What's New

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.

Upcoming Events

View the Historic Alexandria Calendar

Community Cookout
Southern Towers, 4901 Seminary Rd.
Tuesday, May 21
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.

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 on Tuesday, May 21 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.

Celebrate National Preservation Month: A Lecture by Nicholas Redding
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum
Wednesday, May 22
7 p.m.

The Alexandria Historical Society presents a lecture by Nicholas Redding, President and CEO of Preservation Maryland, who will highlight the work of the organization to save key resources, invest in historic trades, and promote affordable communities. 

Nicholas has led Preservation Maryland since 2014, and oversees its operations, programs and growing professional staff. Since his arrival he has overseen a complex merger and the subsequent creation of Smart Growth Maryland, a dynamic new program of the organization. 

Nicholas has worked in partnership with the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Center to establish the Campaign for Historic Trades, a new program dedicated to developing the next generation of traditional tradespeople. 

For additional information, please visit the AHS website: sites.google.com/view/alexandria-historical-society/home

Beyond the Battlefield: A Civil War Walking Tour
Saturday, May 25
10 a.m.
$15/Free for Museum Members
Tickets can be purchased online. 

This walking tour shares the stories of soldiers, citizens, and self-liberated African Americans in Civil War Alexandria. It covers the military occupation, the conversion of public and private buildings into hospitals, and emancipation. 

Tickets must be purchased in advance. The tour is limited to 12 participants and lasts approximately an hour and a half. Walking tours take place rain or shine, so please wear appropriate shoes and clothing. Tour begins at Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco Street. For more information, please call 703-548-1789 or e-mail contact@leefendallhouse.org.

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 online.

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.

Specialty Tour: Peeling Back the Layers–SOLD OUT
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 201 S. Washington St.
Every Sunday in May
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
$15/$12 for Historic Alexandria Members
Tickets available online. 

May is Preservation Month! See the multiple layers of Gadsby’s Tavern Museum in this speciality 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. Wear comfortable shoes, be prepared for stairs, and bring your camera! The tour begins in the shop of Gadsby’s Tavern Museum. 

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

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace-Happy Hour
Last Friday of the month May-September (May 31st, June 28th, July 26th, Aug 30th, & Sept 27th)
6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
$20

Join our yoga instructor for an hour long Yoga class on Carlyle’s Magnolia Terrace. Afterwards, enjoy a mocktail with yoga participants and staff. Mocktails will change based on the month and will be announced on our social media! Yoga Happy Hours are a fundraiser for new exhibit cases in the museum and sponsored by the Friends of Carlyle House. For more details, visit the event website here.

Civil War Living History Day at Lee-Fendall
Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco Street 
Saturday, June 1
11 a.m.- 3 p.m.
$15/Free for Museum Members

Visit the Lee-Fendall House and learn how it was a Union Army hospital and the site of the first and only successful blood transfusion during the Civil War. Through living history demonstrations, a special house tour, medicinal plants table, and a brass band performance, you will immerse yourself in what it would have been like at the house during the mid-19th century.

Entry is on the hour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and advance registration is required. Members, please call or e-mail the museum to reserve your tickets. Questions? Please call the museum at 703-548-1789 or e-mail contact@leefendallhouse.org.

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.

Traditional Concert Series
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street
Friday, June 7
7:30-9:30 p.m.
$25 per person/$12 ages 12-17 online.

Irish music featuring Brian Conway (fiddle) and Brendan Dolan (piano, flute, and whistle). Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 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, June 8
10-10:45 a.m.
Free event, no registration required. 

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. Call 703-746-4356 for more information.

Beyond the Battlefield: A Civil War Walking Tour
Tour begins at Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco Street
Saturday, June 8
10 a.m.
$15/Free for Museum Members
Tickets can be purchased online.

This walking tour shares the stories of soldiers, citizens, and self-liberated African Americans in Civil War Alexandria. It covers the military occupation, the conversion of public and private buildings into hospitals, and emancipation. 

Tickets must be purchased in advance. The tour is limited to 12 participants and lasts approximately an hour and a half. Walking tours take place rain or shine, so please wear appropriate shoes and clothing. For more information, please call 703-548-1789 or e-mail contact@leefendallhouse.org.

Discovering Alexandria Architecture Walking Tour
Tour begins at Carlyle House,121 N. Fairfax Street
Saturday, June 8
10 a.m.
$20 per person, purchase in advance online. 

Alexandria has grown from a small town in the 18th century to a bustling small city in the 21st century. Join us for a tour of Alexandria  as we explore looking at the various Architecture styles that adorn the city streets and make it one of the best places to live and work. 

Reservations are required as space is limited. Please wear comfortable shoes for this 1.5 hour guided tour. Tour is held rain or shine unless there is severe weather. 

Having trouble registering? Please call 703-549-2997 or email carlyle@nvrpa.org

Specialty Tours: Colonial Herbs & Spices
Tours begin at Carlyle House,121 N. Fairfax Street
Saturday, June 8
11 a.m .& 2 p.m.
$7 per person, register online. 

Colonists used herbs and spices in all aspects of their lives from cooking to medicinal. Join us in celebrating National Herb and Spice day with our specialty tours focusing on both native and imported herbs and spices that were used in colonial households. 

These special tours will take place at 11am and 2pm. Registration is recommended but not required. Having trouble registering? Please call 703-549-2997 or email carlyle@nvrpa.org

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
  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 20, 1809 the “Long Bridge,” built just north of Alexandria, opened, connecting Virginia with the new capital city of Washington, D.C. across the Potomac River. During this time, Alexandria’s 18th century isolation and dependence on waterways for regional travel was being reduced as new highways were extended from Alexandria’s dead end street grid southward from Henry Street across Great Hunting Creek to Richmond, and northward from  North Washington Street to Washington, D.C. along what is now Powhatan Street.

Upcoming Commission and Committee Events

Commissions Supporting Historic Alexandria

• 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 23 GWBCC Marketing and Public Relations Subcommittee meeting
  Zoom: Register online.
  6:30-7:30 p.m.

• June 4 Alexandria Community Remembrance Project Steering Committee
  Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St.
  5 p.m.

• June 10 Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee
  Sister Cities Conference Room 1101, Alexandria City Hall, 301 King Street
  7-9 p.m.

• June 12 Alexandria Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission
  Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
  8 a.m.

• June 17 Sister Cities Committee (SCC) Dundee and Helsingborg 
  Sister Cities Conference Room 1101, Alexandria City Hall, 301 King Street
  7-8 p.m.

• June 17 George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee (GWBCC)
  Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
  7-9 p.m.

• June 17 Public Records Advisory Commission
  Archives and Records Center, 801 S Payne Street
  7:30 p.m.

• June 18 Historic Alexandria Resources Commission (HARC)
  Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
  7-9 p.m.

• June 19 Alexandria Archaeological Commission
  Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
  7-9 p.m.