George Washington’s hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, is rich in history, including 140 locations with ties to our nation’s first president. Many sites and exhibits throughout the city make it a history buff’s dream come true. The team at Koons Tysons Toyota invites you to explore six essential Alexandria experiences for history buffs.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
George Washington’s Mount Vernon is his former estate, which was once the central hub in Alexandria for productivity and commerce. It’s now a museum that displays memorabilia and documents that once belonged to some key figures in American history. Visitors can stroll the carefully preserved grounds and view the sites of George Washington’s gardens, farm, and final resting place. Touring George Washington’s Mount Vernon gives visitors a unique perspective of Alexandria and our first president’s part in shaping America. George Washington’s Mount Vernon is located at 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway in Mount Vernon.
Freedom House Museum
Freedom House Museum explores the experiences of enslaved and freed Blacks who lived in the area and were trafficked through Alexandria. The museum site was once a complex that trafficked Black men and women and is now home to three new exhibitions delving into Alexandria’s Black history and the American Black experience. The museum also features stories from the Civil Rights Movement. The museum’s purpose is to help people learn from a tragic time in history so that they may reflect and work toward change in current times. You can visit the Freedom House Museum at 1315 Duke St.
Torpedo Factory Art Center
Torpedo Factory is a former World War II munitions factory transformed into 82 artist studios and six galleries. It’s also home to the Alexandria Archaeology Museum. The exhibit Preserving Alexandria’s Maritime History explores the recent excavation of four ships found along the city’s waterfront. You can view a 3D model of one of the ships. The exhibit A Community Digs Its Past: The Lee Street Site is devoted to excavating one city block, focusing on 18th-century wharves and 19th-century residences, taverns, warehouses, shops, and a support complex used during the Civil War as a Union hospital.
They also have a variety of changing exhibits that showcase other discoveries. These exhibits may contain finds from their most recent excavations, as well as artifacts from Civil War sites, an 18th-century tavern, or prehistoric sites. Archaeologists and volunteers are available in a public laboratory during the week, and visitors can stop by and ask questions for more in-depth exploration. You can find the Torpedo Factory Art Center at 105 N. Union St.
Alexandria Colonial Tours
Period-costumed guides help you step back in time through various tours at Alexandria Colonial Tours . One tour explores Alexandria’s history, leading you past brick-lined streets, cobblestone alleyways, and elegant federal homes, following in the footsteps of George Washington and Robert E. Lee. This tour will inform you of the many historical firsts in Alexandria, such as in 1774, when Virginia elected George Washington as a delegate to the First Continental Congress. Each 60-minute walking tour covers eight to 10 blocks and is led by an entertaining, experienced, and knowledgeable guide.
Another tour explores Alexandria’s African American history. Alexandria has the dubious distinction of being the former home to one of the largest slave markets in America. Notably, it later became home to one of the South’s largest freedmen communities before the Civil War. This tour looks at African American history from slavery to freedom, spanning the years 1749 to 1865.
If you like your history on the spooky side, there’s also a Ghost and Graveyard tour. This one-hour walking tour covers around six blocks and is led by lantern light. Your colonial-costumed guide will lead you through the enchanting streets of Old Town, Alexandria’s historic district. During the tour, you’ll be privy to old ghost stories, unsolved mysteries, folklore, legends, tales of romance, and spine-tingling yarns about angry ghosts looking for revenge. Tours meet at 221 King St. at the corner of King and Fairfax.
Alexandria Black History Museum
Alexandria Black History Museum encompasses the museum, the Alexandria African American Heritage Park, and the Watson Reading Room. The museum’s mission is to provide enrichment and education for Alexandria’s visitors and residents and to foster understanding and tolerance between cultures. The Alexandria African American Heritage Park is open from dawn to dusk for visitors. The Watson Reading Room has over 3,000 documents on African American history. Another goal of the museum is to further appreciate and understand African Americans’ diverse experiences in Alexandria and the United States. You’ll find the Alexandria Black History Museum at 902 Wythe St.
Carlyle House Historic Park
Carlyle House Historic Park is the site of an 18th-century mansion, museum, and gardens. This house belonged to John Carlyle, a founder of Alexandria and a wealthy merchant. This regal stone mansion was completed in 1753. It’s one of the nation’s best and most elegant examples of Georgian residential architecture. Visitors can tour the home and the gardens at 121 N. Fairfax St.
National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame celebrates the history of modern innovation with interactive exhibits housed at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It features a gallery of icons documenting each of the 500-plus inductees, exploring their contributions to technology that influenced the course of history for America and the world. Exploring the archives and kiosks devoted to an inventor’s achievements may inspire the next generation of inventors. They have a museum store with merchandise, gifts, books, and apparel at 600 Dulany St.
Alexandria’s rich and fascinating past makes it a perfect place to delve into our nation’s history. When you’re ready to tour the six essential Alexandria experiences for history buffs like yourself, you might want a new vehicle to take you there. Visit our Koons Tysons Toyota at 8610 Leesburg Pike in Vienna, Virginia, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Complete our secure online form or call us at 703-940-9388 to get started today.
Mount Vernon by ComputerGuy – Wikipedia User is licensed with CC BY 2.0
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