december 15-21, 2025

Season's greetings from Historic Alexandria! We invite you to spread a little holiday cheer by exploring Alexandria's museums and historic landmarks throughout the season. Thank you for being part of our community-we look forward to welcoming you this season.

What's New

FEATURED EVENT

Late Night Shopping Event
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington Street
Tuesday, December 16
6-9 p.m.
Free

The Alexandria Museum Shops have great, unique gifts for this holiday season! For last-minute stocking stuffers, visit The Lyceum for 10% off your purchase! For more information about the Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, visit Alexandriava.gov/Lyceum.

The 2025 Holiday Ornament is Here!

$28 - Available NOW in Historic Alexandria museum stores and in our online store.

Celebrate Alexandria's 19th-century canal history with this beautifully crafted, American-made brass ornament. This year's design honors the Alexandria Canal, featuring a canal boat exiting Lock No. 4 heading eastward toward the Potomac River, uncovered by archaeologists in the winter of 2025 on N. Pitt Street. The Alexandria Canal was in use from 1843 to 1886. Learn more here.

Upcoming Events

View the Historic Alexandria Calendar

Community Pre-Construction Meeting for the Douglass Cemetery Stormwater Improvement Project.
Douglass Memorial Cemetery, 1421 Wilkes Street
(Spans 1367-1473 Wilkes Street)
Tuesday, December 16
2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Free

The public is invited to attend a Community Pre-Construction Meeting about the upcoming project to improve stormwater drainage at historic Douglass Memorial Cemetery. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 16, at 2:30 p.m. at Douglass Cemetery, 1421 Wilkes Street. Participants are invited to meet the contractors from Jacobs, an engineering firm, and Wetlands Studies and Solutions, Inc., an archaeology firm, who will carry out the work. City of Alexandria staff from the Department of Project Implementation and the Office of Historic Alexandria will also be present at the meeting to provide information and answer questions. Construction work in Douglass Cemetery is anticipated to occur from December 2025 through July 2026.

Douglass Cemetery, Alexandria's largest African American cemetery, is a historically significant and sacred space. The cemetery currently faces several preservation challenges, including flooding and standing water. In 2023, the City of Alexandria contracted with Jacobs to undertake a drainage analysis of Douglass Cemetery and produce recommendations to improve stormwater conditions. The implementation of the stormwater drainage improvements will help overcome preservation challenges at this burial ground.

Visit the Douglass Memorial Cemetery webpage for more information about the stormwater improvement project.

In the event of severe weather, the meeting will be held at the Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St, Alexandria, VA 22314.

2026 George Washington Birthday Parade Registration is Now Open!

Registration for the George Washington Birthday Parade to be held Saturday, February 14 from 2 to 4 p.m. in Old Town Alexandria is now open! The theme of the parade is Virginia's Son ~ America's Founding Father, in honor of Washington's leading role in the founding of the country during its 250th Anniversary Year. Visit our Parade Registration Page for more information on how to register as a 2026 parade participant.

Help ACRP Share Our Whole History with ACHS Students

The Alexandria Community Remembrance Project (ACRP) still needs funds for the Banned Truth Tour for our Alexandria City High School students. Please consider donating - learn more and donate on ACRP's campaign page.

Support Historic Alexandria

Your gift fuels preservation, education, and programs that bring Alexandria's past to life. Donations, special revenue, and grants make it possible to expand educational programs, conserve treasured collections, and support our dedicated staff. Your gift today helps preserve Alexandria's history for generations to come.

Historic Alexandria Museum Hours

Plan your Visit

Alexandria Archaeology Museum
Tuesdays-Fridays, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 -5 p.m.

Alexandria Black History Museum
Thursdays & Fridays, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sundays, 1- 5 p.m.

Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum
Thursdays & Fridays, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 - 5 p.m.

Fort Ward Museum
Thursdays & Fridays, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 - 5 p.m.

Freedom House
Thursdays & Fridays, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 - 5 p.m.

Friendship Firehouse Museum
Saturday, January 3, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Gadsby's Tavern Museum
Thursdays & Fridays, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sundays, 1- 5 p.m.

Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
Wednesdays-Fridays, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sundays 1 - 5 p.m.

Virginia 250 Passport

Historic Alexandria is proud to join 70 premier historic destinations across Virginia in the launch of the Virginia 250 Passport, a first-of-its-kind statewide tourism journey celebrating America's 250th. Featured Alexandria museums include Gadsby's Tavern Museum, the Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, and the Alexandria Black History Museum. The passport offers prizes and discounts to encourage families to explore Virginia's rich history together. Beginning November 11, 2025, free passports will be available at major historic sites and Virginia Welcome Centers. Learn more at VirginiaHistory.org/250Passport.

New Exhibit: "Disease and the Apothecary" - Now open

Explore how epidemics like Smallpox, Yellow Fever, and Influenza shaped Alexandria's past and how science and public health saved lives. Included with admission. Free for Alexandria residents! The new exhibit is also available online.

Union Navy Exhibition Opens at Fort Ward Museum

A new exhibition, "Aboard Ship with the Jack-Tars of the Union Navy," opened October 2 at the City of Alexandria's Fort Ward Museum. The exhibit focuses on the U.S. Navy during the Civil War and is being held in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Navy on October 13, 1775. The exhibition will continue through 2026. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/FortWard.

Explore with Ease - The New Museum Mobility Guide

Historic Alexandria and the Department of Transportation & Environmental Services (T&ES) have launched a colorful, easy-to-use map and guide connecting all of Alexandria's museums via walking, biking, and transit. The guide also acts as a passport-visit every site and earn a prize! Available at museums, rec centers, public libraries, and more.

Visit our website and follow us on social media to discover new things about your hometown. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic. Admission to City of Alexandria museums is complimentary for city residents.

For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Nicole Quinn at [email protected] or call 703.746.4554, Virginia Relay 711.

This Week in Alexandria's History

More from This Day in History

On December 17, 1983, the Braddock Road, King Street and Eisenhower Avenue Metro stations opened on the Yellow Line. Passengers traveling from the new stations received free one-way trips for part of the day. At the King Street station, opening festivities included bagpipe music and ribbon cutting by Senators Chuck Robb and John Warner.

Upcoming Commission and Committee Events

Commissions Supporting Historic Alexandria

• December 15 George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee (GWBCC)
  Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
  7-9 p.m.
  

• December 16 Historic Alexandria Resources Commission
  Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
  7-9 p.m.
  

• December 17 Alexandria Archaeology Commission
  Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
  7-9 p.m.
  

• January 5 George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee (GWBCC)
  Via Zoom: Register here.
  7-9 p.m.
  

• January 6 Public Records Advisory Commission
  Archives and Records Center, 801 South Payne Street
  7:30 p.m.
  

• January 12 Sister Cities Committee (SCC) - Dundee and Helsingborg
  Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
  7-8:30 p.m.