EST
Alexandria

VA

1749
A split image showing fireworks over water at night, a couple walking toward a historic mansion, and a docked tall ship with an American flag near a waterfront park during the day.
From Our Partners

Commemorate America’s 250th Birthday in Alexandria, VA

J

Just minutes from Washington, D.C. on the Potomac River waterfront, historic Alexandria, Virginia, welcomes families, friends and history-lovers to stay in and explore the city and the region to commemorate America’s 250th birthday.

The commemoration is here, and there’s no better place to experience it than a city that helped write the first chapter. Enjoy special events, tours, exhibits, public art, lectures, music, family activities and more. Extend your stay and easily connect to the experiences in Washington, D.C., and George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Alexandria has played a major role in the nation’s story and reflects its progress toward inclusivity. Find intimate historic museums, trace the footsteps of George Washington and the Founding Fathers and follow the stories of Black Americans who shaped the history of Alexandria and the United States. Museums and organizations across Alexandria tell this story year-round.

Join us as we commemorate America’s story in Alexandria.

America 250 Events in Alexandria

Show Events For
DATES:
09/10/2025AND12/31/2026
Categories
Sort By:
A smiling family of five—two adults and three children—walk together on the grass in front of a large historic building (George Washington's Mount Vernon) with red roof, white walls, and a cupola under a blue sky with clouds.

America 250 at George Washington's Mount Vernon

Experience history where it happened at the first president’s estate. Walk through Patriots Path—a Revolutionary War encampment—and chat with the soldiers to learn about life as an 18th-century soldier. Experience new historical character engagements on the bowling green. In June 2026, Mount Vernon unveiled George Washington: A Revolutionary Life, an interactive experience that immerses visitors in Washington’s life, leadership and legacy through galleries, original artifacts and multimedia storytelling.

Colorful fireworks burst in the night sky over a calm waterfront—one of the best things to do this summer—reflecting on the water, with silhouetted piers and distant city lights glowing along the shore.

Your Ultimate Guide to Commemorating America’s 250th in Alexandria

Planning your trip around America’s 250th? Our ultimate guide has everything you need. From Sails on the Potomac and the Alexandria & USA Birthday Celebration to historic walking tours, museum exhibits, the Virginia 250 Passport, and where to eat, stay, and explore, this is your one-stop resource for experiencing the semiquincentennial in a city that’s older than the country itself. Explore the guide here.

The Carlyle House in Old Town Alexandria.

Revolutionary War Tour with Alexandria History Tours

This professionally guided walking tour from Alexandria History Tours takes you through the city’s Revolutionary War history. Discover Alexandria’s central role on the road to American Independence, and learn about key places and events, as you visit sites like Carlyle House, Captain’s Row, Christ Church and more.

"Time and Place" Public Art Project

For Time and Place 2026, an exhibit of temporary public art that explores an aspect of the city’s history, the City of Alexandria’s Public Art Program has commissioned artist Sandy Williams IV to create a visually compelling installation—on view from May through November 2026 in the courtyard of the Alexandria Circuit Court at 520 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314—that invites visitors to reflect on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the relevance of its ideas today and in the future. 

"Women in Business" Exhibit at Gadsby's Tavern Museum

This exhibit explores the stories of women entrepreneurs in Alexandria’s past and present, highlighting how women have long played a vital role in the city’s economic and social life.

Visitors are invited to see primary sources up close to explore how women appear (and don’t) in the historical record in the 18th century.

A large wooden sailing ship with tall masts and rigging is docked by the water, with several people standing on its deck. Trees and a pier are visible in the background.

Things to Do in Alexandria

Old Town

Two women walk down King Street in Old Town Alexandria.

Historic Attractions & Museums

Carlyle House

Key to the City Attraction Pass

Interior of Freedom House Museum in Alexandria, VA.

History Events

Uniformed soldiers and period tents at Revolutionary War military encampment reenactment

Black History & Culture

A bronze statue of two women standing side by side, holding hands, with a large rock behind them. Trees and a building covered with ivy are visible in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Hotel Offers

Hotel Indigo Alexandria lobby or guest area with welcoming ambiance

Top 18 Things to Do in Old Town

Spite House in Old Town Alexandria

Virginia 250 Passport

A family takes a selfie with their Virginia 250 passport in front of a historic site.

Available free of charge at the Alexandria Visitors Center, the Virginia 250 Passport is a commemorative booklet 70 historic sites across the state. It also includes discounts at select sites and opportunities to win prizes!

Learn More

Historical Tours

Step back in time on a guided tour to explore Alexandria’s past, from the mid-1700s to today.

Alexandria History Tours: Revolutionary War, George Washington and More

Gravestone Stories

A group of people stand outdoors on a sunny day, listening to a guide near a fenced grave site with a tall obelisk monument and cross, surrounded by green grass and trees.

Alexandria Colonial Tours

A costumed guide holding a lantern welcomes four visitors at the open gate of a historic brick building at dusk, with a glowing sign and a moon visible in the sky.

Unscripted Tours

A tree-lined sidewalk with American flags hanging from colorful row houses. A pale yellow door numbered 425 is visible, along with flower boxes, brick sidewalks, and parked cars under leafy green trees.

Architecture in Alexandria

Manumission Tour Company

A group of people stands outdoors around a large bronze statue, listening to a man speaking. The scene is set on a brick path with greenery and buildings in the background.

"Remember the Titans" in Alexandria

Hotel Offers

Modern hotel room with contemporary furnishings and neutral décor at Hyatt Centric

Hyatt Centric: History Meets Modern Charm Package

1625 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314
Learn More

More From Our Partners

America 250

VA250

A family of four takes a selfie with a man in historical costume outside a colonial-style building on a sunny day, standing on a green lawn with a wooden hoop on the ground.

City of Alexandria

Two women smiling, one giving the other a piggyback ride in a sunny brick courtyard, with large American flags and a historic brick building in the background.

Visit Washington, D.C.

A family of four walks in front of the Lincoln Memorial on a sunny day, with other visitors on the steps and around the monument. The sky is partly cloudy.

George Washington's Mount Vernon

A wide-angle view of a historic mansion with white walls, green shutters, and a red roof, surrounded by green lawn, a gravel path, and a colonnade, seen at sunrise or sunset.

Amtrak Deals

America. Made in Virginia.

Plan Your Visit

Alexandria Hotels

The interior of a room at Hotel Indigo in Alexandria, VA overlooking the Potomac River.

Getting To & Around Alexandria

Train station

Plan

Two women stroll and enjoy sweets outside “Pop’s Ice Cream Company” on a sunny brick-lined street, while two people exit the shop and others relax on benches nearby. Trees and a river can be seen in the background.

Parking

A large red-brick building with tall windows and an Italian flag on the corner, surrounded by trees and people walking on a sunny day. Several cars are parked along the street.

Press

250 Story Ideas

A fireworks display over the water in Old Town Alexandria.

Press Room

A man and woman walk and talk on a brick sidewalk in a charming, tree-lined shopping district with colorful storefronts and an American flag displayed outside one building.

Alexandria Press Releases

People walk and shop at an outdoor street market with vendor tents, tables, trees, and brick buildings lining both sides of the street on a sunny day. A man plays a xylophone in the foreground.

#visitALX
Photos submitted by Alexandria visitors like you.