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Welcome Center

At the school's entrance of 3737 Seminary Road is Packard-Laird Hall, home of the VTS Welcome Center. A first stop for visitors looking to orient themselves to the Virginia Seminary campus, the Welcome Center is the heart of the VTS community. It offers a spacious and friendly meeting area for departments or groups, the home for spiritual direction, and a relaxing social environment, complete with fresh coffee and internet access.  

At Virginia Theological Seminary we seek to form men and women for leadership in the Church. Founded in 1823, we are an accredited Seminary of the Episcopal Church – one of eleven in the United States. Students from every Episcopal province in the United States and from many other countries have found their way to VTS to be shaped by the discipline of worship in an environment committed to learning so that they can serve Christ effectively.

VTS celebrates the richness of the orthodox Christian tradition. We affirm the centrality of the Scriptures, the historic creeds, and our Prayer Book in our learning and living together. We recognize that Christians disagree about much and encourage the conversation as we seek to discern God’s will for our age. Christians across the spectrum are welcome at VTS.

Our eighty acre campus, nestled in the historic town of Alexandria, provides an environment for growth, learning, and community. While the website will give you a sense of the Seminary, this is no substitute for a visit. Please contact our Admissions Office and come and see the delights of our campus, including our library, chapel, refectory, dormitories, and classrooms. As you prayerfully consider where you might be studying, I am delighted that you are considering Virginia Theological Seminary. 

The Very Rev. Ian Markham
Dean and President

Campus Audio Tour
Visitors to the VTS campus will be able to check out audio hand-sets, with a map, from the VTS Welcome Center and experience first-hand one of Alexandria, Virginia’s most historically diverse and exciting landmarks. Highlights of the tour include ancient reliefs in the school library as well as Civil War era graffiti.

The self-guided tour is free to the public and is available every day during normal business hours.

More information
Hours of Operation
Welcome Center
703-370-6600 or
toll free at 1-800-941-0083

M-F: 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m
Sun: Closed

Administrative Offices
703-370-6600 or
toll free at 1-800-941-0083

M-F: 8:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m.

Bishop Payne Library
703-461-1733
M-Th: 8:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
(during academic year)
Fri: 8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Sat: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Sun: 3:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Butterfly House
703-461-1786
M-F: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Cafe 1823 Hours

M-W: 5:00 -10:00 p.m.
T-F: 5:00 -11:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun: 6:00 - 11:00 p.m.