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.

Best Things to Do

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Interior exhibit

    Freedom House Museum

    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 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…

  • The historic Carlyle House, in Alexandria, Virginia.; Shutterstock ID 302612909; Your name (First / Last): redownload; GL account no.: redownload; Netsuite department name: redownload; Full Product or Project name including edition: redownload

    Carlyle House

    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,…

  • The compounding room

    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…

  • National Inventors Hall of Fame & Museum

    National Inventors Hall of Fame & Museum

    Alexandria

    Housed in the atrium of the US Patent and Trademark Office, this museum tells the history of the US patent. Step inside to see where the story started in…

  • Torpedo Factory Art Center

    Torpedo Factory Art Center

    Alexandria

    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

    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…

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Articles

Latest stories from Alexandria

Townhouses on residential street in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia

Art and Culture

17 ways to feel the charm of Alexandria, Virginia

Aug 2, 2024 • 11 min read

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