Even before the founding of the City of Alexandria in 1749, Africans and their descendants, enslaved and free, have lived and worked along the waterfront, making significant contributions to the local economy and culture. The two African American Her... Read More

Step right into the Museum's laboratory and see archaeologists at work reconstructing Alexandria's history, fragment by fragment. The Museum displays the results of recent digs and interprets the results of ongoing research through exhibitions, video... Read More

The Alexandria Black History Museum is housed in the historic Robert H. Robinson Library, Alexandria's separate but unequal library built in 1940. It owes its existence to attorney Samuel W. Tucker, who orchestrated a sit-in at the Alexandria library... Read More

Citizens of Alexandria first formed the Lyceum Company in 1838 as part of a larger movement in America to promote education locally. In Alexandria, men, women, and children attended lectures, participated in debates, and attended various entertainmen... Read More

The Athenaeum is home to the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association (NVFAA), a membership organization dedicated to the maintenance and preservation of the building and the celebration of regional arts. The Athenaeum Gallery mounts a wide range o... Read More

The historic Carlyle House was completed in 1753 by British merchant John Carlyle for his bride, Sarah Fairfax of Belvoir, member of one of the most prestigious families in colonial Virginia. Their dwelling quickly became a center of social and polit... Read More

In the heart of Old Town Alexandria, this beautiful English country-style church was built between 1767-1773. It was attended by George Washington, whose pew is marked with a silver plaque, and Robert E. Lee. The surrounding gardens and cemetery were... Read More

Fort Ward was one of the largest of the U.S. Army forts in the Civil War Defenses of Washington and was strategically located to guard the major access routes into Alexandria. After the war, newly emancipated African Americans began settling near the... Read More

The Freedom House Museum is what remains of a large complex dedicated to trafficking thousands of Black men, women, and children from 1828 - 1861. Slavery, race-based laws, and racial terror erased and diminished African American history and contribu... Read More

In a town of mostly wooden buildings, where open flames provided heat, light, and cooking, fire was a constant danger. The Friendship Firehouse was founded in 1774 and served as Alexandria's first volunteer fire department, fighting fires into the la... Read More

Gadsby's Tavern Museum consists of two buildings, a ca. 1785 tavern and the 1792 City Tavern and Hotel. In those seven short years, the young Republic began to take shape through the conversations and choices made in these tavern spaces. The impact o... Read More

Patterned after a lighthouse in Alexandria, the Memorial displays a magnificent 17-ft. bronze statue of George Washington and an outstanding collection of Washington artifacts. Open daily 9.m.-5 p.m. (last tour 4 p.m.).... Read More

The Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden interprets American history through the experiences of the people who lived and worked on the property from 1785 to 1969. Through tours, special programs, and exhibits we discover our shared history as a communit... Read More

The Murray-Dick-Fawcett House is one of the earliest homes in Alexandria, and possibly the least altered 18th century home in Northern Virginia. The 0.3-acre lot, which contains a 1770s timber-frame and brick dwelling and a small garden, was one of t... Read More

Founded in 1792 and relocated to its current location in 1805, the Stabler-Leadbeater family operated this Alexandrian business for 141 years! After closing their doors in 1933 and selling everything as-is in a bankruptcy auction, forward-thinking ci... Read More

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution, located in the Burial Ground of the Old Presbyterian Meeting House, honors an unidentified soldier whose remains were unearthed and reburied at this site in 1826. It honors as well the many ... Read More

Founded in 1974 in an old munitions plant, the Torpedo Factory Art Center is home to the nation's largest collection of working-artists’ open studios under one roof. An Alexandria landmark for nearly 50 years, it's the highlight of the Potomac Riv... Read More

Founded in 1774, Trinity United Methodist Church, located today at 2911 Cameron Mills Road in Alexandria, is a vibrant congregation that welcomes all through its doors. The Trinity Cemetery was founded 1808 and is part of Alexandria's historic Wilkes... Read More