Alexandria
The charming town of Alexandria is 5 miles and 250 years away from Washington. Once a salty port, Alexandria – known as ‘Old Town’ to locals – is today a posh collection of red-brick homes, cobblestone streets, gas lamps and a waterfront promenade near the Potomac River. It's often described as one of the best-preserved historical districts in the nation. Boutiques, outdoor cafes and bars pack the main thoroughfare, making the town a fine afternoon or evening jaunt. Two miles north of Old Town, the residential Del Ray neighborhood is a pleasant place to stroll, especially along the eatery-lined Mt Vernon Ave. Alexandria is also a jumping-off spot for excursions to Mount Vernon.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site
Alexandria
Washington, DC’s best-preserved Civil War fort is surprisingly hidden away in a residential Alexandria neighborhood. But there it is, a vivid foray into…
Alexandria
This demure Federal-style row house holds a tragic story. At a time when Alexandria was the nation’s second-largest slave center (after New Orleans), a…
Alexandria Black History Museum
Alexandria
Paintings, photographs, books and other memorabilia documenting the African American experience in Alexandria, one of the nation’s major slave ports, are…
Lyceum: Alexandria's History Museum
Alexandria
For a quick primer on Alexandria’s history, stop by this small city museum in a beautiful Greek Revival building dating from 1839. A somewhat dusty array…
Alexandria
If you have time for just one historic house tour in Alexandria, make it this one. The house dates from 1753 when merchant and city founder, John Carlyle,…
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
Alexandria
In 1792 Edward Stabler opened up his apothecary (pharmacy) – a family business that would operate until 1933, when the Depression forced its doors to…
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George Washington Masonic National Memorial
Alexandria
Alexandria’s most prominent landmark features a fine view from the observation deck of its 333ft tower. Modeled after Egypt’s Lighthouse of Alexandria, it…
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Contrabands & Freedmen Cemetery
Alexandria
During the Civil War, the Union-controlled southern city of Alexandria, VA, became a safe haven for formerly enslaved African Americans. Though they had…
Articles
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