On the third floor of Alexandria's Torpedo Factory, an old torpedo factory that's now the country's…read morelargest collection of working-artists' open studios, is a one room-museum about the city's history and archaeology. With free admission, take the time to read about Alexandria's archaeology and look at some historic artifacts. There's a small store and several interactive exhibits that teach kids about archaeology. They even have free coloring pages for kids!

The museum exhibit starts from history of the community digs on its (Lee Street) past which also…read morestarted the background of The City of Alexandria became a leader in historic preservation. We found a hidden gem that located on the 3rd floor of Torpedo Factory Art Center which provides historical stories in a quaint space. Not only that, it's also can be an interesting short archeology field trip for certain ages kids. The museum gift shop available as the museum time. Come and check it out, you won't be disappointed!

This is another gem within Alexandria city limits that's worth stopping by. Julie was really…read morefriendly and resourceful, which enhanced the experience. The city has done a superb job preserving and expanding this historical building. There is a small gift shop, and several rooms on the main floor with historical artifacts. The upstairs Lyseum is still used for lectures and other events, which you can learn more about on their website. It is not a huge museum but you could easily spend at least an hour perusing the exhibits and learning about Alexandria's history. It is an interesting, informative museum and I'd imagine even long-time locals can learn something new about Alexandria. There is a small parking lot with a handful of dedicated spots so I'd imagine during events that nearby street parking is the way to go. Inside, there are public restrooms available. Admission is free for Alexandria residents.

A wonderful little museum showcasing important history in Alexandria. Very educational displays and…read moreawesome pieces of art throughout the museum. A souvenir store is also available with great little finds inside. Check them out.

This random little museum has a beautiful building if you're looking for a wedding venue (the…read morereason I was here). There is a large empty room on the second floor of the museum which can be used for a wedding ceremony. The museum itself was small but had some nice touches. My kids enjoyed seeing the lighthouse lights, especially seeing how small the lights were compared to the amount of light they generated. The museum had a few other touches for kids, like a small table with coloring sheets and crayons, and a large deer hide with a sign saying PLEASE TOUCH. Admission is free for Alexandria residents. I'm not sure I would have paid if I wasn't already there for the wedding. There is also a small parking lot with about 15-20 parking spots, and plenty of paid 2-3 hour street parking around there.

I do believe this is a must-stop for any Alexandrian looking to learn more about the history of the…read moretown in which they live. And bonus points: it is free for Alexandria residents. I guess it is shameful it took covid for my museum loving self to come here (it is open while many of the other local Alexandria museums are still closed) Full disclosure: this is a small little museum of history. You won't be spending all day here. But it is a good stop for residents and visitors.

The Torpedo Factory is still wonderful as it has been, right on Alexandria's waterfront. We love…read morethe local artist's ceramic workshop. There are 3 levels, and on the ground floor there are models of old torpedos. The rebirth and repurposing of an old factory is very meaningful, as it is now a haven for local artists. However, there was forever a long line to the ladies' room. They should consider renovating the restrooms or expanding them. I understand with old architecture there may be constraints, but given how popular this place is, it is fair to ask.

10/10 A whimsical place I stumbled into one Saturday morning…read moreafter attending the Farmer's Market. It's a large space with a lot to explore designed in a way that doesn't make you feel overwhelmed. With 3 massive floors, it seemed like there was endless art to explore. It's fun and cool walking into the artist's workshop to engage and see what they're working on in real time. They were all so friendly and welcoming. Overall the experience here was a delight!

What a fun stop! Personal tour of the house, including entry to all but one bedroom. Wonderful,…read moredetailed tour of this historic home. Museum is decorated in 1700's items, some original and some replicas. There's also a stop that shows the architecture/layers of materials from the home. Tour includes the history of the original owner and his family, the changes of ownership and disarray the house fell into, restoration and current state. $3 for children 6+ and $7 for adults. Tour begins with a short video and then a 45-50 minute walk through of the home. Must be able to walk stairs. There are specific chairs throughout the home to sit during the tour if needed.

The Congress of Alexandria- General Braddock & Five Colonial Governors…read more https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_of_Alexandria Quite Educational but also Entertaining - firing squad

This place is special. It has an amazing story and historical significance. The food is good and…read morethe atmosphere is great. This place will engage all 5 senses.

Cool place. Not sure if it is always a self guided tour but…read morethere are enough plaques to explain what you are looking at. I do wish there was an audio or a person guiding the tour option. I only met one staff member. She was really informative. Next time I'm in town, I'll eat in the restaurant next door.

Selma & Karen were awesome at this museum, and I had to take the time to highlight them!!…read more This museum is small, but so mighty! $3 for out of state residents to come (free for those located locally), and I took about an hour and a half here.. between talking to the staff and reading the facts in the 2-rooms included and browsing the gift shop. PLEASE take the time to visit and support your local and farther out museums, it's so important!

Recently reopened after a three-year closure for renovations (and the pandemic), the Alexandria…read moreBlack History Museum is a small, yet powerful museum that's open Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. After visiting on a Friday afternoon, here's my experience. 1) Admission: It's free for Alexandria residents, Blue Star families and Key to the City holders and $3 for everyone else. No need to reserve tickets ahead of time. Just walk in. I had the museum to myself. 2) Exhibits: The museum has two small rooms with exhibits. The first one is mainly reading with some artifacts about the history of Black Alexandria. There's a small area for kids with a scavenger hunt and a craft. The second room talks about Alexandria's response to the murder of George Floyd. The museum has a small bookstore worth exploring, especially if you like reading books. 3) Space: It's housed in a library for Black residents during segregation that was built after a sit-in at another library. 4) Neighborhood: There are many other historical sites nearby as well as cafes and restaurants. 5) Parking: There's no parking lot, but free street parking is usually easy to find nearby.

A historic building with an ostentatious name which has somehow eluded my attention until now. It…read morehouses a free (!) art gallery, which is just a big room with a little add-on at street level. The basement is open and is also visibly historic, but doesn't have much in the way of art. It does have cool air and a restroom. The scope of the art gallery clearly isn't large (bearing in mind that a free art gallery the size of a mansion is ho-hum by DC standards), but I enjoyed what they had and it was a perfect use of the time I had to spend on it. Surprisingly enough, they seem to allow people to bring their dogs inside.

All of the Athenaeum staff was excellent to work with. During the initial planning stages, Veronica…read moreand Richard were my main points of contact, both of whom were very helpful answering questions. They were happy to entertain our questions both via email and during the various trips to check out the space. The contract process was fairly straight forward and fortunately renting out the space includes both the art gallery and the outside garden (it rained on our wedding day and the ceremony was initially going to take place in the garden). A few days before the wedding, we were informed that Amanda would be the staffer on hand on the actual wedding day. I sent Amanda my proposed timeline and we reviewed it over the phone. She was willing to assist with flow of show and confirming chair and floral deliveries/set up. She advised us of some renovations that were taking place in the alley behind the garden, which is where the ceremony was originally going to take place. While the staff had not previously informed us of the planned renovation, it all worked out in the end. Amanda emailed me photos of the renovations, offered alternate solutions to ensure the scaffolding wouldn't be as visible, emailed the contractor to ensure they would be done with the renovations for the day prior to our scheduled photo time and ceremony start time, and offered to be at the venue early to ensure that everything was clean. When I realized it was likely going to rain on the wedding day, I emailed Amanda asking for a quick discussion on a rain plan. She contacted me right away to confirm a time and we spoke the morning of the wedding to come up with a rain plan. She handled the new set up with both the chair rental company and the florist. The set up came out beautifully. Also, one of the photographers left a water behind and Amanda emailed me about the item so I was able to retrieve it the next day. I would definitely rent this space again!