Because of the heavy Union presence in Alexandria, archaeologists have discovered a rich buried Civil War history, documenting important features, like a Crimean oven in a former camp, and recovering

Antebellum Alexandria represented both the oppression of slavery and the opportunities that freedom offered to African Americans. Once home to two major slave trading businesses, Alexandria became a

Alexandria's Original Ghost & Graveyard Tour. Our Colonial costumed guides lead you by lantern light telling you ghost stories, legends and folklore. Reservations accepted. Tours leave from garden of

Owned by a ninth-generation Virginian, this company offers a daily 90-minute history tour from Ramsay House Visitors Center. March-Dec, (Jan-Feb by appointment only). Also offered by appointment a

Built in 1851 as the Bank of the Old Dominion, Robert E. Lee did his banking here. When Union forces occupied Alexandria during the Civil War, they took over the building and used it as a commissary

A grand hotel before the war, the building that once surrounded the Carlyle House was known as the Mansion House Hospital and could hold up to 700 sick and wounded soldiers. Nurse Mary Phinney

George Washington and Robert E. Lee had worshipped at Christ Church, an English country style church completed in 1773. Christ Church attracted many Union soldiers stationed around Alexandria who

Fort Ward is the best preserved fort in the Defenses of Washington, the system of Union forts and batteries built to protect Washington, D.C. Fort Ward Museum interprets the site’s history, life

Between 1864 and 1869, Freedmen’s Cemetery served as the burial place for about 1,800 African Americans who fled to Union-occupied Alexandria to escape from bondage. After federal occupation of

This building was once home to Franklin and Armfield, one of the largest dealers in the domestic slave trade, and enslaved people were held here and in an adjacent yard. During the Civil War, Union

Established in 1774, the Friendship Fire Company built its historic firehouse in 1855. Friendship survived the Civil War but some other fire companies disbanded because their equipment was destroyed

The City Hotel, as Gadsby’s Tavern was called in the 19th century, was a popular tourist attraction during the Civil War for journalists and Union officers alike because of the site’s famous

In 1922, construction of the George Washington Masonic Memorial began on Shuter's Hill, which had played a significant historical role during the Civil War. There were two forts on the hill: Fort

The 1755 Georgian-style mansion was the home of George Mason, author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and a framer of the U.S. Constitution. Daily 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed major holidays.

Ivy Hill is one of Alexandria's largest and most historic cemeteries, with a wealth of protected flora and fauna. Educational and cultural programs as well as lectures and tours available.

Robert E. Lee’s father purchased the lot where this historic home sits and sold it to his cousin who built the house in 1785. Between 1785 and 1903, it was home to 37 Lee family members. This period

For two decades before the Civil War, The Lyceum, built in 1839, was the intellectual and cultural center of Alexandria. Like many churches and other large structures in town, this building was seized

The beautiful riverside estate of George Washington includes the Mansion, outbuildings, tomb, & working farm, and new visitor facilities with 25 galleries and theaters. The new Orientation Center and

Union troops seized this residence and converted it to a hospital. After the war, it became the hall of Robert E. Lee Camp of Confederate Veterans, established in 1884 and named in honor of

First known as Soldiers' Cemetery, this sacred military burial ground was designated by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862. The first burials were soldiers who died in and around Alexandria. By 1864,

Since 1792, Alexandria patrons from Martha Washington to Robert E. Lee relied on tonics dispensed from the Apothecary. During the war, the Apothecary remained open after owner Mary Leadbeater signed

Established in 1823, the Virginia Theological Seminary was greatly disrupted by the Civil War. Theology students from both the North and the South, as well as school officials left, before fighting

George Washington gave the estate to his adopted granddaughter and his nephew as a wedding gift. Dr. William Thornton, first architect of the U.S. Capitol, was then commissioned to design the mansion.