Please Note: The tour departs by motorcoach from downtown Washington, DC with a designated secondary pick-up outside the city. Content delivered by the study leader on the way to the destination, after the secondary pick-up, is an integral part of the study tour experience. Meeting the group once the tour is en route is discouraged.
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for participation on all tours; additionally, current CDC and Smithsonian COVID-19 guidelines (at the time of the tour) will be followed, including but not limited to masks on the bus and indoors.
Embark on a day of adventure traveling from Old Town Alexandria along the George Washington Parkway to Mount Vernon and beyond to recall the life and legacy of George Washington as a general and president. Historian and writer Laura Macaluso, author of the new guidebook A History Lover’s Guide to Alexandria and South Fairfax County, leads the tour.
Starting in Alexandria, visit Carlyle House, the site from which Gen. Edward Braddock led an ill-fated campaign to Fort Duquesne, with a 23-year-old George Washington along for the experience—one that would shape not only his own life, but an imperial war, as well. As an adult, Washington would continue to use the Port City as the hub for his economic and cultural needs. Visit Christ Church Episcopal, where Washington worshipped, and enjoy a 3-course lunch at the historic Gadsby’s Tavern, where he and other Founding Fathers dined. Complete the visit to the city of Alexandria with a stop at the George Washington Masonic Memorial, a monumental structure that overlooks Old Town and serves as both a memorial museum and a contemporary Masonic temple.
From there, travel south along the George Washington Memorial Parkway towards Mount Vernon. Stop along the way at Dyke Marsh, originally part of Mount Vernon, to understand the relationship between the Potomac and the land and the ways in which the parkway and the Mount Vernon Trail help residents and visitors experience history and nature in a busy metropolitan area.
End the day at Woodlawn Plantation, a National Trust for Historic Preservation site. The house and grounds were carved out of Washington’s acreage and given to to his wife Martha’s granddaughter, who married his nephew.
General Information
- Registration for this tour will end by 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.
- The tour meets at and leaves by bus from the Mayflower Hotel, Connecticut Ave. and DeSales St., NW, with a pick-up stop at the Pentagon City Metro Station (at the front of Nordstrom) at
approximately 8:20 a.m.
- The tour involves significant walking and standing in an historic district with potentially uneven streets and sidewalks, as well as multiple stops.
- For additional tour information:
