February 9–15, 2026
What's New
FEATURED EVENT
2026 George Washington Birthday Parade
Old Town Alexandria, parade route
Saturday, February 14
2-4 p.m.
Thousands of spectators will line the streets of Old Town Alexandria to cheer on the oldest and largest George Washington Birthday Parade in the country!
The George Washington Birthday Parade will be held on Saturday, February 14 from 2 to 4 p.m. in Old Town Alexandria! 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.
For other parade information, visit washingtonbirthday.com.
Become a Parade Day Volunteer!
We're looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help on Parade Day! There are a number of volunteer opportunities available. Just sign up for your preferred activity here, and we will be in touch with you. If you have questions, please email gwbirthdayevents@gmail.com.
Madeira Tasting
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal Street
Sunday, February 15
5-6:30 p.m.
$75
Purchase tickets.
Learn about early seaports in America through the lens of Alexandria’s recent archaeological excavations as you sample the Rare Wine Company’s “Historic Madeira Series.” All proceeds benefit the Office of Historic Alexandria museums. Doors open at 4:30 and the event begins at 5 p.m. Minimum Age: 21
Upcoming Events
View the Historic Alexandria Calendar
All Month - Martin Luther King Jr. Poster Exhibition Awards: The Alexandria Black History Museum with the Office of Historic Alexandria sponsors an annual Student Poster Exhibition for Alexandria City Public School students, grades 2-5. The students' posters will be on display at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St, Alexandria, VA from February 1 - March 1, 2026.
Historic Happy Hours
Chadwick’s Old Town, 203 Strand St., Alexandria
Thursday, February 12
5-7:30 p.m.
Join us for Historic Happy Hours to learn more about the research taking place in Historic Alexandria. 10% of all checks will benefit Historic Alexandria and America250 events.
Upcoming Historic Happy Hours:
February 12 - Chadwick’s Old Town
March 12 - Il Porto
April 9 - Vola’s Dockside Grill
May 14 - O’Connell’s Irish Pub
June 11 - The Wharf
Chocolatier’s Choice: Chocolate & Tea Tasting-SOLD OUT
Carlyle House Historic Park, 121 N. Fairfax Street
Friday, February 13
6-8 p.m.
$30 per person
Purchase tickets.
George Washington Birthnight Dinner-SOLD OUT
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal Street
Saturday, February 14
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Specialty Tour: Hamilton’s BFF & Frenemies
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal Street
Monday, February 16 and Saturdays, February 21 and 28
11 a.m.- noon
$15 per person, Historic Alexandria Members: $12/person
Reserve tickets.
Inspired by the musical Hamilton, learn how the paths of Washington, Lafayette, Jefferson, Madison, and Burr all intersected with this local tavern. Includes discussion of the issues they faced and how their choices impacted local citizens.
Grown-Up Field Trip: Freedom House Lives + Legacies
1315 Duke Street
Friday, February 20
6:30 p.m.
$15 per person, Historic Alexandria Members: $12/person
Reserve tickets.
Venture out on a four-part field trip series for adults highlighting African American history around Alexandria.
For the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, venture out on a four-part field trip series for adults highlighting African American history around Alexandria. Explore objects and primary sources, dive into conversations, and be ready to be hands-on as you learn more about Alexandria and American history. All field trips are based on ones offered to school-age children, but with extra time, so we can go even deeper!
Upcoming Grown-Up Field Trips:
February 20: Lives and Legacies at the Freedom House Museum
March 20: Media Remix at the Alexandria Black History Museum
April 10: Hayti: Uncovering an African American Neighborhood at the Alexandria Archaeology Museum
May 8: African American Stories at Alexandria’s Archives and Records Center
Lantern Tour
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden
614 Oronoco Street
Saturday, February 21
6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
$15, Free for museum members
Purchase tickets.
Tour the historic Lee-Fendall House at night by lantern light! Learn about the history of the home after hours on this guided experience.
Take a tour of the historic Lee-Fendall House at night! A quieter, cozier experience in Old Town Alexandria, this tour covers the history of the house and those who lived here from 1785 to 1972. You will be led through the first and second floors by prominent historic Alexandrian, E.E. Downham. Learn our history through the man who was Mayor of Alexandria from 1887 through 1891!
The lantern tours are recommended for ages 12+. Each tour time is limited to 12 people. The tour last about 45 minutes. Please call (703) 548-1789 or email contact@leefendallhouse.org.
The Women of Lee-Fendall
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden
614 Oronoco Street
Wednesday, February 25
11 a.m.
$15, Free for museum members
Purchase tickets.
Learn the lives of the women who lived in the Lee-Fendall House during its private ownership and early years as a museum.
This special house tour will take you through the lives of some of the women who lived and worked in the Lee-Fendall House over the years as a private home and even when it became a museum in 1974. Learn about their struggles and achievements as women, wives, educators, workers, mothers, performers, and activists.
Tickets are $15 per person. Members of Lee-Fendall House are free but must call or email to make a reservation (703) 548-1789 or contact@leefendallhouse.org.
How Martha Washington Spent the Revolutionary War
A Free Alexandria Historical Society Behind-the-Scenes Zoom Program
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
7-8 p.m.
Online via Zoom
Free; registration required. Registrants will receive the Zoom connection details by email.
Click here for more information.
The Alexandria Historical Society (AHS) invites the public to a special behind-the-scenes virtual program, “How Martha Washington Spent the Revolutionary War,” featuring Mary V. Thompson, Mount Vernon Research Historian Emerita. This free Zoom event will take place on Wednesday, February 25, from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, and continues AHS’s 2026 America250 programming, which presents new perspectives on the American Revolution, particularly through locally grounded stories.
Most Americans know about George Washington’s life and leadership during the American Revolution. Far fewer are familiar with how his wife, Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, spent those harrowing years. In this illustrated talk, Thompson will explore Martha Washington’s wartime experiences both at Mount Vernon and alongside the Continental Army, shedding light on her essential but often overlooked role in sustaining the Revolutionary cause.
Rescheduled: Preservation Tours: Lost Buildings of Alexandria-The Berg & Parker-Gray
Carlyle House Historic Park, 121 N. Fairfax Street
Saturday, February 28
10 a.m.
$20 per person
Purchase tickets.
Join Carlyle House and Lee-Fendall House on a tour of “Lost Alexandria.” Explore parts of the historic neighborhoods of The Berg & Parker-Gray. Learn why these buildings were not preserved.
Tour begins at Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco St. This tour includes walking over many city blocks. Walking shoes required, bottled water suggested. Held rain or shine. Tour will be cancelled in extreme weather.
They Lived Here Too: Work & Slavery at Lee-Fendall
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden
614 Oronoco Street
Saturday, February 28
11 a.m.
$15 per person and must be purchased in advance.
Learn about the enslaved and free African Americans who lived and worked at the Lee-Fendall House from 1785-1969.
Learn about the enslaved and free African Americans who lived and worked in the home throughout its years as a private residence. Hear the stories of their experiences and their contributions to the site and its history.
The tour is limited to 12 participants. Members of Lee-Fendall House are free but must call (703) 548-1789 or email contact@leefendallhouse.org to make a reservation.
Fight for the Right to Read Program
Alexandria Black History Museum
902 Wythe Street
Saturday, February 28
11 a.m.- noon
Free
Join authors Jeff Gottesfeld and Michelle Y. Green along with illustrator and Howard University graduate Kim Holt, for a family program that highlights their new book; Fight for the Right to Read: Samuel Wilbert Tucker and the 1939 Sit-Down Strike for Library Reading Equality.
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
Gadsby's Tavern Museum will be open on Monday, February 16, 2026, 11am-4pm. In addition to regular guided tours, the museum will be offering the Hamilton: BFFs & Frenemies Tour at 11 a.m.
Alexandria Archaeology Museum
Tuesdays–Fridays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 –5 p.m.
The Alexandria Archaeology Museum and its staff offices will be closed on Tuesday, February 24 due to scheduled building maintenance.
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
Next open on Saturday, February 14, 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.
Special Hours Monday, February 16, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. for President’s Day
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.
New Exhibit: Union Navy Exhibition 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. The exhibit, with pictures of select objects, is also available online.
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 historicalexandria@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4554, Virginia Relay 711.
This Week in Alexandria's History
Alexandria celebrates African American heritage every month of the year, but before there was a designated Black History Month, Black History Week was started on February 12, 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson to commemorate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and Frederick Douglass on February 14. In many Black communities, these birthdays were already commemorated in the years between 1865 and 1926. Black History Week evolved into Black History Month in 1976.
Upcoming Commission and Committee Events
Commissions Supporting Historic Alexandria
February 9 Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7-9 p.m.February 11 Alexandria Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission (AHRPC)
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
8 a.m.February 12 Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee D-Day Subcommittee
Virtual meeting. Register via Zoom to participate.
8 p.m.February 17 Historic Alexandria Resources Commission
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7-9 p.m.February 18 Alexandria Archaeological Commission
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7-9 p.m.February 23 Sister Cities Committee (SCC) - Dundee and Helsingborg
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7-8:30 p.m.February 23 George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee
Virtual meeting. Register via Zoom to participate.
7-9 p.m.