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.

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!

For those fascinated by history, the Dr. Samuel A Mudd House Museum is a wonderful site to visit…read more After having read the well researched book "American Brutus" I was already fascinated by the motivation & details regarding the John Wilkes Booth assassination of Abraham Lincoln. But I had no idea that I was staying near the area where he fled for treatment of the broken leg he received when he jumped from the Presidential Box in Ford's Theater to the stage below. In Charles County, MD for wedding showers in La Plata & Port Tobacco, I was staying at a convenient Residence Inn in Waldorf. Imagine my delight when the Mother of the Bride suggested a tour of the nearby Mudd House. The historical events I had read about were all around me. The docent we had at the Mudd House was extremely knowledgeable & interesting. She pointed out that some of the furnishings were original to the house, including the sofa on which John Wilkes Booth lay injured. Her knowledge, beginnings with Booth's history as an actor in Baltimore, validated the research in the fascinating book I read. Although Mudd had been seen in Washington with 3 of Booth's conspirators, no connection to the plot was ever found. Booth had fled Dr, Mudd's house the following day into Virginia. Nonetheless Dr Mudd was found guilty of conspiracy & imprisoned, finally being pardoned by President Andrew Johnson. He died in 1883 & is buried at St. Mary's Church in Charles County, There are many Mudd descendants remaining in the area. Some I met at the wedding festivities. The Mudd house is easily reached via either Alexandria, VA or DC by crossing the Potomac to the National Harbor then on to Waldorf. My path to Charles County has always been taking the backroads from Coastal Virginia, passing many historic buildings & landmarks as a bonus. The Dr. Samuel A Mudd House is open for tours from spring through fall on Wednesdays & Saturdays 11am - 4pm & Sundays from noon - 4pm. The last tour begins at 3:30pm. As an epilogue, one afternoon I was driving home from an event in rural Virginia between Hampton Roads & Northern Virginia. Not familiar with the area, I was enjoying the exploration. On a stretch of road that was heavily treed I spotted a historical marker ahead. I always brake for historical markers. It was the location of the capture, shooting & death of Booth. The Garrett Farm & Tobacco barn where he was hiding has been long lost to time. All that remains is the historical marker. All serious historians should visit the Mudd House. It's a rare piece of the past that still remains intact.

Great tour, pretty reasonably priced, and the tour guide was dressed nicely with a bow tie and was…read morevery knowledgeable on Dr Mudd. It was really round the clock touring, as when we arrived, they had us join the end of a concluding tour, then at the end of our tour, a group joined us, and I was impressed that they had a good amount of people interested in seeing the site John Wilkes Booth set his injuries then continue to flee after Lincoln's assissination. The guide wasn't a Mudd apologist but did provide information what is was guilty and not guilty on with details of his prison stint and his barely escaping the death penalty. It's an interesting historical note in such an important US event for this small-town doctor to be so impactful that we still want to learn and see a primary location. The house is still pretty intact with possessions from the Mudd family and rooms to view upstairs and downstairs. The gift shop is small but has some good souvenirs. It is down a two lane road in some farm lands, but it's worth the drive. There are a couple of other buildings on the site, but the whole thing should only take 1-2 hours. The hours/seasons are a bit limited, so I recommend calling first to double check, and then it's a very enjoyable tour.

27 acres of gorgeous waterfront property, meticulously maintained by the VA Horticultural Society…read more But good luck ever visiting outside of winter, as it has turned into a non-stop wedding venue. The ENTIRE 27 acres is closed to the public (for the entire day) if an event is scheduled. No calendar is online to check availability of the park to the public. The park is also closed on Sundays. Years ago, you could walk in any day, find a bench and take some pictures or paint a watercolor. Now you need a permit to draw a picture! Not kidding. Check the website. I was a member for years. No more.

First, I have to say -- the venue itself is absolutely beautiful…read more Right on the river, surrounded by tons of green space, it made for a gorgeous setting. I was there for my niece's wedding, and the space truly was lovely. So why only two stars? Unfortunately, the management's attitude completely took away from the experience. More than once, guests could clearly hear staff saying, "If all guests are not off the property by the designated time, we'll be calling the police." I don't usually jump to conclusions or assume race plays a role, but when that kind of statement is repeated multiple times -- at a joyful family celebration -- it's hard not to wonder. At minimum, it was rude, unnecessary, and disrespectful to the couple and their guests. By 11 p.m., it was obvious the planner, her team, and family members were working quickly to clear the space. Threatening to call the police on people who were clearly packing up was completely out of line. To make matters worse, we were also expected to empty trash cans in the bathrooms and kitchen -- not exactly what anyone anticipates after a long day celebrating a wedding. The venue gets full points for scenery, but management needs serious work on professionalism and basic customer respect.

Very well thought out and curated museum on the history of the US Army and its role in different…read moreperiods of US history. I appreciated the focus on personal service member stories and getting to learn more about individual soldiers. The theming of the main exhibit spaces around different conflicts was well done, creating a dynamic and interactive museum. It's a massive space with lots to learn so you can easily spend a whole day here, plus it's completely free! Both of my parents are Army veterans and it was great to be able to hear their stories as well when visiting the museum.

After arriving at the museum, where ample parking was available, we proceeded inside. We'd secured…read moreour free tickets online, though the museum didn't appear close to selling out. Following a smooth check-in with our digital tickets, we passed through security. Inside, the museum proved impressive, showcasing a rich history of the army's pivotal role in forming our nation and ensuring our present day safety. The exhibits were well organized, sectioned by distinct eras in American history, and the theater presentation was fantastic. For refreshments, a small cafe was on site. We thoroughly enjoyed the exceptionally clean and welcoming environment.

Super cool outdoor area to include a small venue to hear local bands in a cozy neighborhood-like…read moresetting on Route 236 in Manassas, VA. Just finished eating at the Black Sheep and now enjoying a live cover band.

I am surprised this site has no reviews because it was awesome and had the unique angle of…read morepresenting as a temporary war hospital during the Civil War. When we went, it was just the two of us on the tour with the guide very excitedly talking about the history of the house. According to the website, they only give tours Fri-Mon at 11 am and 2 pm, but as we were the only people (seemingly all day) and it was after 2, we were still grateful for the tour. If there isn't a tour, it's self-guided but someone is there to answer questions. The house was built by the Carter family, a very prominent early Virginian family. The guide explained the family history, took us through the slave quarters to explain their history, and then how it ended up leased to the Scottish Pringle brothers at the start of the Battle of Manassas. The rooms are set up as a temporary hospital while the Pringles lived upstairs during the war. It's a unique site, focusing not only in the original 18th century origins to the Civil War and after. It's only been open for a little more than a decade a museum, but it's something history buffs should check out. There's a small gift shop, and it'll take about 1 hour to go through, but the history here is captivating.

Absolute garbage…read more 90% of it is A.I. pictures and footage. The rest is stuff like "they had teacups back then. Here is a teacup that resembles the teacup that might have been on the ship." Literally just ask Grok or Claude or whatever to tell you what the Titanic was like. That's what the people who run this "exhibition" did.

I love love loveddd my early morning solo date here!…read more This location was so perfect - with a parking garage next to the entrance, this place is great to get to and from with no problem. Stepping inside and getting your tickets digitally checked was easy, and the director gave you the option of using their provided headsets or using your own phone and downloading the audio. I myself, wanted to use my own headphones/device at first (covid tingz) - but quickly realized, the audio ran about an hour and a half, and I needed my battery this day. But yes - this exhibition was so fun. So informative. You really feel as if you are back on the boat when you see, AND FEEL the artifacts. Solo date, group, etc., this place is great to go to!