Gum Springs Community Center is located on Fordson Road in Alexandria. The location offers a wide range of programs and activities for residents of the area, including for teens, adults, children and seniors. Some programs offered include sports programs, educational activities, after-school programs as well as special events like voter registration drives and support meetings. The location has areas for meetings and classes for local groups and organizations. It also is home to the New Gum Springs Civic Association. Check the main website for details on programs or for a schedule of upcoming events.
Alexandria Visitors Center at Ramsay House offers maps and sighseeing brochures for tourists in Alexandria; it also has a gift shop.
Operated by the city's recreation department, the Jerome "Buddie" Ford Nature Center allows visitors to see local wildlife and learn about the natural and cultural history of the adjacent Dora Kelley Nature Park. The center features several year-round exhibits, including live snakes, turtles, toads and salamanders, an aquarium with native fish, a mounted black bear, turkey, red fox, bobcat, a greenhouse, art work, interpretive exhibits on local history and geology, a reference library and children's activity stations. The center also offers a variety of programs, including an after-school care, scout activities, school field trips and birthday parties. The facility is available for rent to community organizations.
Thousands of federal employees work at the headquarters for the United States Patent and Trademark Office, located near the King Street Metro. School and group tours are welcome at the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum, located in the atrium of the Madison Building here. The museum includes a theater, portrait gallery and gift shop. The museum is open 9am - 5pm weekdays and noon - 5pm Saturdays. Tours are Mondays from 2pm - 4pm and Fridays 10am - noon. Admission is free. The space is available for events but only to specific groups.
The Atheneum, which is located in an historic building in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, has been the home of the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association for more than forty years. This community gallery and exhibition space highlights local artists. The space also features classes, such as ballet and can host special events like readings and book parties.
The home of the Father of Our Country, George Washington's Mount Vernon, is a plantation on the banks of the Potomac River. Originally on land owned by Washington's great-grandfather, expansion of the estate started in 1739 and continued under Washington, who acquired the estate in 1754 and became sole owner in 1761. The plantation was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960. According to Wikipedia, Washington wrote in a letter to William Pearce in 1796: "I have no objection to any sober or orderly person's gratifying their curiosity in viewing the buildings, Gardens, &ca. about Mount Vernon."
Best and Worst Times to Go to Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is open year-round, but busiest from March until June, and on weekends September through October. As expected, traffic is high on President's Day and July 4. Other busy times, according to the Mount Vernon web site, are Palm Sunday weekend, Easter Sunday weekend, and the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Must See/Do at Mount Vernon
According to the Mount Vernon website, Washington loved dogs. Special dog-friendly tours are available in spring and fall. A must-see is the Distillery and Gristmill, located about three miles away from the mansion on Route 235. Free parking is available and admission is included with your ticket. Also worth seeing is the Pioneer Farm--baby lambs in the spring is a major draw.
Admission to Mount Vernon
Admission is cheaper for members, with about $30 for a basic membership, which includes unlimited admission for one person for one year. Non-members can expect to pay $17 for adult admission (ages 12-61), while seniors pay $16 and youth pay $9. Discounts are available for members of the military, veterans, and their dependents.
Parking and Public Transportation for Mount Vernon
Visitor parking is free at Mount Vernon, and is located on the east and west sides of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. An overflow lot is available if these lots are full, and the east and overflow lots have spots available for RVs and trailers. Public transportation is tricky--take Metrorail's Yellow Line to Huntington Station, go to the lower level exit, then board the Fairfax Connector Bus 101, the Fort Hunt Line. For more information, contact the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).
Food at Mount Vernon
The Mount Vernon Inn accepts and strongly recommends reservations, but accepts people on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are not required. The hours are odd, so call ahead. Prices are moderate and food is best described as American comfort food. Try the Cornbread with Vanilla Bean Honey Butter or the Fried Green Tomatoes at lunch or Sunday Brunch, the Soup Trio at dinner, and the Creole Mussels during Happy Hour.
Insider Tip for Mount Vernon
The key to the notorious French prison, the Bastille, is on display in the first floor passage. The key was given to Washington by the Marquis de Lafayette.
Author's bio: Becky Oberg is a history buff who lives in Indianapolis and descendent of Shadrack Byrd, a spy for the Americans during the Revolutionary War who saw combat at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge. Her hobbies include acting, reading, singing, writing, and playing video games.
George Washington Masonic National Memorial is located near King Street and Callahan Drive. George Washington Masonic National Memorial was established in 1920. This is more than just a memorial and a museum. George Washington Masonic National Memorial is also a research center, library, community center, performing arts center and also a concert hall. Admission is free for the first two floors.
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum was established in 1792 and has been in operation as a museum since 1939. Price for tickets are $5 for adults and children 5-12 are $3. Children under 5 years of age get in for free. Inside you will be able to see original bottles and supplies used during the Gothic period and also account books and ledgers that tell the history of the apothecary.
Gadsby's Tavern Museum is named for John Gadsby, who operated a tavern and the City Hotel in Alexandria from 1796 - 1808. Gadsby's establishments were visited by prominent guests of that time, including George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The museum offers guided tours and has a gift shop. The last tour of the day is at 4:45pm. Admission for adults is $5 and $3 for children ages 5 - 12. Check the museum's Website for details on discounts.
The Office of Historic Alexandria oversees seven of Alexandria's historic sites: Alexandria Black History Museum, Alexandria Archaeology Museum, Fort Ward Museum and Historic Park, Friendship Firehouse, Gadsby's Tavern, The Lyceum and the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum. It also helps organize events honoring the city's rich history.
The neoclassical Lyceum holds the story of Alexandria: permanent and rotating exhibits reveal the development, events and character of this changing port town founded in 1749. Artifacts, displays and models provide visual interest for all ages.
The Lecture Hall, where public figures and scholars have spoken since Civil War times, is still used for public activities, exhibitions, school programs, lectures, concerts and family history workshops, and can be rented for events. (It's a popular wedding location.)
Gift shop products include maps, books, postcards and note cards; products and information related to historic Alexandria; children's educational toys, books, games, and puzzles; holiday items and Christmas ornaments.
Members, volunteers and fundraising allow the Lyceum to continue telling Alexandria's story to future generations.
This Victorian styled home of "Light Horse Harry" Lee, Revolutionary War hero and father of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, situated on the corner of Oronoco Street and Washington Street, provides a glimpse of life in the early period of the Historic District. It is a popular site of weddings and receptions of all kinds.
The historically appointed lawn, with its broad, old branches, provides shade and lends atmospherics for celebrations of any kind.
Philip Richard Fendall bought the house from the Lee family, enhanced the property by expanding and updating it, and, for the next 118 years, hosted all thirty-seven members of the Lee family.
The house has rooms reminiscent of the Victorian era, and the gardens are a sometimes kept secret, even from long-time Old Towners.
The property is the site of regular wine tasting evenings for locals, but is perhaps even more popular for hosting weddings and other special occasions. The facilities can accommodate 150-170 guests, complete with a kitchen for catering companies.
Guided tours are available Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10am - 4pm, and Sundays, from 1pm - 4pm. Advance reservations are highly recommended, and can be made by calling 703-548-1789. On site parking is available, and a negligible admission is charged.
Located at the edge of Mount Vernon, the Woodlawn Plantation was part of the original Mount Vernon Estate. The National Trust Historic Site is a 126-acre estate and was the home of George Washington's nephew Major George Lewis and his wife, Eleanor Custis. Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey House is also located on the preserve and attracts thousands of architecture buffs from around the globe annually. Woodlawn Plantation is now the home of the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Agriculture, a new nonprofit providing local students with fresh produce.
The Alexandria Archaeology Museum is a division of the Office of Historic Alexandria, which offers residents an opportunity to learn about how archaeologists, volunteers and students study important historic artifacts. Alexandria Archaeology Museum offers programs, events, exhibits, site tours, public dig displays and more.
Fort Ward is a preserved system of Union batteries and forts originally built to protect Washington, D.C. during the Civil War. The site features a museum operated by the City of Alexandria that's dedicated to preserving the history of the site and features exhibits. Education programs, lectures, tours and living history activities are offered. The 45-acre site also includes a park with picnic areas that may be reserved. Admission is free and donations are welcome.
The Alexandria Black History Museum has been in Old Town since 1989. The museum provides visitors with a 10-minute introductory video and a complimentary guide to understanding the culture and history of Alexandria's African-Americans.
Expect to see paintings, photographs, books and other memorabilia that document the African-American experience in Alexandria and Virginia from 1794 to the present. Requested admission at the museum is $2. Also, check out the museum's website for a 20 percent coupon for the gift shop.