival, marketing, and security purposes. The program has been awarded Best Summer Camps by Northern Virginia Magazine for the third consecutive year and has been recognized as one of the best summer camps for 2026 in the magazine’s March issue, as voted by its readers.
Last updated July 19, 2026.
• Schedule: Open Wednesday–Saturday with daytime hours, extended evening hours on 2nd Saturdays, and Sunday afternoon hours; Sunday Wellness classes are 90 minutes long
• Price: General admission to the campus is free; some performances, classes, and special events may have a fee
The Workhouse Arts Center is a vibrant arts campus housed in a former historic prison and operates as a 55-acre arts campus in Lorton. Federal legislation in 1997 required the original prison to close by the end of 2001, and the land was sold to Fairfax County in 2002, rezoned in 2004, and opened to the public as the Workhouse Arts Center in September 2008. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to arts education, cultural enrichment, and community engagement, and a group of community leaders proposed transforming part of the former prison facility into this cultural arts center. The campus features 58 resident artist studios, more than 70 artists and instructors, 9 gallery and museum experiences, rotating exhibitions and juried shows, studio spaces for emerging and professional artists, the Lorton Prison Museum with the Lucy Burns Gallery, and 10 unique event rental spaces. The Workhouse Arts Center hosts over 800 events, performances, and classes and welcomes more than 225,000 visitors per year. Photography and videography may occur on site, and visitors may be photographed, filmed, or recorded for educational, archival, marketing, and security purposes. The program has been awarded Best Summer Camps by Northern Virginia Magazine for the third consecutive year and has been recognized as one of the best summer camps for 2026 in the magazine’s March issue, as voted by its readers.
Last updated July 19, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.