Old town definitely gives off small town vibes, with beautiful and historic buildings…read more During this time of year, I love all the holiday lights and decorations In the city. It's filled with small shops and beautiful cafes. I usually try to visit this area at least twice a week to enjoy walking around.

Be careful visiting Old Town Alexandria... you'll fall in love and never want to leave! We recently…read morestayed at Hotel Indigo, on the Old Town waterfront, and spent several days visiting (then revisiting... again and again lol!) all the shops and several restaurants along King and Union streets. The area is such a vibe. Can't even describe it. I truly can't wait to come back.

If you really want to know about this Woodrow Wilson Bridge thing, it depresses the hell out of me,…read moreit really does. It sits out there over the Potomac, connecting Maryland and Virginia, which sounds like the kind of place guys I went to military school would talk about like it's the center of the universe just to sound big-time. ​It's a bascule drawbridge, which just means it opens up in the middle so huge, pretentious boats can slide through like they own the place. People get all excited because it has a big pedestrian and bike path on it. You see people riding their little bicycles on it as you drive over it, looking all grand and proper, like they're accomplishing something momentous. It depresses me. They build this massive, modern slab of concrete with big white arches underneath and put a giant, fancy stone monument right at the entrance named after president Wilson. And underneath, it's just thousands of cars stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, full of guys in suits driving home to talk about their office jobs. ​The worst part is looking at the water underneath it. Whenever I look at a river like that, all I can think about is Central Park and where the damn ducks go when the water freezes over in the winter. Nobody on this bridge gives a damn about the ducks. They just care about getting across as fast as they can so they can buy something stupid at dinner or sit in a movie theater or go to a show, snobby stuff. ​It's big a n d useful, it's also really loud when you roll the windows down. I'll give it four stars out of five, mostly just because the river didn't ask for any of this concrete nonsense and did absolutely nothing to deserve these noisy people crammed over it.

This bridge is notable relative to various other crossings of the Potomac as being one that is…read morerarely backed up. The bizarre intersections after you get to the Virginia or Maryland side sometimes are, but the bridge itself, with its several lanes for local and travel through vehicles each, generally moves. Technically, it is a drawbridge, but it would take quite a ship to require it to lift and I have never seen it happen. Also important is that there is the ability to walk across the bridge (or bike) by a decent sized path that leads between Alexandria and National Harbor. During daytime, you'll want some sun protection, but I've also done it at night while staying at National Harbor and it was an experience.

Excellent library. Convenient book reservation policies. Friendly service and accommodating hours.read more

I love this library right in old town. Lots of activities and classes for kids. We absolutely love…read morethe toddler classes. I just don't love that there's no parking lot. Street parking can be difficult to come by.

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.

Nice, cool tunnel. Came here to take graduation photos. Not too much traffic of ppl walking thru…read morethe tunnel either.

Actually smiling this is on yelp. There's not a lot going on here. Yet this is I believe one of the…read morelast Orange and Alexandria railroad structures in town. Having walked the Crozet Tunnel and Paw Paw's(elsewhere) this is a lot smaller. Therefore I'm not all that enthralled with it. If in the area walk through it, but there's a lot more civil war history in Fairfax and Prince William Counties. Is it still neat? Absolutely! I had forgotten about this and was pleasantly surprised. Walked under it for the minute or so distance. It is a hike into the past. Am thankful for it, but I think Alexandria has more exciting experiences and places to visit. Do be wary of traffic!

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 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.

The Congress of Alexandria- General Braddock & Five Colonial Governors…read more https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_of_Alexandria Quite Educational but also Entertaining - firing squad

Lovely and interesting house of Lee Fendall - boutique gem right in Alexandria. They offer tours on…read morethe hour. Ours was excellent and walked us through the history of the Lee family in Virginia and subsequent owners. Rooms are appointed with time appropriate pieces. Much of the furniture is gifted from the Lee family. A fascinating way to learn a bit about a family of Henry Lighthorse Lee, one of the signers of the declaration of independence. That family was instrumental in changing the course of history in the United States. George Washington apparently dined here often and they set up a long table in what is now the entryway. Woodrow Wilson also ate here during his presidency. Tours are quite chatty and interesting with lots of opportunities for questions. Cost of entry is seven dollars. Highly recommended for those who want to see something off the beaten track but truly interesting.

What a cool colonial home! We took the tour which covered all the major parts of the house…read more Absolutely beautiful and furnished with pierces from across the time the house was occupied. Many of them have a history of their very own. What really made this tour great though was the docent/ guide we had for our tour. She was incredibly knowledgeable on every aspect of the home from the furnishings to the architecture to the family histories of the owners and building restoration. Very rarely have I had such a knowledgeable guide. She was really impressive. All that to say, if you have a couple hours and you're looking for something to do this is a great little side trip. Well worth the time.

PLEASE, if you are ever in the surrounding DMV area, visit this museum. Walking through the…read morecountry's most active slave and sex trafficked houses for Black Americans was MOVING! To say the least. It only took about an hour and a half in time, including speaking to the staff of additional information and it should 100% be visited.

Visiting the Freedom House Museum is important if you call the D.C. area home or live anywhere in…read morethe U.S. Once the country's most active trading post that trafficked thousands of Black Americans, the museum tells the story of America's most evil element while honoring the people who fell victim to it. Open Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday and Monday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the museum cost $5 for non-Alexandria residents and non-veterans. A staff member will give you a brief overview of the museum and let you experience the three floors of exhibits. The main exhibit talks about the history of the building, but in a way that focuses on the people trafficked and their impact on the community. The second floor showcases impactful Black Alexandrians throughout the decades. The top floor has an art exhibit and a reflection room for those who want to process the museum's history. It's a powerful museum and one worth taking seriously. Park for free on the street outside and get ready to learn and have your heart broken for the evil humans put on fellow humans.

We were in Alexandria to check out the small town and got to enjoy the fountain. It was super…read moretouristy but loved the vibes of the little town of Alexandria. The area was clean and the weather was beautiful that day. I love how they have signs on nearby businesses to check out. Love how they support the businesses in Alexandria.

Beautiful old brick building that is the center and masterpiece of Old Town Alexandria. Many tours…read morestart from here and it is also the centerpiece of many event throughout the year. Right now, for example, the entire square was flanked by flags from Latin American countries, and I had the pleasure to highlight the one from Panama in my picture. During Christmas time, a huge Holiday tree decorates the center square.