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Celebrating “Remember the Titans” in Alexandria

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The enduring legacy of the beloved film “Remember the Titans” is still palpable in Alexandria, where visitors can find important sites that helped write the story of the legendary 1971 T.C. Williams High School football team.

In 1971, the City of Alexandria consolidated all high school students into T.C. Williams (now Alexandria City High School) as Alexandria’s only public senior high school for upperclassmen. Students from different neighborhoods and racial backgrounds, from Francis C. Hammond High School and George Washington High School, became Titans. “Remember the Titans” memorializes how Herman Boone, famously portrayed by Denzel Washington, and assistant coach Bill Yoast, played by Will Patton, led the 1971 football team to an undefeated season, with star players including Julius Campbell and Gerry Bertier.

Here’s where lovers of the 2000 film can experience the key sites around Alexandria that shaped one of the most beloved sports movies of all time.

105 N Union St

Torpedo Factory Art Center

Outside the Torpedo Factory Art Center on the Old Town Alexandria waterfront, view the original 1971 team photo as part of the Alexandria history timeline, “A Place Through Time.” As the display reads, “A history of curiosity, resilience, and diversity shaped this vibrant city for centuries.”

Head inside to view the nation’s largest collection of active artist studios under one roof, with three floors of galleries and the Alexandria Archaeology Museum.

A modern bar with a long countertop, high chairs, hanging pendant lights, shelves stocked with glassware and bottles, multiple TVs, and tap handles on the back wall. The decor features exposed brick and dark wood.

1700 Fern St

Ramparts Tavern & Grill

Bill Bays Sandwich Shop Location

“Bill Bays Sandwich Shop was one of the the only places where the entire coaching staff could eat together, even if they got looks and whispers,” says Titans historian and D.C. Divas football team owner Rich Daniel.

Originally named the Cole Bin, in 1978, Ramparts Tavern in the West End became the new neighborhood watering hole. In the early 1980s, it grew to a pub and grill and has been been proudly feeding Alexandria since.

A mural on the side of St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub in Alexandria shows a colorful portrait of a man with sunglasses holding a coffee cup, with vibrant swirls above his head and a butterfly below.

1701 Centre Plaza

Fairlington Centre

On the other side of Ramparts, then Billy Bays Sandwich Shop, stands another cornerstone of team and teen social life in 1971. “Baskin-Robbins was one of our main hangout spots, since it was so close to the school,” remembers Robert “Bob” Luckett, a center on the original 1971 Titans team, retired City of Alexandria Chief Deputy Fire Marshall and author of “Remembering the Titans: 50 Years Later.”

In addition to a scoop at the storied ice cream shop, grab retro treats from Rocket Fizz Alexandria and a pick-me-up from St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub at Fairlington Centre.

10 Wythe Street

The Berg Historical Marker

Many of the players who joined the T.C. Williams Titans from George Washington High School (now a middle school), lived in The Berg, an historically Black neighborhood in Old Town Alexandria with centuries of history. African Americans escaping slavery established the Berg during the Civil War in Union-occupied Alexandria. Oral history with long-time resident Henry Johnson yielded the derivation of the neighborhood’s name. He reported that the term refers to Petersburg, Virginia, from where many freedmen escaped.

Image Credit: Devry Becker Jones

A white arched gate with open doors reads Fort Ward and 1865, surrounded by trees and sunlight, leading to a path inside a park-like area.

4301 W Braddock Rd

Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site

The 1971 team spent time across the city as they explored each others’ stomping grounds. “We showed the GW and Hammond guys Topps and Roy Rogers at Bradlee Shopping Center. The GW guys showed us Connie’s and Momma’s Kitchen in Old Town. The Hammond guys showed us Village Inn Pizza and S&W Cafeteria,” says Bob Luckett.“In a sense, we were experiencing each others’ cultures. Fort Ward was another spot we gathered.”

After the Civil War, a West End neighborhood known as The Fort grew up around Fort Ward, one of the Union forts built as part of the Defenses of Washington. But in the 1950s and 1960s, the City moved the residents out of the area to establish the Fort Ward Park and Museum. The City of Alexandria is in the process of expanding interpretation to include the full range of its history, especially including the African American experience and the post-Civil War Fort community.

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1106 Queen Street

All-American Barber Shop

This barber shop, which has stood in the same location for over 50 years, was where journalist and screenwriter Gregory Allen Howard first heard the story of the 1971 Titans team that he would later develop into the “Remember the Titans” screenplay.

In 2025, shortly before Ronnie Bass was inducted into the ACPS Hall of Fame, All-American Barber Shop was presented with a plaque honoring the importance of the location. The daughter of Coach Boone and members of the ’71 Titans team attended the ceremony.

Image Credit: Rich Daniel

2680 Shirlington Road

Weenie Beenie

Just across the Alexandria-Arlington border, Weenie Beenie has been a neighborhood staple since 1954. Members of the 1971 Titans team, as well as generations of families in both Alexandria and Arlington, have congregated here to enjoy affordable food for over 70 years.

Photo Credit: Rich Daniel

More Alexandria Sports Icons

Did you know that Noah Lyles, the world’s fastest man, is an Alexandria City High School alum? In 2024, Lyles brought home the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 100-meter and a bronze medal in the men’s 200-meter event at the Paris Olympics.
On October 31, 1950, Alexandria native Earl Lloyd became the league’s first African American player to play in an NBA game. In spring 2021, his statue was unveiled at the former site of his alma mater, Parker-Gray High School. Now the Charles Houston Recreation Center and home to the Alexandria African American Hall of Fame, Parker-Gray High School opened 100 years ago to serve the city’s African American students during segregation, including Earl Lloyd, a class of 1946 graduate.

Map of Alexandria

The real-life events of “Remember the Titans” spanned the city, from Old Town to the West End. Discover Alexandria’s diverse neighborhoods with our guide.

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