Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. And while you’re thinking of what to do on this day of love, you might consider taking a moment to learn about the romantic history at our Historic Sites. After all, there’s more than enough love to go around.

And these romantic objects in our historic sites' collections promise to add a little something special to your Valentine’s Day.

Celebrate the Marriage of Dolley Madison and James Madison

Life is filled with exciting moments. But a proposal—and accompanying engagement ring—often ranks high on the list of moments.

When 43-year-old bachelor (and future President) James Madison was introduced to the 26-year-old widow Dolley Todd in 1794, they couldn’t have known that that meeting would lead to a 42-year marriage.

Travel to the Victorian-Era with Villa Finale’s Historic Valentines

Before there were endless “Will you be my Valentine” cards and neon-colored candies, there were the tasteful and varied 19th-century calling cards of the Victorian era.

These cards had a broader function than the valentines of today. “Calling cards were very much accessories and symbols of one’s status, as well as useful items, much like today’s business cards,” said Villa Finale's manager of collections & interpretation, Sylvia Gonzalez. “Folks often kept calling card-filled decorative bowls or trays in their parlors or main halls to ‘show off’ who they knew or how large their social circle was.”

Villa Finale boasts a collection of over 50 of the 2-inch-long cards on display in its Green Sitting Room. Walter Mathis, the last owner of the Texan Historic Site, was fascinated by the Victorian era and maintained the card collection.

“He loved all the formality and romanticism of the Victorian era. He considered himself a ‘product of Victorian upbringing’ and was well versed on how a gentleman should behave,” said Gonzalez. “Just by looking around Villa Finale, he also enjoyed all the embellishments of the time.”

Explore an Ode to Love at the Glass House

But maybe you already have a valentine and don’t need flashy cards or eclectic gifts. That was the case for architect Phillip Johnson and his lifelong partner, art curator David Whitney.

Johnson and Whitney’s love is apparent across the 49-acre Glass House estate but especially in the art they left behind. The couple had a particular affection for the works of artist Frank Stella. Stella’s painting Averroes (1960) was the very first piece of artwork that Whitney suggested to Johnson for their personal collection.

“Averroes could be understood as a tangible embodiment of Johnson’s and Whitney’s life together," said former Glass House curator Irene Shum Allen. "And the Stella artworks … [are] the physical manifestations of different periods within their relationship and shared history.”