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.

Explore Alexandria

  • Freedom House Museum

    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

    Paintings, photographs, books and other memorabilia documenting the African American experience in Alexandria, one of the nation’s major slave ports, are…

  • Carlyle House

    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

    In 1792 Edward Stabler opened up his apothecary (pharmacy) – a family business that would operate until 1933, when the Depression forced its doors to…

  • T

    Torpedo Factory Art Center

    What do you do with a former munitions dump and arms factory? How about turning it into one of the best art spaces in the region? Three floors of artist…

  • Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site

    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…

  • C

    Contrabands & Freedmen Cemetery

    During the Civil War, the Union-controlled southern city of Alexandria, VA, became a safe haven for formerly enslaved African Americans. Though they had…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Alexandria.

  • See

    Freedom House Museum

    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…

  • See

    Alexandria Black History Museum

    Paintings, photographs, books and other memorabilia documenting the African American experience in Alexandria, one of the nation’s major slave ports, are…

  • See

    Carlyle House

    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,…

  • See

    Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum

    In 1792 Edward Stabler opened up his apothecary (pharmacy) – a family business that would operate until 1933, when the Depression forced its doors to…

  • See

    Torpedo Factory Art Center

    What do you do with a former munitions dump and arms factory? How about turning it into one of the best art spaces in the region? Three floors of artist…

  • See

    Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site

    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…

  • See

    Contrabands & Freedmen Cemetery

    During the Civil War, the Union-controlled southern city of Alexandria, VA, became a safe haven for formerly enslaved African Americans. Though they had…