Things to do in  Alexandria

Set on the Potomac River and lined with brick sidewalks, historic buildings, restaurants, and boutiques, Old Town Alexandria combines 18th-century charms with modern amenities. Integral to any tour of the US capital, Old Town lets you dine where George Washington did and shop at the farmers market where his family sold produce.

Set on a hill overlooking Alexandria, the towering George Washington Masonic National Memorial honors the nation’s first president as well as the history and heritage of the Freemasons. The 9-story neoclassical structure and the museum within it tell the story of Washington and the contributions his Freemason fraternity made to the United States.

It’s only fitting that the epicenter of Virginia’s trade in enslaved people is now a museum dedicated to Black history. The National Historic Landmark building in Alexandria houses the Freedom House Museum, which seeks to reframe white supremacist history and re-center the enslaved and free Black people who lived in and passed through Alexandria in the narrative.

Alexandria’s Market Square serves as the focal point for the city; a spot for locals and visitors alike to sit, take a break, and enjoy a variety of events. Located right beside City Hall and once an open field, the current brick plaza and fountain is the site of a weekly farmers market, the annual holiday tree lighting, and festivities throughout the year.

Home to the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association (NVFAA), the Athenaeum in Alexandria serves as a gallery, performance space, and rental venue. The neoclassical Greek Revival building features 24-foot-high (7.3-meter) coved ceilings, enormous windows, ornate woodwork, and four towering Doric columns on the outside. Once a bank, factory, and church, the building is one of two surviving examples of this style of architecture in Old Town.

Founded in 1934, the Little Theatre of Alexandria has hosted hundreds of popular productions and welcomed notable figures such as Presidents Harry S. Truman and George W. Bush as audience members. In addition to an ambitious yearly show schedule, the 90-year-old community theater also offers performing arts classes for all ages and a summer camp program for kids.

The Lee-Fendall House in Old Town Alexandria has been home to the Lee family, generations of enslaved and free African-Americans, convalescing Union soldiers in the Civil War, a liquor purveyor, and labor leader John L. Lewis. Today, it’s a museum that looks at life in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The garden features medicinal plants and roses.

Travelers interested in architecture and history can visit two distinct landmarks at this site in Alexandria, Virginia. The 126-acre (51-hectare) wooded grounds are the setting for two homes overseen by the National Trust for Historic Preservation: early-19th-century Woodlawn, a plantation worked by enslaved people that became a free labor colony under Quaker ownership, and celebrated architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1940s Pope-Leighey House.

Gadsby’s Tavern Museum in Alexandria comprises two separate structures: a tavern and a hotel. The historic landmark served as the center of political, business, and social life during the early days of the US and hosted the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. In addition to touring the museum, visitors can also dine on traditional dishes at the first-floor restaurant.

Carlyle House Historic Park is home to an 18th-century historic house-turned-museum in Old Town Alexandria. The Georgian-style mansion was built by Alexandria’s founder, John Carlyle, and became a center of social and political life during the early days of the city. Visitors can explore the home to get an intimate look at life during this period, courtesy of garments, furnishings, artifacts, and more.