I really enjoyed visiting this museum. It's a small place and the tour was about half an hour, but…read moreI learned a lot of cool facts about medicinal history and how sick people were treated in the past. They preserved a lot of old artifacts, medicines, apothecary tools and furnitures which was really cool to see and learn about. They also compare some of the practices from back then to present day which was interesting to learn. They have a nice little gift shop too. A really interesting place to visit in Old town Alexandria!

Might update later but wanted to share that I finally visited this place. It's wild that I have…read morelived nearby for so many years and have just walked by without noticing. It is a small place, but very interesting snapshot of what an Apothecary would have looked like approximately 100 years ago. They still have all the medicine that was in the jars when they closed, on display. I didn't go upstairs yet, but the downstairs is fascinating by itself. Free for Alexandria City residents but otherwise $5 or $8 depending if you want to tour upstairs (specific times). You can also go inside and stay in the lobby area which is also a gift stop without paying admission. As a herbalist, it was very cool to see cinnamon being prescribed alongside arsenic and marijuana - all plants have their purposes! Haha. I liked that the tour guides seemed passionate about the history of the place. We discussed my concern that the gender and race of the apothecary owners allowed them to profit off of the ancestral knowledge and traditional medicine in a way that was denied to women, BIPOC people, and BIPOC women in particular, who often worked in the field under the threat of death and/or imprisonment. Anyways, I am working to change that. I will definitely be back!

The museum exhibit starts from history of the community digs on its (Lee Street) past which also…read morestarted the background of The City of Alexandria became a leader in historic preservation. We found a hidden gem that located on the 3rd floor of Torpedo Factory Art Center which provides historical stories in a quaint space. Not only that, it's also can be an interesting short archeology field trip for certain ages kids. The museum gift shop available as the museum time. Come and check it out, you won't be disappointed!

On the third floor of Alexandria's Torpedo Factory, an old torpedo factory that's now the country's…read morelargest collection of working-artists' open studios, is a one room-museum about the city's history and archaeology. With free admission, take the time to read about Alexandria's archaeology and look at some historic artifacts. There's a small store and several interactive exhibits that teach kids about archaeology. They even have free coloring pages for kids!

This is another gem within Alexandria city limits that's worth stopping by. Julie was really…read morefriendly and resourceful, which enhanced the experience. The city has done a superb job preserving and expanding this historical building. There is a small gift shop, and several rooms on the main floor with historical artifacts. The upstairs Lyseum is still used for lectures and other events, which you can learn more about on their website. It is not a huge museum but you could easily spend at least an hour perusing the exhibits and learning about Alexandria's history. It is an interesting, informative museum and I'd imagine even long-time locals can learn something new about Alexandria. There is a small parking lot with a handful of dedicated spots so I'd imagine during events that nearby street parking is the way to go. Inside, there are public restrooms available. Admission is free for Alexandria residents.

A wonderful little museum showcasing important history in Alexandria. Very educational displays and…read moreawesome pieces of art throughout the museum. A souvenir store is also available with great little finds inside. Check them out.

This random little museum has a beautiful building if you're looking for a wedding venue (the…read morereason I was here). There is a large empty room on the second floor of the museum which can be used for a wedding ceremony. The museum itself was small but had some nice touches. My kids enjoyed seeing the lighthouse lights, especially seeing how small the lights were compared to the amount of light they generated. The museum had a few other touches for kids, like a small table with coloring sheets and crayons, and a large deer hide with a sign saying PLEASE TOUCH. Admission is free for Alexandria residents. I'm not sure I would have paid if I wasn't already there for the wedding. There is also a small parking lot with about 15-20 parking spots, and plenty of paid 2-3 hour street parking around there.

I do believe this is a must-stop for any Alexandrian looking to learn more about the history of the…read moretown in which they live. And bonus points: it is free for Alexandria residents. I guess it is shameful it took covid for my museum loving self to come here (it is open while many of the other local Alexandria museums are still closed) Full disclosure: this is a small little museum of history. You won't be spending all day here. But it is a good stop for residents and visitors.

The Torpedo Factory is still wonderful as it has been, right on Alexandria's waterfront. We love…read morethe local artist's ceramic workshop. There are 3 levels, and on the ground floor there are models of old torpedos. The rebirth and repurposing of an old factory is very meaningful, as it is now a haven for local artists. However, there was forever a long line to the ladies' room. They should consider renovating the restrooms or expanding them. I understand with old architecture there may be constraints, but given how popular this place is, it is fair to ask.

A nice artist's market situated near the water front. I strolled through a most of the shops,…read moreultimately deciding on something for my girlfriend in one of the shops. The artists in this little shop have a schedule rotation for interacting with customers. The artist I worked with was very nice, and had no problem helping me pick out art that wasn't even hers. My only complaint is that the organization of the shops is a little haphazard, forcing a stroll through all of the shops.

This is an amazing home from the past. The museum, however, needs more support so that it can…read morepurchase additional replicas from the past. Our guide was excellent. His grasp of history and the surrounding geography was quite amazing. He intimately knew each room in the house providing details of the home's past and its people. The entrance to the museum is not impressive which, initially, made me tentative about taking the tour. I could not have been more wrong. Once you begin the tour, you go the front entrance and enter a large hallway that brings you back to a time long gone. Much of the history is from written records that are incomplete so there is a lot of guesswork by historians studying this particular home and time period. This makes the tour even more interesting. We could not see the gardens because there was a private event which was disappointing. Things were rundown but if you are a history buff this is a must see.

What a fun stop! Personal tour of the house, including entry to all but one bedroom. Wonderful,…read moredetailed tour of this historic home. Museum is decorated in 1700's items, some original and some replicas. There's also a stop that shows the architecture/layers of materials from the home. Tour includes the history of the original owner and his family, the changes of ownership and disarray the house fell into, restoration and current state. $3 for children 6+ and $7 for adults. Tour begins with a short video and then a 45-50 minute walk through of the home. Must be able to walk stairs. There are specific chairs throughout the home to sit during the tour if needed.

Had a great tour this afternoon! Very informative guide and interesting history to the House/Tavern.read more

This place is special. It has an amazing story and historical significance. The food is good and…read morethe atmosphere is great. This place will engage all 5 senses.

Selma & Karen were awesome at this museum, and I had to take the time to highlight them!!…read more This museum is small, but so mighty! $3 for out of state residents to come (free for those located locally), and I took about an hour and a half here.. between talking to the staff and reading the facts in the 2-rooms included and browsing the gift shop. PLEASE take the time to visit and support your local and farther out museums, it's so important!

It had been years since I visited here and it looks better than I remembered, updated. In the past…read morethey had a bunch of cotton bolls for people to look at, without explaining detailing the significance of that to Alexandria, VA. It seemed like a caricature and was off-putting. The volunteer at the desk (I believe) was not able to answer any of my questions about Alexandria history, and simply referred me to Alfred Street Baptist Church, which they seemed to be encouraging me to attend for religious service, mentioning that they are accepting of children (I told them I was a mother), with other benefits. According to this person, Alfred Street had more Alexandria achives and history than the city's museum. The exhibits at the time were vaguely discussing slavery, again not tying into the city as much as anticipated. Fast forward to last week, I stopped by on the way to the gym, and there were multiple city employees at the front desk who seemed somewhat knowledgeable about the city's archives, though not based on lived experience (youngish people). They were able to refer me to various departments, and knowledgeable about the city's museum system. The person at the front desk was friendly and referred books as well. There was a person sitting on the side behind the desk area who may have other responsibilities who was rude and condescending. Many times, she addressed the person at the desk and not me directly. Then, with a white couple standing in the room, I asked about reparations from the Virginia Theological Seminary, and while admitting she knew the answer, said she would not tell me. She then said "If you want to hide something from Black people, put it in a book." Mind you, I had spent the last 45 minutes reading all the captions in the museum, then looking at articles of local periodicals on display, which is why I asked the question. There were various other unnecessary comments, and fawning over the other guests about their outfits and such, while talking about how unappealing it is to see workout clothes, which I was obviously wearing on the way to the gym (the gym being directly across the street, no more than 50 feet away). The exhibits themselves were underwhelming. One was about a Black capitist advertising guru, and the other was paintings of slave cabins. Very uninspiring and status quo. Nothing speaking to liberation or freedom - almost like the cotton bolls were still the main attraction. All the postcards, which I was trying to get, were pictures of slave cabins, which my Southern grandmother would not enjoy if I sent them to her. I asked if they had any postcards that were not slave cabins and the same rude person who implied that I couldn't read, yelled at me "You have to look! THEY'RE there!" As I had been looking at postcards for a long time, and saw every postcard in the very limited display, the respectful lady at the desk said, "she doesn't see them." The rude lady pointed to the greeting card section, which I had also seen every card in, and I had already seen that there were no postcards there. Basically, she sent me on a goose chase. Besides being rude, it's ableist and anti-Black to refuse to answer my questions, while saying you aren't going to answer me because I am a Black person (because we need to read more?) I was late to pick up my children from school, and didn't get a chance to go to the gym that day because of these shenanigans. If I had time to read a whole newspaper, I would, but I didn't. Also, some people actually don't know how to or can't read. That's insensitive on so many levels. Additionally, as a person who has experienced traumatic brain injury as well as other physical limitations that could potentially make reading painful or challenging, there's no need to extrapolate racial stereotypes from a question asked at a museum information desk. This museum is not a safe space for Black people. The friendly lady at the desk, if it was only her, it would have been an overall positive experience. But the rude lady took it too far in disrespecting Black people and disabled people - and being a Black Disability Justice worker, I can't let that go. Very disappointed yall! Praying that person stops the harmful behavior and isn't there if I bring my children there - wouldn't want her to say my children are inferior because of their race or perception of their abilities.

A historic building with an ostentatious name which has somehow eluded my attention until now. It…read morehouses a free (!) art gallery, which is just a big room with a little add-on at street level. The basement is open and is also visibly historic, but doesn't have much in the way of art. It does have cool air and a restroom. The scope of the art gallery clearly isn't large (bearing in mind that a free art gallery the size of a mansion is ho-hum by DC standards), but I enjoyed what they had and it was a perfect use of the time I had to spend on it. Surprisingly enough, they seem to allow people to bring their dogs inside.

All of the Athenaeum staff was excellent to work with. During the initial planning stages, Veronica…read moreand Richard were my main points of contact, both of whom were very helpful answering questions. They were happy to entertain our questions both via email and during the various trips to check out the space. The contract process was fairly straight forward and fortunately renting out the space includes both the art gallery and the outside garden (it rained on our wedding day and the ceremony was initially going to take place in the garden). A few days before the wedding, we were informed that Amanda would be the staffer on hand on the actual wedding day. I sent Amanda my proposed timeline and we reviewed it over the phone. She was willing to assist with flow of show and confirming chair and floral deliveries/set up. She advised us of some renovations that were taking place in the alley behind the garden, which is where the ceremony was originally going to take place. While the staff had not previously informed us of the planned renovation, it all worked out in the end. Amanda emailed me photos of the renovations, offered alternate solutions to ensure the scaffolding wouldn't be as visible, emailed the contractor to ensure they would be done with the renovations for the day prior to our scheduled photo time and ceremony start time, and offered to be at the venue early to ensure that everything was clean. When I realized it was likely going to rain on the wedding day, I emailed Amanda asking for a quick discussion on a rain plan. She contacted me right away to confirm a time and we spoke the morning of the wedding to come up with a rain plan. She handled the new set up with both the chair rental company and the florist. The set up came out beautifully. Also, one of the photographers left a water behind and Amanda emailed me about the item so I was able to retrieve it the next day. I would definitely rent this space again!

What a gem of an off-the-beaten-path museum! If you're into learning, visit the National Inventors…read moreHall of Fame inside the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office in Alexandria. There's $3 parking nearby and the admission is free. Find the signs for the museum, enter through the gift shop full of fun book and toys about innovation, and head into the exhibit. It's small, but budget an hour to read through everything. You'll learn about innovators from all backgrounds, see famous trademarks, and play trademark games on interactive screens. There's even a dual Mustang from 1965 and 2015 that you can sit in!

Well worth a visit if you are in the area. Admission is free, and there are a lot of interesting…read moreexhibits, including on different inventions and inventors (some famous, such as Thomas Edison, and others who are less famous, but still important). Many interactive exhibits to amuse both children and adults. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff.