july 7–13, 2025
What's New
FEATURED EVENT
City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums Summer Concert on Market Square
Market Square, 301 King Street
Thursday, July 10
7:45- 8:45 p.m.
Free
Celebrate Alexandria’s Scottish heritage with the City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums at a free summer concert series! Enjoy performances featuring bagpipes and drums on Thursdays, July 10 and August 7. Combining precision marching with powerful and stirring musical arrangements rooted in Scottish heritage, the City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums has been captivating audiences for over 50 years.
Upcoming Events
View the Historic Alexandria Calendar
Join Us for The Next Community Cookout!
Andrew Adkins Public Housing Community, 700 N. Fayette Street
Wednesday, July 9
6 - 7:30 p.m.
Free
The next cookout will take place at Andrew Adkins Public Housing Community at 6 p.m. on this Wednesday, July 9. The event will be held indoors due to weather and heat conditions. Come stop by the Historic Alexandria table and say hi!
For more information and a schedule of upcoming community cookouts, visit https://www.alexandriava.gov/rpca/alexandria-community-cookouts
Trivia Nights at Historic Sites: Alexandria History
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden, 614 Oronoco Street
Friday, July 11 (biweekly through August)
7-9 p.m.
$12 admission
Purchase tickets.
Join staff from Lee-Fendall House Museum and Carlyle House Historic Park for bi-weekly trivia nights in the beautiful gardens located at Lee-Fendall House. Test your knowledge all summer on all things from pop culture to history! Teams may have up to 6 members. Cost includes one drink ticket; additional drinks can be bought at our cash bar. Teams may have up to 6 members. Ages 21 and over only. No outside alcohol is permitted. Food and water may be brought into the garden.
2nd Friday: July 2025
Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union Street
Friday, July 11
7-10 p.m.
Free event, no registration required.
Celebrate the City of Alexandria’s 276th birthday at the Torpedo Factory Art Center! The Grand Hall will include opportunities to learn about Alexandria’s history, an interactive DJ set, and birthday cupcakes for purchase. Historic Alexandria is providing multiple activities, including a history-inspired craft, a “Library of Cartography,” and history detective activity, so stop by and say hi!
Story Time for Little Historians
Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street
Saturday, July 12
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, staff provides historical context and local community connections. Story time will be held in the Museum’s Parker-Gray Gallery.
A World War II Walking Tour of Alexandria
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden, 614 Oronoco Street
Saturday, July 12
10:30 a.m - noon.
$15 admission/Free for museum members
Purchase tickets.
Alexandria was a bustling town during the Second World War, filled with servicemen and women and civilians contributing to the war effort. On this two-mile walk around Old Town, visit sites where history took place and buildings where notable Alexandrians, including a Tuskegee Airman and a member of the 101st Airborne, lived before serving their country. In addition, learn of the top-secret intelligence facility known as P.O. Box 1142. This tour begins at Lee-Fendall and ends at the Torpedo Factory by the waterfront. The tour will last approximately 1.5 hours. Walking shoes and water are highly recommended. The tour will take place rain or shine.
Do You Remember the Alexandria Roller Rink?
A Community Panel on a Lost Landmark
Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street
Saturday, July 12
11 a.m - noon.
Free and open to the public. Donations welcome.
Learn more online.
Join the Alexandria Historical Society for a special live panel reflecting on the Alexandria Roller Rink—a long-gone but fondly remembered hub of music, skating, and connection for generations of Alexandrians, especially within the city’s African American community.
Through personal stories and community memory, panelists will explore the cultural significance of the rink and why preserving its legacy still matters today.
Seating is limited and available on a first-come basis.
Lecture: Fashion History of the Carlyle’s 18th Century
Carlyle House, 121 N. Fairfax Street
Saturday, July 12
1 p.m.
$12
Purchase tickets online.
The Carlyle House will hold a fashion history lecture with Emma Rowland, who will cover the economics of fashion in the past. Fashion and clothing were intertwined with the economic, societal, and political systems of the day. Since John Carlyle was a merchant, she will discuss the trading and importation of textiles and their importance in Alexandria.
Lecture - St. Elizabeths Asylum: Civil War Care at the Hospital for the Insane
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden, 614 Oronoco Street
Saturday, July 12
2-3 p.m.
$10 admission
Purchase tickets.
Founded in 1852, St. Elizabeths was the nation’s first federally-funded psychiatric facility. The “Government Hospital for the Insane” in Washington, D.C. quickly transformed into a trauma center for wounded and convalescing soldiers when the Civil War broke-out a decade later. This lecture will analyze the reception of Union, Confederate, and African American troops, as well as their conditions upon admission. As the only federal mental health complex in the country during the Civil War, St. Elizabeths helped define treatment options for those afflicted with the modern diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Attendees will glimpse into the medical treatments of wartime Washington, connecting symptoms to battlefield experiences. Through an inclusion of primary sources and personal narratives, this lecture will explore the impact on psychiatric care in the postbellum years and reflect on the wave of mentally-ill veterans once the war concluded.
Alexandria & USA Birthday Celebration!
Oronoco Bay Park, 100 Madison Street
Saturday, July 12
6 - 9:45 p.m. (Fireworks display on the Potomac River at 9:30 p.m.)
Free
The City will celebrate its 276th and the USA’s 249th birthday on Saturday, July 12, at Oronoco Bay Park. Experience this one-of-a-kind Alexandria event with your family. The evening includes live music, food and drink vendors, and ends with the grand finale -- a fireworks display on the Potomac River at 9:30 p.m. Plus come visit the Historic Alexandria table and say hi!
Family Day with Young Historians
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal Street
Sunday, July 13 (every Sunday through Labor Day)
2- 5 p.m.
Included in regular museum admission.
Junior Docents (4th through 6th graders) provide stationed tours throughout the two tavern buildings and operate special, hands-on activity stations about period clothing and chocolate making. It’s a unique and fun way to explore history for all ages.
Specialty Tours: Those Who Signed The Fairfax Resolves?
Carlyle House, 121 N. Fairfax Street
Friday, July 18
10 a.m. & 2 p.m.
$8 per person
Purchase tickets online.
On July 18, 1774, 25 gentlemen from Fairfax County (including Alexandria) signed the Fairfax Resolves, which rejected the British Parliament’s claim of supreme authority over the American colonies. John Carlyle, George Mason, and George Washington are names still known today but who were the others and what stakes did they have in signing this document? Join us for these specialty tours in commemoration of the Fairfax Resolves to learn more. Registration is required.
Having trouble registering? Please email us at carlyle@nvrpa.org or call the museum at 703-549-2997.
Disguised and Determined: Women Who Fought in the Civil War
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden, 614 Oronoco Street
Saturday, July 19
2-3 p.m.
$10 admission
Purchase tickets.
There are hundreds of documented cases of women who fought disguised as men during the Civil War. Tracey McIntire and Audrey Scanlan-Teller, PhD will discuss and share documentation of some of the more fascinating women and what motivated them to fight alongside men. Spend an afternoon with McIntire and Scanlan-Teller as they share their research in a house that once used to operate as a Union Army hospital.
Outlandish Tour at the Apothecary Museum
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, 105-107 South Fairfax Street
Sunday, July 20
11 a.m. - noon
$15 per person/$12 for Historic Alexandria Member
Purchase tickets.
Tour this historic apothecary and learn about a few of the herbal medicines featured in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series of novels from cascara to dauco seeds. The tour also touches on the role of apothecaries and women in medicine in the 18th century. Recommended for ages 18 and up. Please arrive between 10:45-11 a.m. as the museum is not open to the public until 1 p.m. and the doors will be locked when the tour begins. Please note the tour involves ascending and descending stairs.
Let Freedom House Ring! A Literary Fundraiser
Morrison House Old Town Alexandria, Autograph Collection, 116 South Alfred Street Alexandria, VA
Sunday, July 20
1 - 3p.m.
Free. Donations welcome.
Reserved admission available (Reserved admission includes a signed copy of Spite House, guaranteed seating during the event discussion, and entry to win a one-night staycation at Morrison House. $8.80 of the ticket price will be donated to the Freedom House Rehabilitation Project)
Purchase tickets online.
You're Invited!
Join us at the Morrison House Hotel on Sunday, July 20, from 1–3 p.m. for a free afternoon of storytelling, history, and community — all in support of the Freedom House Museum Rehabilitation Project.
This special event brings together three iconic Old Town landmarks — Freedom House, Morrison House, and Spite House — for a lively panel featuring:
- John Wasowicz shares his insights into the 7th book of his acclaimed Old Town Mystery Series, Spite House.
- Brendan O'Leary, the current owner of an Old Town spite house, reflects on the unique experience of living in a landmark.
- The Old Town Crier, Ben Fiore-Walker, recounts the history of Old Town’s Freedom House and the lore of its Spite Houses.
- Gretchen Bulova, Director of the Office of Historic Alexandria, will share the history of Freedom House and the latest information on its important rehabilitation.
- William T. Newman, Jr., retired Circuit Court Judge and popular stage and screen actor as well as Nicole Lacroix, announcer and producer at WETA Classical, will regale the audience with passages from ‘Spite House,’ book 7 of the Old Town Loves Mystery series.
Stick around afterward for a book signing — 40% of sales will go directly to the Freedom House Rehabilitation project — plus light refreshments and great company!
Support Historic Alexandria
On July 7, 1925, the first traffic light became operational at King and Washington Streets to handle the ever increasing flow of automobile traffic through the heart of downtown Alexandria. Despite its width, Washington Street was still only one lane in each direction, as the four-lane George Washington Memorial Parkway had yet to be constructed at either end of the city. Angled, rather than parallel, parking was accommodated along the curbside on both sides of Washington Street.
Historic Alexandria Museum Hours
Alexandria Archaeology Museum
Tuesdays–Fridays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 –5 p.m.
Alexandria Black History Museum
Thursdays & 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 & Fridays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 – 5 p.m.
Fort Ward Museum
Thursdays & Fridays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 – 5 p.m.
Freedom House
Closed to Visitors During Front Door Restoration
Freedom House Museum is temporarily closed to visitors to allow for the completion of the front façade restoration and installation of new entry doors.
UPDATE: The front facade work is almost done so the scaffolding is coming down. While we are excited to share this rehabilitation update, the two doors to the Freedom House Museum and their hardware are still being fabricated so the museum will be closed through the end of July.
To learn more about the ongoing rehabilitation, visit the Freedom House Rehabilitation Project page. Project updates will be posted regularly on the Freedom House webpage.
Friendship Firehouse Museum
Saturday, July 19, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum
Thursdays & Fridays, 11 a.m.– 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays-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.
NEW: Apothecary Night Shift–Every Saturday in June and July the museum is open 11 a.m.--7 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
On July 7, 1925, the first traffic light became operational at King and Washington Streets to handle the ever increasing flow of automobile traffic through the heart of downtown Alexandria. Despite its width, Washington Street was still only one lane in each direction, as the four-lane George Washington Memorial Parkway had yet to be constructed at either end of the city. Angled, rather than parallel, parking was accommodated along the curbside on both sides of Washington Street.
Upcoming Commission and Committee Events
Commissions Supporting Historic Alexandria
July 9 Alexandria Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
8-9:15 a.m.July 14 Alexandria-Caen Sister Cities Committee (SCC)
City Hall, 301 King Street, Sister Cities Room 1101
7-9 p.m.July 15 Historic Alexandria Resources Commission (HARC)
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7 p.m.- July 16 Alexandria Archaeological Commission (AAC)
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7 p.m. July 21 George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee (GWBCC)
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7 p.m.July 21 Alexandria Sister Cities Committee
301 King Street, Room 1101
7 - 8:30 p.m.