What's New

Lafayette, La Musique de la Garde Nationale Parisienne

Commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s historic tour of the United States on Tuesday, May 7 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington Street. Experience the sounds of Lafayette’s era through a captivating lecture and concert featuring music performed on authentic early 19th-century instruments. Researchers and historical-performance specialists Dominic Giardino and Dr. Chris Troiano will bring to life the melodies that underscored Lafayette’s remarkable French Revolutionary career. 

$20 per person. Concert tickets available online.

Specialty Tour: Peeling Back the Layers 

May is Preservation Month! See the multiple layers of Gadsby’s Tavern Museum in this specialty tour! Explore the 18th century buildings, including spaces rarely opened to the public. From graffiti in the attic to clues about the building’s construction date in the basement, learn to “read” a building and its changes through time.

$15 person. Historic Alexandria Members $12. Tickets available online.  

Alexandria Historical Society Annual History Award Winners 

Each year since 1984 the Alexandria Historical Society honors groups or individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to the preservation of the historic, cultural and artistic heritage of Alexandria, Virginia. All of the awards are presented annually in April ceremonies. Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 Alexandria Historical Society’s History Awards! 

• Amy Bertsch and John Sprinkle received the T. Michael Miller Award. 
• Dr. Abby Schreiber received the Special Merit Award. 
• William Lacey, Duke Shackelford, Cate Nickson, and Charlotte Rayder received our High School History Awards. 

Special thanks to Alex Lothstein, Michael Johnson, and Finnley Rocca for an enlightening panel about the value of a history degree. Many thanks as well to King’s Jewelry for making the awards!  

Upcoming Events

View the Historic Alexandria Calendar

Community Cookout
Ruby Tucker Center at Tancil Court, 322 Tancil Court
Tuesday, May 7
6- 7:30 p.m.
Free

Join us for Community Cookouts in 2024! A great time for neighbors and families to come together and connect with community resources. There will be free food, face painting and activities, games for the kids and giveaways. For more information, contact Michael Johnson at 703.898.5115, michael.johnson@alexandriava.gov or Officer Bennie Evans at 703.627.0728.

Preservation Tours: Lost Buildings of Alexandria - The Berg & Parker-Gray
Tours begin at Lee-Fendall House Museum, 614 Oronoco Street
Every Saturday in May, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
$20/50% off for Lee-Fendall museum members.
Tickets can be purchased at leefendallhouse.eventbrite.com.

In honor of Historic Preservation Month, Lee-Fendall House and Carlyle Historic Park bring a new "Lost Buildings" walking tour, focused on the Berg and Parker-Gray neighborhoods.

The City of Alexandria has seen older buildings and spaces being restored, preserved, and reused in different ways. However, there were many buildings that were not preserved. Explore the Berg and Parker-Gray neighborhoods of Alexandria and stop at locations where historic buildings once stood.

The program is a joint effort between the Lee-Fendall House and Carlyle Historic Park. The tour includes walking over many city blocks, so please dress appropriately for the terrain and weather. Tours are limited to 10 people. For more information, please call (703) 548-1789 or email contact@leefendallhouse.org.bennie.evans@alexandriava.gov. 

Traditional Music Series Concert
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St.
Thursday, May 9
7-9 p.m.
$25/$12 Ages 12-17 at ticketstripe.com/magillandmurray

This concert features Andrew Finn Magill (fiddle) & Alan Murray (vocals, bouzouki, and guitar). For twenty years violinist/fiddler and composer Andrew Finn Magill has been pursuing parallel careers in traditional Irish music, Brazilian choro, jazz and American fiddle and he has performed with everyone from grammy-nominees Trio Brasileiro to Rising Appalachia.Guitarist, bouzouki player and singer Alan Murray hails from Glasgow, Scotland, where he grew up playing the whistle and later guitar. He has played and toured around the world with many of the finest traditional musicians and acts today, including Niall and Cillian Vallely, Eileen Ivers, Colin Farrell, Paul Brock, Battlefield Band, and FourWinds. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., concert begins at 7 p.m. Free snacks; cash bar for beer, wine, and a specialty cocktail.

Story Time for Little Historians
Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street
Saturday, May 11
10-10:45 a.m.
Free event, no registration required. Call 703-746-4356 for more information. 

This FREE, fun, and educational story time is geared to children ages 5-8 years old and features stories related to Black History. The program uses books written by and about African American people and other communities of color to educate and inspire our youngest visitors. Along with the book reading, Museum Staff provides historical context and local community connections. Story time will be held in the Museum’s Parker-Gray Gallery. 

Civil War Hospital Tour
Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco Street
Saturday, May 11
2-3:15 p.m.
$10 per person. Tickets can be purchased at leefendallhouse.eventbrite.com.

Free for museum members. Members, please call the museum to reserve your ticket. Call 703-548-1789 for more information or email contact@leefendallhouse.org  

Learn how the Lee-Fendall House was confiscated during the Civil War and operated as a Union Army hospital. Explore what life was like in Union-occupied Alexandria, how the Lee-Fendall House witnessed medical history, and how political divisions impacted those living here. 

The tour is limited to 12 participants.

Friendship & Firefighting in Alexandria
Friendship Firehouse Museum, 100 Block of South Alfred Street
Saturday, May 18
9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Free event, no registration required.  

Join us Saturday, May 18 in front of Friendship Firehouse Museum at 107 South Alfred Street for a muster of over 15 antique, hand-drawn firefighting apparatus. Participating vehicles will include 19th-century suction fire engines and hose reel carriages. Friendship Firehouse Museum will also be open for free during the event. 

Friendship & Firefighting in Alexandria is sponsored by the Friendship Veterans Fire Engine Association and the Office of Historic Alexandria.

Lecture: Remember the First Ladies
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St.
Tuesday, May 21
7-8:30 p.m.
$15/$12 for Members and Volunteers
Tickets available online. 

Please join us for a moderated program featuring Diana Carlin, Anita McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith, co-authors of a new book, “Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women.” The book illustrates First Ladies’ unique position to influence American society, policy, diplomacy, and life in the White House and illuminates how many of them broke barriers to make a mark on our country and, at times, the world. A book signing will follow the program.

Lewis Cass White: Preserving the Legacy of Fort Stevens
Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site, 4301 West Braddock Road 
Exhibition Opening May 25

To honor the 160th Anniversary of the Battle of Fort Stevens, learn more about Lewis Cass White and his large collection of almost 200 documents, objects, and photographs related to his Civil War service and post-war mission to preserve the Defenses of Washington. More about the Lewis Cass White Collection: https://www.alexandriava.gov/museums/the-lewis-cass-white-collection

Vietnam War Veterans Plaque Dedication
Alexandria Union Station, 110 Callahan Drive
Memorial Day, May 27
9 a.m. (gather at 8:45 a.m.)
Free event, no registration required. 

VFW Post 609 and American Legion Post 24, in partnership with the Office of Historic Alexandria, are memorializing Alexandrians who lost their lives in the Vietnam War with a plaque dedication ceremony on Memorial Day. The plaque will be installed at the city’s Monument to its War Dead at Union Station. A second duplicate Vietnam War Veteran plaque will be dedicated on the exterior of the American Legion Post 24 building at 400 Cameron Street on June 14th at 6 p.m.

Annual D-Day Commemoration
Market Square; 301 King Street
Sunday, June 2
1-4 p.m.
Free event, no registration required. 

Join the Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy. The event will feature a commemorative ceremony, historical displays, reenactors, 40s music, swing dancing, and children’s activities.

Annual D-Day Lecture, “How Patton’s ‘Ghost Army’ Beat Hitler"
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street
Thursday, June 6
7-9 p.m.
$10 per person. Tickets available online.

The Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee welcomes Dr. Kim Bernard Holien, U.S. Army Historian (retired) to share the true story of a top-secret mission in Normandy, France, that paved the way for a successful Allied invasion on “D-Day.” In 2024, more than 80 years after their mission, soldiers of the “Ghost Army” received the highest civilian honor of the United States, the Congressional Gold Medal, for their clever tactics outwitting the enemy in the most unlikely ways. Their tactics were unconventional, including inflatable convoys, sound effects, fake radio shows, and misinformation. A reception will follow the lecture. How & why were the Nazis fooled? As Sir Walter Scott wrote: "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." Come and learn how the Allies weaved the web that held the German 15th Army at Calais, ensuring victory in Normandy. Reception to follow the lecture.

Historic Alexandria receives City operational funding to support its mission; however, these resources do not cover the full scope of the department’s strategic goals and projects. Donations, special revenue, and grant funding help supplement staff, conservation work, and educational programs. Please consider making a gift today.

Historic Alexandria Museum Hours

Plan your Visit

• Alexandria Archaeology Museum
  Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays, 1-5 p.m.
• Alexandria Black History Museum
  Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays, 1-5 p.m.
• Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum
  Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays, 1-5 p.m.
• Fort Ward Museum
  Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays, 1-5 p.m.
• Freedom House Museum
  Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays and Mondays, 1-5 p.m.
• Friendship Firehouse Museum
  Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Gadsby’s Tavern Museum
  Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays through Tuesdays, 1-5 p.m.
• Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
  The Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum will be closed for preservation work April 29-May 17. Typically, hours are Wednesdays–Fridays, 11 a.m.– 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays & Mondays 1 - 5 p.m.

Visit our website and follow us on social media to discover new things about your hometown. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic. Admission to City of Alexandria museums is complimentary for city residents.

For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Nicole Quinn at historicalexandria@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4554, Virginia Relay 711.

This Week in Alexandria's History

More from This Day in History

On May 9, 1809, President James Madison, just two months after his inaugural ceremonies, attended a social event at Caton’s Hotel (Gadsby’s Tavern) in Alexandria. This first year of Madison’s presidency was a prosperous time for America, and for Alexandria as well.  At the time of his inauguration, the new nation had a financial surplus of $9,500,000, and in Alexandria new highways were constructed to connect northward to Washington, and southward across Hunting Creek towards Richmond, which eventually became part of US Route 1.

Upcoming Commission and Committee Events

Commissions Supporting Historic Alexandria

• May 7 HARC Advocacy Meeting
  La Madeleine, 500 King Street
  10 a.m.-12 p.m.
• May 7 ACRP Steering Committee 
  Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street
  5-6 p.m.
• May 8 Historic Restoration and Preservation Committee Meeting
  Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
  8:15-9:30 a.m.
• May 13 Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee
  Sister Cities Conference Room 1101, Alexandria City Hall, 301 King Street
  7-9 p.m.
• May 15 Alexandria Archaeological Commission
  Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
  7-9 p.m.
• May 20 Sister Cities Committee (SCC) Dundee and Helsingborg 
  Sister Cities Conference Room 1101, Alexandria City Hall, 301 King Street
  7-9 p.m.
• May 20 George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee (GWBCC)
  Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
  7-9 p.m.
• May 20 Public Records Advisory Commission
  Archives and Records Center, 801 S Payne Street
  7:30 p.m.
• May 21 Historic Alexandria Resources Commission
  Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
  7-9 p.m.