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Visiting Old Town (Historical Marker)

GPS Coordinates: 38.8051736, -77.0393744

Visiting Old Town (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this trailside historical marker:

Visiting Old Town

Welcome to Old Town Alexandria! Experience historical charm with contemporary flair from the river to the rails

Plan

Alexandria Visitors Center at Ramsay House
Knowledgeable staff help you create a perfect plan for your visit. Purchase attractions tickets, check entertainment schedules, pick up maps and brochures, or join a walking tour.
221 King Street, (703) 838-5005
Open daily 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.,
except Christmas and New Year's days.

Ride

King Street Trolley
Ride as often as you like with service between the Potomac River Waterfront and the King Street Metro. The service is free and convenient.
Frequent stops along King Street.
Sunday - Wednesday
10:00 a.m. - 10:15 p.m.

Thursday - Saturday
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Metro
Venture beyond Old Town to explore the booming art deco-inspired Eisenhower Valley (Eisenhower Avenue Stop) or vibrant and artistic Del Ray (Braddock Road Stop).

Walk

Explore Historic Streets
Immerse yourself in the historic ambiance of Old Town Alexandria by walking its charming streets lined with boutiques, art galleries, attractions, and restaurants.
Walking maps available at the Visitors Center and aboard the King Street Trolley.

(South of King Street, from West to East)
Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site
4301 W. Braddock Road, not shown on map
The museum, patterned after a Union headquarters building, displays a fine Civil War collection and exhibits. The Fort's Northwest Bastion has been completely restored.

U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Museum
600 Dulany Street
Established in 1995, the museum strives to educate the public about patent and trademark systems and the important role intellectual property protection plays in our nation's social and economic health.

Alexandria African-American Heritage Park
The role of African-Americans in Alexandria's development is celebrated with a bronze tree sculpture titled "Truths that Rise from the Roots Remembered."

Alexandria National Cemetery
Graves of Civil War soldiers numbering some 3,500 includes U.S. Colored Troops and four men who died chasing John Wilkes Booth.

Freedom House Museum
The museum is located in the building that once was the headquarters for the largest domestic slave trading firm in America. Multi-media exhibits tell the unimaginable story of the slave trade.

Friendship Firehouse
Established in 1774, the Friendship Fire Company was the first volunteer fire company in Alexandria. The current firehouse was built in 1855 and now houses historic firefighting equipment and exhibits.

The Lyceum: Alexandria's History Museum
The story of Alexandria, once one of the busiest ports in America, is told through archaeological finds, photographs, maps, artwork, and artifacts housed in an 1839 Greek Revival building.

Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
Opened in 1792 by a young Quaker pharmacist, the family business operated for 141 years. Over 8,000 early medical care items are still in place. Patrons included George and Martha Washington and Robert E. Lee.

Old Presbyterian Meeting House
Built in 1775, the church was the site of memorial services for George Washington in 1799. See a memorial to an unknown soldier of the American Revolution in the churchyard.

The Athenaeum
Built in 1851, this Greek Revival building was home to the Bank of the Old Dominion where Robert E. Lee banked. Today, it is an art gallery and home of the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association.

(North of King Street, from West to East)
George Washington Masonic National Memorial
101 Callahan Drive
This memorial honoring the nation's first president was dedicated in 1932, the bicentennial of Washington's birth. Nine levels of exhibits include an extensive collection of fraternal artifacts and other objects owned by George Washington.

Alexandria Black History Museum
902 Wythe Street, not shown on map
Originally the segregated library for Alexandria's African-American residents, the museum documents the local and national history, culture, and contributions of Black America.

Christ Church
George Washington and Robert E. Lee attended services in this English country-style church built between 1767 and 1773.

Gadsby's Tavern Museum
Tavern keepers John Wise and John Gadsby operated this 1785 tavern and 1792 City Hotel patronized by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Today, the museum tells the story of travel and hospitality in early America.

Lee-Fendall House
614 Oronoco Street
Guided by its 1852 inventory, historians interpret the house as a Lee home of the 1850 to 1870 period.

Carlyle House Historic Park
Scottish merchant and City founder John Carlyle built this home in 1753. Here five royal governors and General Braddock met to discuss funding of the French and Indian War.

Alexandria Archaeology Museum
Archaeologists reconstruct Alexandria's history fragment by fragment in the museum's hands-on laboratory located on the third floor of the Torpedo Factory Art Center.

Torpedo Factory Art Center
Home to more than 165 working artists, the Torpedo Factory Art Center is one of the largest visual arts centers in the country. The Art League School and Alexandria Archaeology Museum are also housed in the building originally constructed as a torpedo factory built after World War I.

Hours of Operation
Listed in the Alexandria Visitors Guide available in boxes along King Street, or at the Alexandria Visitors Center, 221 King Street.

Regarding Visiting Old Town. Interstate highway system was introduced in the 1950s. I-395 designation arrived in the 1970s; it was part of I-95 before I-95 was shifted to the eastern part of the Beltway.

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