Alexandria is an independent city situated alongside the western bank of the River Potomac in the Commonwealth of Virginia, about six miles south of downtown Washington, DC. With over 250 years of history, Alexandria features a variety of historic and cultural attractions including several museums, churches and old-fashioned homes as well as countless parks. Known as ‘Old Town’, the city’s historic center is a main draw for tourists and nightlife devotees.
Old Town is the oldest section of Alexandria, originally laid out in 1749, and is chiefly renowned for its historic town houses, antique shops, art galleries and restaurants. It also comprises Market Square, the oldest continuously operating marketplace in the country, which used to be the site of the second-biggest slave market in the US.
Alexandria is home to a distributed park system with about 950 acres spread across 70 main parks and 30 recreation centers. One of the largest is Chinquapin, presenting various sports facilities such as swimming, tennis and racquetball. There is also a mostly unbroken line of lovely parks extending along the Alexandria riverside from end to end, while a section of the popular Mount Vernon Trail, a fabulous bike path, leads through Old Town close to the Potomac River.
Highlights
George Washington Masonic National Memorial: this 10-floor structure is a Masonic lodge and monument devoted to the memory of the first president of the USA, also a Mason.****
Christ Church: built between 1767 and 1773, this magnificent English country-style church was attended by George Washington and Robert E Lee.
The Lyceum: the 1839 Greek Revival building houses the city’s history museum and tells the story of Alexandria, formerly one of America’s busiest ports.
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum: located in Old Town this cultural history museum offers visitors an insight into the early American life in Virginia.
Black History Museum: presents lectures, tours and other activities referring to the history and undertakings of African Americans in Alexandria from 1749 to the present.
Green Spring Gardens Park: this 26-acre public park contains a 1760 manor house, a tropical greenhouse, a forested stream valley with ponds and over 20 demonstration gardens.