Old Town Alexandria Tour: From Colonial America to the Civil War

(32 reviews)

Alexandria, Virginia audio tour: Old Town Alexandria Tour: From Colonial America to the Civil War

This is a 1.3mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Alexandria, Virginia

The United States

$8.99

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About the Tour

Three-hundred years of history featuring George Washington, the first martyrs of the Civil War, and a sea captain with 29 children await you in Alexandria’s Old Town, one of the earliest port neighborhoods in North America. On this walking tour, I’ll show you where to find traces of this history, from Colonial America to the Civil War.

Our tour starts in the heart of Alexandria at the Old Town Farmers’ Market, which is as old as the city itself, and still bustles on Saturday mornings. You’ll make your way to Gadsby’s Tavern, where George Washington ate and the staff still wear 18th-century costumes. I’ll also show you where America’s greatest president slept when he visited Alexandria, and where he worshiped at the nearby Christ Church.

We’ll indulge in some more recent history too, including how the bloody fight for a Confederate flag gave each side of the Civil War its first martyr, outside Marshall House. On your way towards Old Town Alexandria’s Waterfront, you’ll walk over the historical cobblestones of Captain’s Row, where millionaires now live in homes that were once owned by sea captains.

As you make your way through this riverside port, you’ll see:

Spite House Alexandria, a property built to spite its neighbors
The mound where Confederate soldiers are buried in a mass grave
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, a former drug store that cured the ailments of the town’s residents for more than a century
An ice house where blocks from the nearby Potomac River cooled food during summer months
The charred bricks of Gazette House which was burnt down after it dared criticize “northern scum soldiers” for arresting a minister that wouldn’t pray for President Lincoln

On this hour long tour, you’ll also:

Find out the location of a Nazi archive that held Germany’s secrets
Learn how John Carlyle’s House inspired the design of Mount Vernon
See where torpedoes were made during World War II
Hear how a banker’s wife hid a portion of the George Washington family fortune in her underwear drawer during a Union raid
Discover why Robert E. Lee’s church was spared from becoming a hospital during the Civil War

Join award-winning Washington journalist and tour guide Rick Snider, who has walked this colonial port since the 1960s to discover the colorful tales of America, past and present. Old Town Alexandria is an oasis of history that reflects the nation’s struggles and successes. From colonial to current times, come see America grow.

Tour Producer

Rick Snider

9 tours

I'm a native Washingtonian who's a lifelong journalist and third-generation tour guide. And oh, I'm related to Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth and co-conspirator Mary Surratt. You'll hear the inside stories when touring Washington with me. Besides the Lincoln assassination, my tours include Lafayette Park by the White House, Kennedy homes in Georgetown, Embassy Row, White House ghost stories, Presidential drinking stories and nearby Old Town Alexandria plus Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, my favorite place in the world.

Preview Location

Location 14

Christ Church

As you finish crossing the street, please stop at the entrance to the churchyard.

[5 second pause.]

If the church is closed, you can just stand here while I tell you about it. If it is open, please feel free to enter when I tell you to do so in a moment. Typically, the r... As you finish crossing the street, please stop at the entrance to the churchyard.

[5 second pause.]

If the church is closed, you can just stand here while I tell you about it. If it is open, please feel free to enter when I tell you to do so in a moment. Typically, the rear church entrance is open during daytime hours every day. The church offers services on Sundays at 8 and 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at noon so please be discreet if entering then. Everyone is welcome to worship.

Okay, let's step onto the Church's grounds now.

As you enter the gates, turn right and follow the brick pathway along the fence to the big mound. This mound is where 19 Confederate soldiers who died at nearby hospitals during the 1861-65 war lie in a mass grave.

Several other famous people like actress Anne Warren and storyteller William Ramsey are also buried here. Many famous world leaders like British prime minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt have visited.

If you'd like to go inside the church after seeing the mound, return to the entrance and then turn right to walk down the path that runs through the middle of the grounds. You'll see the entrance when you get to the other end. There's often someone inside who can provide a tour. It's free, but customary to leave a few dollars. Just remember to stop this tour and use the resume function when you're ready to continue. Or, you can just take a quick look and be on your way again.

Speaking of being on your way, if you don't feel like visiting the building at all, you can start walking to our next stop. Leave through the gates where you entered and then turn right to walk along the sidewalk until you hear from me again.

Whatever you decide to do next, here's some more information on the church while you do it.

It was called the "Church of the Woods" when it was built in 1773 as it was far from the river. Indeed, it was considered the beginning of the wilderness during colonial times, despite being on the edge of the city. The church was built for local worshipers and the congregation included famous members like President George Washington and Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Although those famous parishioners were 60 years apart, they are both reasons why the church remains. And, why it was spared from becoming a hospital during the Civil War. Even to occupying Union soldiers, it just didn't seem right to harm Washington's church.

Christ Church now has more than 2,400 members. It's an Episcopal church, but before the Revolutionary War it was Anglican. Given the king of England was the head of the Anglican church, a change was needed during the revolution.

Remember to turn right and walk along the sidewalk when you leave the church gate. If you've already done so then just keep walking until you hear from me again. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Alexandria City Hall
Carlyle House Historic Park
Gadsby's Tavern
DuVal Tavern
George Washington's Townhome
Christ Church Alexandria
Spite House
Marshall House
Burke and Herbert Bank
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
Gazette House
Captains Row Old Town Alexandria
Torpedo Factory Art Center

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
301 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
Total distance

2km
Final location
105 N Union St, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
Distance back to start location

258.68m

Directions to Starting Point

We begin at 300 King St. where the Old Town's Farmer's Market fills the plaza in front of City Hall. The walking tour begins to the right when facing City Hall. There is a parking garage underneath City Hall on Fairfax St. but also plenty of nearby public lots nearby.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Gadsby's Tavern is a colonial-period restaurant where you can eat and drink like George Washington. We recommend the chicken pot pie. By the water are many restaurants, including along King Street below Fairfax St. that is now pedestrian only. Bugsy's is a sports bar with great atmosphere and food named for its late owner - Washington Capitals defenseman, Bugsy Watson. Tour stops at Christ Church, Carlyle House and Stabler-Leadbetter Apothecary can also be visited inside for a small fee.

Best time of day

This tour is best during the day because old streets can be ripe for poor footing, especially along Captain's Way. It's a quiet path with little traffic - human or cars. It can be largely walked year-round as winters aren't too harsh.

Precautions

There is a nearby police station so this part of town is considered safe. However, in any city common sense should be used during nighttime.

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