I just learned that this old firehouse was a museum just recently. I walk by it almost every time I…read moream in Old Town and always remark that it is such a pretty building. Back in the day (the 1800's), it was a working firehouse, and actually the first volunteer fire department in Alexandria. I am sure with all of the wooden townhouses in Old Town this place saw bunch of action while it was operational. Inside, you can look at old firehouse equipment such as leather water buckets, old school fire engines that needed to be pulled either by horse or hand and also some of the first water hoses. Head on down here the first week of August for their festival. You can pet a dalmatian, shop for crafts and jam to some live music.

This place was adorable and the lady that runs it is very knowledgeable and fun. The tour takes…read moreless than 30 minutes and is informative. If you are a fireman, you CANNOT MISS THIS PLACE and if you tell them that you are a fireman, you get to ring the bell above the old firehouse. Which is AWESOME. They have weird hours though and are currently open only Saturday and Sundays from 1-4.

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.

Often overlooked, the Italian American Museum of DC is worth a visit to learn about an important…read morecommunity that literally helped build Washington, D.C. If you doubt, book a docent-led tour and see a large map of D.C. with 30 iconic places directly influenced by Italian Americans in the Nation's Capital. I joined a Tuesday 10:30 a.m. tour with two others to see one of the last D.C. museums I had yet to visit. Here's my experience. 1) Admission: You must book online. The only way to get in is via a docent-led tour that lasts 60-90 minutes. There's a suggested donation of $10, and I recommend paying it to support this museum. 2) Exhibits: There are four, one on each floor. The first floor focuses on the places in the city connected to Italian Americans. For example, the U.S. Capitol is mentioned due to the columns and dome's paintings done by Italians. The second floor tells stories of Italian Americans in the D.C. area. The third focuses on the Holy Rosary Church, which is connected to the museum. The fourth floor has three galleries filled with old and modern art by Italian Americans, many who live in the D.C. area. As a special treat, our docent let us inside Holy Rosary Church to see the stunning sanctuary. Overall, there's a good mix of artifacts and signs to read. 3) Staff: The museum has one staff member- Claudia. She was our guide and very knowledgeable and kind. 4) Area: The museum is across the street from the Capital Jewish Museum and the near the National Building Museum. It's a short walk from the Judiciary Square Metro Station.

My family and I were introduced to Josiah Henson by watching a PBS special on his life. We pass…read morethe museum frequently so we finally decided to go. The Museum & Park located on the plantation property where Josiah Henson was enslaved for over twenty years before escaping to freedom. The tour starts with a video presentation detailing the history of slavery in Montgomery County, details about Josiah Hensen's life and his impact on American history. After the video the guide gives you an orientation on the property. There is an outdoor path with signage with historical information + the Isaac Riley house (Henson's former enslaver) that has been converted to a modern museum. The guides were extremely friendly and helpful in providing additional background information about the site and life at that time. I think we spent about 1.5 hours there. There is a very very small parking lot in front of the visitor center but a larger parking lot about 1.5 blocks away. Overall it was a great expereince and I would highly recommend it.

I visited this museum a couple months ago and it was an excellent experience more than I expected…read more Small yet so impactful on what Josiah Henson's history means to the state of Maryland and the country. Tickets were $12 a piece and you have to park a 1/2 a mile away across the street at a park then cross a busy street. My only suggestion for this part of the visit is to let visitors park at the daycare next door or the commercial building lot where there was no one on the weekend. (Saturday in particular no 1 was at either business) Both are on the same side as the museum and much safer to walk. Once I was at the museum, you watch a video of Josiah Hensons' history which was about 10-12 minutes. Then Ginger, the friendly front desk receptionist, takes you outside to the grounds of where Josiah and his family were enslaved. There's signage at each ground site and then you walk into the original house where everything felt surreal. Our tour guide Jessie had so much wealth of knowledge and was able to answer every question we had. We actually had the house to ourselves so it felt more personable as she guided us until the next group came in. You can take pictures of most inside. While I don't want to go into the particulars of what you see (nothing graphic), some things you just have to experience in person. I would highly recommend this hidden treasure to any local of Maryland. I would pass this place all the time and glad I finally carved time out to visit. What I thought in the beginning would be less then an hour turned into 2 1/2 hours of a phenomenal, educational visit. Thank you Ginger & Jessie! (We even bought a couple books after)

Loved this museum . This was my second time visiting . And it's one of my favs in dc. I recommend…read morethis most those are visiting dc and want to add a quick weekend stop to enjoy an art museum .

The newish Rubell Musuem is tucked away in Southwest. Though it is a bit of a hike from any Metro…read morestation (I walked here from L'Enfant), it's well worth the visit. The museum's shiny exterior was built around a much older brick building. There is a coffee shop on the main level and the aroma of coffee filled the museum. The galleries have high-ceilings (except the brick-lined basement) and have a pleasant airy natural-light filled ambience. Contemporary art fills three floors. Almost all the art grabbed my attention and caused me to linger, ponder and enjoy what I was seeing. It's heartening that this is a private museum and the current president is unable to interfere with operations like he has done with the Smithsonian and Nat'l Gallery. I would suggest allotting about an hour and a half to view all the exhibits.

What a great historical place! Impressive collection of George Washington's items. Our tour guide…read morewas wonderful, informative and responsive, and with a sense of humor! Enjoyed our visit and learning about the roots of the Mason's society very much! Highly recommend when in the area!

I am not super into history but my fiancé is, so I brought him here for Valentines Day. They have…read moreguided tours for $20 and it was an interesting time, with a few secrets and cryptic things sprinkled in. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and funny, making it keep my interest for the hour. There are many floors with a nice observation deck at the top to see Alexandria and Maryland across the river.

Located very close to the Dulles airport and the National Air Museum . There's free and easy…read moreparking.Entrance is also free.If you want to take a tour that does cost a fee . I came here without expectations and open to what I would see. The area is very walkable.There's a visitor center . It has information and artifacts from the property . It's also where tour tickets can be purchased .I was able to tour the grounds, including the recreated enslaved quarters. I was able to go inside of the enslaved quarters. Some of the buildings are undergoing renovations and can only be viewed from the outside. This includes the main house.The guide stood in the middle of the grassy area and talked about the main house. He also showed pictures of the inside. Yes, this area was part of the Underground Railroad , but not as a beacon of freedom. It is also on the national registry of historic places. Owned by north Virginia's first congressman and his family this was a working plantation. At one point it was also used by confederate soldiers. Give yourself at least 45 minutes for the grounds.

This is a nice little historic site from Richard Bland Lee. There is a small gift shop/visitor's…read morecenter, a couple of outer buildings, then the main house. Our tour guide was great at explaining the history of the house and all the people who lived here. She explained the uses of each room and what was authentic. There was a small, old-fashioned classroom (since they educated local children) and an upper floor with a bunch of spinning equipment they show off more on field trips. Our tour group had about 6 people, so it was quiet and easy to ask questions if we had them. It was a nice little site and window into life in the 19th century.

This one of the stand outs for our teenage girls. One them had just performed in their Highschool…read moreproduction of Suffs and was very excited to visit. The ranger there seemed very excited to welcome us in especially when my daughter came in wearing her sash. It's small but everything js laid out really well and there's a lot of great photo engagements

Still closed for renovations on roof, HVAC and sprinkler…read moresystems. Due to reopen early 2023. I called today but still closed. Cannot wait to see updates. Nearby DC Circulator stops to Navy Yard and Mall Routes allow short walk and free transfers from most landmarks.