Lorton Things to Do

George Washington owned this 27-acre estate that is now home to the American Horticulture Society. Part of the manor dates to before the American Revolution, and visitors may explore the gracious mansion on self-guided tours. S... more

A wedding present from George Washington to his adopted daughter, Eleanor Nelly Parke Custis, and her husband, Lawrence Lewis, Woodlawn was built between 1800 and 1805 on land originally part of the Mount Vernon estate. The hou... more

Built during the waning days of Virginia's status as a British colony, this structure served not only as a place of worship but also as a gathering place for patriots during the Revolutionary War. George Washington's funeral se... more

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, this modest home was built for the Pope family of Falls Church in 1942. Rescued from destruction by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, it was moved to its present location on the groun... more

George Washington's affiliation with the Masons is remembered at this fascinating museum that features artifacts such as a Washington family Bible, the clock a doctor stopped when Washington died and a splendid Persian rug valu... more

Located in the Torpedo Factory Art Center, the Alexandria Archaeology Museum contains artifacts culled from more than 150 sites and spanning over 10,000 years of human existence. The museum, part of the Office of Historic Alexa... more

This center tracks the history of African-Americans in the Alexandria community from 1749 to the present. The small town, near the North-South line, is a fascinating microcosm of the larger trends that impacted the black commun... more

This Greek-Revival building was built in 1839 as the intellectual and cultural center for the city of Alexandria . The first floor held a library, the second a lecture hall. The Civil War brought these activities to an end, and... more

Constructed in the mid-1700s, this Georgian manor was owned by George Mason, a statesman and one of the authors of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Guided tours of the house feature the elaborate interior woodcarvi... more

Fort Ward was a crucial part of the wide defensive system built around Washington during the Civil War. The fort stands in the swath of territory that Union troops captured from Virginia shortly after the state joined the Confe... more