Things To Do

Historic Sites & Attractions in Alexandria

Carlyle House
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Founded in 1749, Alexandria is older than the United States itself and home to the nation’s third oldest historic district. Much of that history is still intact and walkable, preserved in original buildings, cobblestone streets and sites where the events that shaped America actually unfolded.

From the footsteps of George Washington and the Founding Fathers to the stories of Black Americans who shaped the nation, Alexandria’s history spans centuries. Sites connected to slavery and freedom, the Civil War, archaeology and early American commerce sit alongside the Torpedo Factory Art Center and the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum, reflecting the city’s creative and innovative legacy.

Alexandria’s history comes to life through intimate museums, guided walking tours and immersive experiences across the city. Start with the Key to the City Attractions Pass, which provides access to nine historic sites including Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, Freedom House Museum, Carlyle House and the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, plus 40% off admission to George Washington’s Mount Vernon and a City Cruises roundtrip water taxi pass.

Learn About Alexandria's History

Unlock Your Story

King Street in Alexandria, Virginia, featuring vibrant storefronts and pedestrians walking along the sidewalk on a sunny day.

Alexandria is a city where centuries-old stories live alongside those still being written. From historic buildings finding new life as restaurants and shops, to immersive living history tours around the city, the chance to write your Alexandria story is just around the corner. 

Explore Alexandria Stories

Historic Highlights

Begin exploring Alexandria’s history. Follow the city’s founding-era connections, explore Black history, join a guided tour and utilize our Key to the City pass to access multiple historic sites.

Mount Vernon

A large historic mansion with a red roof and white walls stands among green trees, viewed across a wide, open grassy lawn under a bright sky.

Black History & Culture

A bronze statue of two women in 19th-century clothing stands hand in hand, set outdoors with greenery, a modern building, and a blue sky with clouds in the background.

Alexandria Tours

A group of five people walk through a brick gate with a tour guide in a white shirt at the entrance of Carlyle House, surrounded by trees and historical signage.

Key To The City

Interior of Freedom House Museum in Alexandria, VA.

Modern Stories Rooted in History

A smiling man with a beard, wearing a blue suit and purple pocket square, stands in front of a brick building entrance with a sign reading 1799 Prime behind him.
1799, What's New - Alexandria 2023. (photos by Evan Michio for Visit Alexandria)

Jay Quander, 1799 Prime

The Quander family has called Alexandria home for more than 350 years, with ancestors once enslaved at George Washington’s Mount Vernon just eight miles from where Jay opened his restaurant today. Read the story of how that legacy shaped every detail of 1799 Prime Steak & Seafood, from the custom mural on the wall to the walnut tables that mirror a historic tree at Mount Vernon.

Read Jay Quander’s Story

Benjamin Fiore-Walker stands outdoors in professional attire

Benjamin Fiore-Walker, Alexandria Town Crier

When Benjamin Fiore-Walker dons his tricorn hat and period costume, he steps into a role as old as Alexandria itself. Read the story of the city’s Town Crier, who has spent more than a decade keeping a centuries-old tradition alive on these historic streets.

Meet Alexandria’s Town Crier

Josephine: A Historic Dining Destination

Inside a former 1800s firehouse, Josephine brings classic French brasserie cuisine to life beneath the glow of pendant lights sourced from the Paris Metro. It’s one of Alexandria’s most beautiful examples of historic architecture given new purpose.

Discover Josephine’s Historic Setting

Historic gravestone with weathered inscription and ornamental details in cemetery

Gravestone Stories

David Heiby grew up among the gravestones of the Old Presbyterian Meeting House, and that childhood fascination became a lifelong mission. Today he shares Alexandria’s buried history through guided tours and a digital archive called Gravestone Stories. Discover a side of Alexandria most visitors never find on their own.

Explore Gravestone Stories

Featured Historic Attractions and Museums

All Historic Attractions and Museums

Explore Alexandria’s history via these museums, historic sites and walking tours. While much of the city’s history is found in walkable Old Town, be sure to explore historic attractions in other neighborhoods. Operating hours and admission requirements vary by attraction.

People explore and interact with artifacts and displays at a museum exhibit, with several adults and children working on activities at tables and examining objects in a busy, well-lit room.

Alexandria Archaeology Museum

Step right into the museum’s laboratory where archaeologists reconstruct Alexandria’s history, fragment by fragment. The museum’s exhibits highlight the process...
105 N. Union Street, Torpedo Factory Art Center Third Floor, #327 Alexandria, Virginia
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A red brick building with white columns at the entrance, displaying a banner above the door. A sign on the right reads “Alexandria Black History Museum.” Shrubs line the walkway to the entrance.

Alexandria Black History Museum

Originally the segregated library for Alexandria’s African American residents, the museum documents the local and national history, culture and contributions...
902 Wythe Street Alexandria, Virginia
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Featured
A man in colonial attire holding a lantern welcomes four casually dressed adults at the open gates of a historic brick building at dusk, with a glowing light from the entrance and signs on the gate pillars.

Alexandria Colonial Tours

Alexandria’s Original Ghost & Graveyard Tour, Celebrating 50 Years: Follow an 18th-century costumed guide by lantern light through the charming...
221 King Street Alexandria, Virginia
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A book titled Classic Restaurants of Alexandria by Hope Nelson is propped against a beige wooden window sill. The cover features photos of restaurant signs and historic buildings.

Alexandria Food Tours

From seaport pubs to international cuisine, Alexandria’s culinary history runs deep. George Washington danced in the ballroom of Gadsby’s Tavern,...
Old Town Alexandria, Virginia
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A large tan brick building with four white columns, tall windows, and double doors sits on a sunny day. Several cars are parked in front, and trees and plants surround the building.

Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum

The 1839 Greek Revival building serves as the City’s history museum. An ongoing exhibition tells the story of Alexandria, once...
201 S. Washington Street Alexandria, Virginia
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A brick-paved plaza with benches, streetlamps, American flags, flowering hanging baskets, and a large brick building with an American flag, under a blue sky at dusk.

Alexandria History Tours

Alexandria History Tours offers private and public tours exploring the Revolutionary War, George Washington, early American commerce, the Civil War,...
Old Town Alexandria, Virginia
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Black and white drawing of an open book and stacked books with the words Alexandria Library above and below the illustration.

Alexandria Library

Founded as a subscription library in 1794. Alexandria’s public library since 1937.
717 Queen Street Alexandria, Virginia
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Two people wearing face masks talk in a room with bookshelves, a window, and wooden beams. One person has a green bandana and crossed arms, while the other holds a piece of paper and gestures.

Alexandria Seaport Foundation

Alexandria Seaport Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization located on Old Town’s waterfront which improves the lives of young people...
Alexandria Waterfront 0 Thompsons Alley Alexandria, Virginia
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A large white colonial-style house with dark gray roof, surrounded by lush green lawn, colorful flowers, and trees, set under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

American Horticultural Society’s River Farm

The American Horticultural Society’s River Farm is a popular rental venue in the Washington, D.C. metro area that serves as...
7931 E. Boulevard Drive Alexandria, Virginia
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American Legion Post 24

This friendly Post, founded by World War I veterans, is housed in an historic building they were instrumental in saving.
400 Cameron Street Alexandria, Virginia
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People in traditional Scottish attire play bagpipes in a grassy field during an outdoor event. Tents and trees are visible in the background, and a crowd watches the performance.

Ballyshaners

The Ballyshaners, Inc. were founded in 1980 by a small group of dedicated volunteers for the explicit purpose of organizing...
P.O. Box 320722 Alexandria, Virginia
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A red brick church with a large stained glass window above double doors, an orange awning, and a historical marker reading “Beulah Baptist Church” in front. Cars are parked to the left, and a tree shades part of the building.

Beulah Baptist Church

African Americans escaping slavery found refuge in Alexandria after Union troops occupied the city in 1861. The Rev. Clement “Clem”...
320 S. Washington Street Alexandria, Virginia
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More Ways to Experience Alexandria’s History

Architecture in Alexandria

A collage shows: a man walking on a brick sidewalk by colorful historic row houses, a tall stone tower with a spire against a blue sky, and a small modernist home surrounded by trees and grass.

Alexandria Black History Museum

A brick building with white columns and a red metal roof, displaying a banner above the entrance. A sign on the wall reads “Alexandria Black History Museum.” Shrubs line the front walkway.

“Remember the Titans” in Alexandria

Great Walks in Alexandria

A couple holds hands while walking down a sunlit, tree-lined cobblestone street in a residential neighborhood with American flags on houses.

Plan Your Trip

Old Town Alexandria

People enjoy outdoor dining under red umbrellas on a lively street lined with restaurants, including an ice cream shop, on a sunny day. Trees and flower planters decorate the scene as pedestrians walk by.

Things To Do

Couple Biking Down King Street In Alexandria, VA

Plan

Two women stroll and enjoy sweets outside “Pop’s Ice Cream Company” on a sunny brick-lined street, while two people exit the shop and others relax on benches nearby. Trees and a river can be seen in the background.

Restaurants

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