diff --git a/falcon/request.py b/falcon/request.py
index f41cc7e..3d3d164 100644
--- a/falcon/request.py
+++ b/falcon/request.py
@@ -187,8 +187,26 @@ class Request(object):
 
     @property
     def date(self):
-        """Value of the Date header, or None if missing."""
-        return self._get_header_by_wsgi_name('DATE')
+        """Value of the Date header, converted to a datetime instance.
+
+        Returns:
+            An instance of datetime.datetime representing the value of
+            the Date header, or None if the Date header is not present
+            in the request.
+
+        Raises:
+            HTTPBadRequest: The date value could not be parsed, likely
+                because it does not confrom to RFC 1123.
+
+        """
+
+        http_date = self._get_header_by_wsgi_name('DATE')
+        try:
+            return util.http_date_to_dt(http_date)
+        except ValueError:
+            msg = ('The value of the Date header could not be parsed. It '
+                   'must be formatted according to RFC 1123.')
+            raise InvalidHeaderValueError(msg)
 
     @property
     def expect(self):
diff --git a/falcon/util.py b/falcon/util.py
index 68b5af2..001f6aa 100644
--- a/falcon/util.py
+++ b/falcon/util.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 """
 
+import datetime
+
 
 def dt_to_http(dt):
     """Converts a datetime instance to an HTTP date string.
@@ -33,6 +35,11 @@ def dt_to_http(dt):
     return dt.strftime('%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S GMT')
 
 
+def http_date_to_dt(http_date):
+    return datetime.datetime.strptime(
+        http_date, '%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S %Z')
+
+
 def to_query_str(params):
     """Converts a dict of params to an actual query string.
 
diff --git a/tests/test_req_vars.py b/tests/test_req_vars.py
index ac832cb..6244a34 100644
--- a/tests/test_req_vars.py
+++ b/tests/test_req_vars.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import datetime
+
 import falcon
 from falcon.request import Request
 import falcon.testing as testing
@@ -199,6 +201,17 @@ class TestReqVars(testing.TestBase):
         req = Request(testing.create_environ(headers=headers))
         self.assertRaises(falcon.HTTPBadRequest, lambda: req.content_length)
 
+    def test_date(self):
+        date = datetime.datetime(2013, 4, 4, 5, 19, 18)
+        headers = {'date': 'Thu, 04 Apr 2013 05:19:18 GMT'}
+        req = Request(testing.create_environ(headers=headers))
+        self.assertEquals(req.date, date)
+
+    def test_date_invalid(self):
+        headers = {'date': 'Thu, 04 Apr 2013'}
+        req = Request(testing.create_environ(headers=headers))
+        self.assertRaises(falcon.HTTPBadRequest, lambda: req.date)
+
     def test_attribute_headers(self):
         date = testing.httpnow()
         hash = 'fa0d1a60ef6616bb28038515c8ea4cb2'
@@ -212,7 +225,6 @@ class TestReqVars(testing.TestBase):
         self._test_attribute_header('Content-Type', 'text/plain',
                                     'content_type')
         self._test_attribute_header('Expect', '100-continue', 'expect')
-        self._test_attribute_header('Date', date, 'date')
 
         self._test_attribute_header('If-Match', hash, 'if_match')
         self._test_attribute_header('If-Modified-Since', date,
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
index 5eae1cd..16c4784 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@ class TestFalconUtils(testtools.TestCase):
             falcon.dt_to_http(datetime(2013, 4, 4, 10, 28, 54)),
             'Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:28:54 GMT')
 
+    def test_http_date_to_dt(self):
+        self.assertEquals(
+            falcon.http_date_to_dt('Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT'),
+            datetime(2013, 4, 4))
+
+        self.assertEquals(
+            falcon.http_date_to_dt('Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:28:54 GMT'),
+            datetime(2013, 4, 4, 10, 28, 54))
+
     def test_pack_query_params_none(self):
         self.assertEquals(
             falcon.to_query_str({}),