Historic Sites & Attractions in Alexandria

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Founded in 1749 and boasting the nation’s third oldest historic district, Alexandria hums with a cosmopolitan feel. The port city has played a major role in the nation’s story and reflected its progress toward inclusivity. Find intimate historic museums, trace George Washington and the Founding Fathers’ footsteps and follow the stories of Black Americans who shaped the history of Alexandria and the United States.

Alexandria also nods to its vast creative history at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, a former World War II munitions factory turned 82 artist studios and six galleries, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum at the US Patent and Trademark Office, whose interactive exhibits celebrate modern innovation. Explore Alexandria with the “Key to the City” attractions pass, which grants visitors access to 9 historic sites, plus 40% off admission to George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the tall ship Providence and City Cruises roundtrip water taxi pass. Take the opportunity to celebrate the city’s history at lively seasonal events.

Click here to read Alexandria’s History.

Historic Highlights

Key To The City

Two women stand and talk outside the Freedom House Museum, a historic brick building with a white door on a tree-lined sidewalk. A museum sign hangs from a post nearby. Another person walks further down the sidewalk.

Tall Ship Providence in Alexandria, VA

A historic sailing ship with tall masts and yellow trim is docked by the shore, with calm water and a distant treeline under a cloudy sky.

Black History & Culture

A bronze statue of two women in 19th-century clothing stands hand in hand, set outdoors with greenery, a modern building, and a blue sky with clouds in the background.

Self-Guided Tour

Featured Historic Attractions and Museums

All Historic Attractions and Museums

Alexandria Archaeology Museum

Step right into the museum’s laboratory where archaeologists reconstruct Alexandria’s history, fragment by fragment. The museum’s exhibits highlight the process...

105 N. Union Street, Torpedo Factory Art Center Third Floor, #327 Alexandria, Virginia

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A red brick building with white columns at the entrance, displaying a banner above the door. A sign on the right reads “Alexandria Black History Museum.” Shrubs line the walkway to the entrance.

Alexandria Black History Museum

Originally the segregated library for Alexandria’s African American residents, the museum documents the local and national history, culture and contributions...

902 Wythe Street Alexandria, Virginia

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A large brick building with a tall steeple and a central fountain, adorned with a large American flag, surrounded by trees and people sitting on benches in a sunny plaza.

Alexandria City Hall & Market Square

This City Hall was built in 1871-74, with Market Square and the Colonial-inspired additions that face the plaza built in...

301 King Street Alexandria, Virginia

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Featured

A man in colonial attire holds a lantern and welcomes four casually dressed adults through iron gates to a historic brick building at dusk. Signs on either side read “121” and “Park Closed 9 pm to 6 am.”.

Alexandria Colonial Tours

Alexandria’s Original Ghost & Graveyard Tour, Celebrating 50 Years: Follow an 18th-century costumed guide by lantern light through the charming...

221 King Street Alexandria, Virginia

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A book titled Classic Restaurants of Alexandria by Hope Nelson rests on a beige windowsill next to a window, with part of a building reflected in the glass.

Alexandria Food Tours

From seaport pubs to international cuisine, Alexandria’s culinary history runs deep. George Washington danced in the ballroom of Gadsby’s Tavern,...

Old Town Alexandria, Virginia

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A museum exhibit features Civil War-era photos, documents, maps, and artifacts displayed on blue panels and in a glass case, including a rifle and historical papers. The title reads “An Occupied City: The Civil War Years.”.

Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum

The 1839 Greek Revival building serves as the City’s history museum. An ongoing exhibition tells the story of Alexandria, once...

201 S. Washington Street Alexandria, Virginia

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A brick plaza with American flags, benches, street lamps, and hanging flower baskets, in front of a historic red-brick building with a steeple, under a blue sky at dusk.

Alexandria History Tours

Alexandria History Tours offers private and public tours exploring the Revolutionary War, George Washington, early American commerce, the Civil War,...

Old Town Alexandria, Virginia

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