A Morning in Alexandria Virginia – Walking Route
When we were in the US over October half term, we had a few nights in Washington DC after our time in New York and wanted to explore a little further afield. We hired a car to go to Mount Vernon and decided to spend the morning in Alexandria before heading to George Washington’s home.
Exploring Old Town Alexandria, Virginia
We started our morning in Alexandria at the Alexandria Visitor Center, Ramsay House. The visitor center is a real hub of the old town, with so many brochures, maps and tickets to a variety of tours and attractions. Although the visitor center offer walking tours of the town, we decided to create our own walking tour to see the main things that appealed to us in our own time. I’ve added a little map at the end in case this might be useful.
Our first stop, after the visitor center, was the Torpedo Factory Art Center. This is an iconic building near the river which was originally a torpedo factory but is now full of artists’ studios, showcasing their work.
We loved spending time by the river, reading signs and enjoying a slower pace. It’s also home to Tall Ship Providence which you can pay to climb aboard and explore.
After some time by the river we walked to Captains Row, a beautiful cobbled road full of the most beautiful historic houses and a really old and original part of the old town. The houses used to be owned by ship captains but have passed hands many time since then. When we visited so many houses were decorated for Halloween and it was lovely to see.
We walked past the Athenaeum, a fine arts gallery and performance venue, and admired the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, a historic apothecary’s shop that has been preserved as a museum.
We grabbed drinks at a gorgeous coffee shop – and one of the only places we experienced in America that knew how to make a cup of tea! Before admiring the Market Square, such a historic part of any town and it was so nice to see the flags flying and so many people enjoying the space.
A stone’s throw from the Market Square, Carlyle House Historic Park was closed when we visited but is an incredibly historic house dating back to 1751. We were happy to read the signs and learn about it despite not being able to go inside.
We walked past the City Hall on our way to our next stop, Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, two 18th-century taverns that are now a museum, capturing the changing landscape of the early United States. Like most museums and attractions in Alexandria, it was closed when we visited on a Wednesday but we were still able to learn about it with historic signs and admire the building from the outside.
We then ventured to 508 Cameron Street where a replica of George Washington’s Alexandria bolthole sits. He’d venture to Alexandria to get away from the stresses of work so it was nice to see the kind of house he would have spent so much time in.
And just around the corner, at 523 Queen Street, we admired the Hollensbury Spite House which is the slimmest house in the United States. This was probably one of our favourite parts of the city. Such a gorgeous yet historic building.
We loved seeing the Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library, the site of the first sit-down demonstration in the United States back in 1939, protesting segregation, and Christ Church Alexandria, a beautiful church where many American presidents have attended services.
The last couple of stops on our little walking tour were the Friendship Firehouse Museum, which dates back to 1774 as home of the first volunteer fire company in Alexandria, the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum, an iconic building which a rich history, and the Murray-Dick-Fawcett House at 517 Prince Street
We loved exploring Alexandria. It was so full of history, with so many signs to read and cute buildings to admire as well as quirky shops and plenty of places to grab a drink or enjoy a meal. I loved how community spirited the whole city felt, with many houses having dog biscuits to help yourselves to outside, Halloween decorations everywhere and even a little free library. We’re so glad we made the trip to Alexandria and would love to spend longer there next time.
Here’s a little map of our walking route in case it helps you plan your trip to Alexandria:
