Robert E. Lee Museum at Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial

Located to the right of Arlington House is a large, white building that now serves as the Robert E. Lee Museum. This building was constructed in the 1920s by Arlington Cemetery for use as the gardener’s tool shed.

Inside the Robert E. Lee Museum at Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial

The museum covers Lee’s childhood through his death in 1870. It was recently updated in 2020, and there are now many more artifacts on display than in the previous version of the museum. These include a pistol that Lee was given upon the completion of his assignment as superintendent of the Military Academy at West Point in 1855, his Confederate uniform insignia and braid, and other personal possessions.

Pistol given to Robert E. Lee after his completion of duty as superintendent of West Point on display at Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial

Confederate uniform insignia and braid of Robert E. Lee on display at Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial

The museum also contains a few items that once belonged of George and Martha Washington. Many of these came from the collection of George Washington Parke Custis, grandson of Martha. He built Arlington House to showcase his huge collection of George Washington memorabilia. It is interesting to note that a small watercolor portrait of Washington was attributed to Custis when on display before the museum renovation, but it is now attributed to Mary Custis Lee, Custis’s daughter and Robert E. Lee’s wife.

George and Martha Washington memorabilia on display in the Robert E. Lee Museum at Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial

Dishes that once belonged to George Washington on display in the Robert E. Lee Museum at Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial

Other updates to the Robert E. Lee Museum reflect the modern controversies surrounding Lee, the Confederacy, and Confederate monuments. A six-minute film about Lee debates his legacy, and a message board allows visitors to post comments to questions about Lee and the Confederacy. There is also an interactive survey with a variety of questions about today’s controversies. At the time I visited, 56% of those responding to a question about what to do with Confederate memorials said to leave them alone. Of course the survey is taken mainly by white Americans, for according to the National Park Service, black Americans make up only 7% of visitors to National Parks.

Message board for feedback from park visitors at the Robert E. Lee Museum in Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Museum

Messages left by park visitors to the Robert E. Lee Museum at Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Museum

Interactive survey at the Robert E. Lee Museum at Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Museum

While the museum building appears to be large, it is its height that gives it this illusion. The exhibits are only on the ground floor, and the actual square footage is rather small. You can read through everything in 20 minutes, though this is more than most people are interested in doing. For the typical tourist, plan to spend 5-10 minutes at the Robert E. Lee Museum.

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