Alexandria - What to Do
Located only eight miles from Washington, D.C., Alexandria, Virginia is a wonderful stop for tourists in the northern Virginia area. Alexandria is overflowing with charm and history; it has maintained a wonderful respect for its founding in 1749 by Scottish merchants. The majority of the tourism activity is focused in Old Town Alexandria, comprised of quaint, restored colonial buildings and row-houses, and cobblestone streets. Alexandria tells its rich history of battles, historical figures (including Thomas Jefferson and Robert E. Lee among many others), and famous events through its museums and more. Visitors are sure to be enthralled with all they learn in Alexandria.
One fascinating trip is to the Alexandria Black History Museum, which is composed of the museum itself, the Watson Reading Room, and the African American Heritage Park. The museum celebrates the accomplishments and history of Alexandria’s African American residents from 1749 to the present day. The museum itself was the library for African Americans during segregation. Today, it holds documents, African objects, and religious objects that portray African Americans’ lives in Alexandria throughout history. One of the museum’s interesting collections is the Moss Kendrix Collection, displaying over 900 photographs related to the minority advertising marketing from the 1950s and 1960s.
The Watson Reading room at the Alexandria Black History Museum is located in the building next door to the museum and holds many documents and reference materials related to African Americans for research purposes. The African American Heritage Park is made up of nine acres of park land surrounding an African American cemetery. Inside, visitors can enjoy nature and beautiful sculptures by a local sculptor.
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum is comprised of two buildings named for Mr. John Gadsby, who operated the tavern and hotel from 1796 to 1808. As the hotel and tavern were focal points in political, business, and social life in Alexandria’s early history, the museum aims to teach visitors about that way of life and the community’s history. The historical guest list at Gadsby’s is quite impressive; James Madison, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the Marquis de Lafayette all dined, slept, and entertained here. Visitors will enjoy learning about the past guests’ social customs, meals, clothing, in addition the the history of the buildings’ architecture. Among the museum’s collections, visitors will find paintings, documents, a vast collection of photographs, and artefacts giving insight to an earlier way of life.
Fort Ward has an interesting history in the United States’ Civil War, as it was constructed in 1861 to assist in protecting the Federal capital (Washington, D.C.) from a Confederate attack after Virginia seceded from the Union. Today, visitors can watch re-enactments of the Civil War featuring infantry drills, artillery demonstrations, life at camp, first-person impressions, signal corps demonstrations, and naval history. Guided walking tours of Fort Ward are also offered.
Visitors interested in architecture will certainly enjoy the Carlyle House, a restored example of a Georgian Palladian manor house. The Carlyle House was owned by Alexandria’s founding father, Scottish merchant John Carlyle. He built the house in 1753, and today it is open daily to the public for educational purposes. In addition to touring the beautiful interior, guests are welcomed into the Carlyle House’s lush and impeccable surrounding gardens, which are maintained to represent how the Carlyle family would have had them. The Carlyle House hosts special educational events throughout the year, such as re-enactments and discussions of George Washington dining at the home; the housewarming day of John Carlyle’s daughter, Sarah, and her husband; and of special holidays at the home.
Children might get into the early Alexandria spirit through a horse-drawn carriage ride through the town. Tours are boarded on King Street, between the waterfront and Lee Street.
For those interested in the arts, Alexandria is home to many galleries, including Gallery West, the oldest artisan-owned fine-art gallery in Northern Virginia; and Elizabeth Stone Gallery, which holds a collection of the best children’s book illustrators. Visitors can catch a reasonably priced play at the Little Theatre of Alexandria, or see the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra perform at Schlesinger Hall.
Of course the plethora of boutique shopping cannot be missed in Old Town Alexandria, and visitors can pop over to Washington D.C. within minutes for big-city shopping.
Alexandria - What to Do
One fascinating trip is to the Alexandria Black History Museum, which is composed of the museum itself, the Watson Reading Room, and the African American Heritage Park. The museum celebrates the accomplishments and history of Alexandria’s African American residents from 1749 to the present day. The museum itself was the library for African Americans during segregation. Today, it holds documents, African objects, and religious objects that portray African Americans’ lives in Alexandria throughout history. One of the museum’s interesting collections is the Moss Kendrix Collection, displaying over 900 photographs related to the minority advertising marketing from the 1950s and 1960s.
The Watson Reading room at the Alexandria Black History Museum is located in the building next door to the museum and holds many documents and reference materials related to African Americans for research purposes. The African American Heritage Park is made up of nine acres of park land surrounding an African American cemetery. Inside, visitors can enjoy nature and beautiful sculptures by a local sculptor.
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum is comprised of two buildings named for Mr. John Gadsby, who operated the tavern and hotel from 1796 to 1808. As the hotel and tavern were focal points in political, business, and social life in Alexandria’s early history, the museum aims to teach visitors about that way of life and the community’s history. The historical guest list at Gadsby’s is quite impressive; James Madison, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the Marquis de Lafayette all dined, slept, and entertained here. Visitors will enjoy learning about the past guests’ social customs, meals, clothing, in addition the the history of the buildings’ architecture. Among the museum’s collections, visitors will find paintings, documents, a vast collection of photographs, and artefacts giving insight to an earlier way of life.
Fort Ward has an interesting history in the United States’ Civil War, as it was constructed in 1861 to assist in protecting the Federal capital (Washington, D.C.) from a Confederate attack after Virginia seceded from the Union. Today, visitors can watch re-enactments of the Civil War featuring infantry drills, artillery demonstrations, life at camp, first-person impressions, signal corps demonstrations, and naval history. Guided walking tours of Fort Ward are also offered.
Visitors interested in architecture will certainly enjoy the Carlyle House, a restored example of a Georgian Palladian manor house. The Carlyle House was owned by Alexandria’s founding father, Scottish merchant John Carlyle. He built the house in 1753, and today it is open daily to the public for educational purposes. In addition to touring the beautiful interior, guests are welcomed into the Carlyle House’s lush and impeccable surrounding gardens, which are maintained to represent how the Carlyle family would have had them. The Carlyle House hosts special educational events throughout the year, such as re-enactments and discussions of George Washington dining at the home; the housewarming day of John Carlyle’s daughter, Sarah, and her husband; and of special holidays at the home.
Children might get into the early Alexandria spirit through a horse-drawn carriage ride through the town. Tours are boarded on King Street, between the waterfront and Lee Street.
For those interested in the arts, Alexandria is home to many galleries, including Gallery West, the oldest artisan-owned fine-art gallery in Northern Virginia; and Elizabeth Stone Gallery, which holds a collection of the best children’s book illustrators. Visitors can catch a reasonably priced play at the Little Theatre of Alexandria, or see the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra perform at Schlesinger Hall.
Of course the plethora of boutique shopping cannot be missed in Old Town Alexandria, and visitors can pop over to Washington D.C. within minutes for big-city shopping.
Alexandria - What to Do
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