27 acres of gorgeous waterfront property, meticulously maintained by the VA Horticultural Society. But good luck ever visiting outside of winter, as it has turned into a non-stop wedding venue. The ENTIRE 27 acres is closed to the public (for the entire day) if an event is scheduled. No calendar is online to check availability of the park to the public. The park is also closed on Sundays. Years ago, you could walk in any day, find a bench and take some pictures or paint a watercolor. Now you need a permit to draw a picture! Not kidding. Check the website. I was a member for years. No more. read more

First, I have to say -- the venue itself is absolutely beautiful. Right on the river, surrounded by tons of green space, it made for a gorgeous setting. I was there for my niece's wedding, and the space truly was lovely. So why only two stars? Unfortunately, the management's attitude completely took away from the experience. More than once, guests could clearly hear staff saying, "If all guests are not off the property by the designated time, we'll be calling the police." I don't usually jump to conclusions or assume race plays a role, but when that kind of statement is repeated multiple times -- at a joyful family celebration -- it's hard not to wonder. At minimum, it was rude, unnecessary, and disrespectful to the couple and their guests. By 11 p.m., it was obvious the planner, her team, and family members were working quickly to clear the space. Threatening to call the police on people who were clearly packing up was completely out of line. To make matters worse, we were also expected to empty trash cans in the bathrooms and kitchen -- not exactly what anyone anticipates after a long day celebrating a wedding. The venue gets full points for scenery, but management needs serious work on professionalism and basic customer respect. read more

The Alexandria Fall Festival at River Farm was beautiful! They had a variety of food trucks, including one that had a cider donutwich with ice cream (featured in the picture). They also had a petting zoo with alpacas, goats, rabbits, a calf, and a donkey. This was not a two-way petting zoo because the alpacas, goats, rabbits, calf, and donkey did not pet me back. read more

River Farm - Cider donut ice cream sandwich - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

We are AHS members and wanted to visit the headquarters! Enjoyed our visit on a mild, foggy Saturday in early December. There was so much fog that we could barely see across the Potomac. To find the parking lot, follow the traffic circle around, and park past the house. The place was almost empty with one docent. A couple was inspecting the venue. At the AHS Headquarters, we had expected a garden with more themed plots and labeled plants. Most trees were bare; some ivy and garlic mustard still green. Some plants were still flowering and there was a tree full of exuberant birds. The displays focused on the house and its history as much as the garden or AHS read more

River Farm - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Best kept secret in the Alexandria area. The park is hidden off GW Parkway and near the Potomac, hence the name :) The grounds are beautiful and there are so many beautiful plants, trees, flowers, shrubs and more. It's very kid-friendly with a dedicated children's garden that's also interactive. It doesn't cost a thing to come here but the parking is limited. The views are amazing and there are many photos ops. It is worth the visit but note that there aren't many walking paths so it's more of a leisurely/fun/informational place to visit. read more

Lovely manicured gardens and lawns for a picnic, place for kids to play, walk with a dog, or chance to wander and relax with some natural surrounds, a glimpse of the river, and some garden education along the way. I would have loved to see even more educational signage since it's home of the American Horticultural Society so I could understand a bit more about the plantings while wandering the gardens on my own. On my Friday afternoon visit the gardens were open but the gift shop and estate were closed, but little pamphlets were available as an easy guide around the property. read more

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River Farm is the headquarters for the American Horticultural Society (AHS), but it's so much more than that. It's a property along the Potomac River just outside of Washington, D.C. with a story. The story starts with the River Farm property being established in 1653-1654. It was then sold to George Washington as an outlying property to Mount Vernon. It transferred owners a few times before going up for sale in the 1970s. That's when then Russian Embassy made an offer to purchase the property as a summerhouse (a dacha). Due to public outcry, the AHS took over the property. Despite being AHS' headquarters, it's open for the public. You can tour the historic brick home on the property and walk the gardens alongside the main house and near the Potomac River. There's even a children's garden. With plenty of green space, you can even bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic. If you have kids, it's a fun little spot. If you love history, it's a must-visit. You can even find a gate that was at the White House for 120 years! read more

Not that you would know it by looking at any of their information online or on their property, but they were a Slave Plantation. Nowhere on their property is that acknowledged. Even before that the land was Native land and there is no Land Acknowledgement of the fact that the land was stolen from its Native residents. Now it's just offices for stuck-up wyte folks who don't bother to return calls when you sound a certain way, if you get my meaning. Don't even bother trying here. read more

Great wedding Venue- beautiful gardens overlooking the Potomac River. The large tent connected to the Manor house easily accommodated 100 guests and there was plenty of room for dance floor. read more

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Gorgeous venue. We were invited here for an event and now it's one of my fave places to visit in Alexandria. The grounds are well kept, the staff is exceptionally accommodating and the views are beautiful and breathtaking. read more

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Impossible to get ahold of anyone. Can't even find a person to help you when you come visit. Very disappointing.

Fabulous! So relaxing and peaceful. I forgot all negative things here and enjoy the natural beauty. You can have big parties here. One of the best spots for wedding:) Price: Free. Please donate to keep this beautiful place. Donation boxes at the entrance and in front of the shop. Customer service: Amazing. Variety: Many kinds of flowers, trees, fruits, and vegetables! Parking: Free. Don't forget to check out the super heavy iron gates. Looks like the ones at White House! There are many interesting historical stories here too:)) read more

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Beautiful farm house part of George Washington's estate with nice walking trails which connect naturally to the Mount Vernon Trail. It's free and open on Saturdays from 9am - 1pm in April-Oct. You can bring your pup to walk the trails! Check out the sunflowers, beautiful plants, and bamboo trees. While we're exploring the grounds, a wedding was being set-up. Great venue! read more

ari botani They were worth the trip to pop in. The tropical room has a high platform where you can look down on the plants. Most of all, the glass building is lovely. Don't miss this ari botani read more

As of 8/3/21, Was planning a nice outdoor time with my daughters. But was disappointed that the farm was only open for deliveries and private events. I even checked their website and it never said they weren't open to the public . read more

A little known fact about George Washington is that he was a gentleman Farmer. In fact, he owned a total of five farms, River Farm was one of those farms. The history of this farm goes back to the 1600 when it was first owned by a British family who originally landed in Jamestown. After a few ownership changes, Washington acquired the property in the mid 1700's. Today, the farm is the home of American Horticultural Society. -- the leading gardening society in the country. Accordingly, on the farm's 20-some acres is the largest tree in the state in Virginia (it is the second largest in the country!). The gardens here are fantastic, There is a kid's garden as well as a few beds of annual plants and flowers. The view from the "farm house" porch (really an estate home) is a great vantage point to see the river and the gardens. read more

River Farm - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This place is breathtaking. The grounds are incredibly well-kept, replete with many types of plants and flowers. The sweeping views of the Potomac are gorgeous. There are benches and many secluded nooks and cranies where you can sit and relax. Highly recommend a visit. read more

Wonderful place for an event. I attended a corporate even there, and the food and service were outstanding. What a great place to have a wedding or other special event! The grounds are amazing, the view is delightful. This is Elegant Virginia at its finest. read more

River Farm is a truly special location for many reasons. There are several walking paths for dog lovers, a children's garden for mothers and their children, and it also makes a lovely wedding venue. It is located on the Potomac River and is tucked away from the crazy traffic of D.C. The gardens are taken care of by the American Horticulture Society and they are top notch. In the spring, there is the annual Spring Garden Market which is open to the public. I recommend that everyone visits this gem and to bring a picnic with their favorite bottle of wine during the summer. read more

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My daughter's wedding was just held here last friday , oct. 15. One of the best, memorable places that I've ever visited. Really very romantic. Stayed until closing time -9pm dancing the night away. Also, was there one day before for rehearsals and viewed the George Washington Mansion and museum. read more

We just had our wedding there, and I really couldn't have asked for a more beautiful place. The gardens made a lovely backdrop for the ceremony, there were TONS of gorgeous places for photos, and the guests loved wandering around the grounds and checking out the historic house. The staff was also very pleasant to work with and it was easy to drop by (during normal business hours) to check out the place during the planning process. The location was great: a very natural setting, but within minutes of Old Town Alexandria (where our guests stayed) and easy access to the District, so a lot of guests took time to go into DC to see the sites. The site rental fee at first seemed a bit high considering they don't provide any planning services or chairs, tables, etc. but the more I learned about wedding planning, the more I realized how in-line it was for outdoor venues, particularly in that area. The grounds were immaculately kept, and the giant tent over the patio was perfect for the reception. We knew we wanted an outdoor wedding, but wanted to be sure to have a large tent to shield people from the elements if necessary (from the sun if it was too hot, from the rain if there was any, from the cold if it was chilly). As I learned from other venues, you usually have to separately contract for large tents, and they are quite pricey....to the tune of several thousand dollars. So, given the tent is included, and the grounds so beautiful, and the location so fantastic, AND that the fees are used to support this wonderful nonprofit, the rental cost was actually quite reasonable. I wasn't sure how it would work out having the dancing (which had to be in the ballroom) separate from the rest of the reception, but it actually worked out quite nicely. The ballroom opens directly onto the patio under the tent. The guests milled around the grounds and inside the tent to chat, and then moved in and out of the ballroom to dance as the spirit moved them. River Farm does have some strict rules about open flames (not allowed), reception end times (9 pm on Sunday, a little later on other nights), and amplified/electronic music outdoors (also not allowed). Honestly, I didn't think my wedding suffered AT ALL for these rules. The rental time was sufficient for caterer set-up and take-down and still leave plenty of time for the ceremony + reception. It was great having a few hours of daylight for the guests to walk around the grounds, and there was still plenty of night-time to set the mood for an evening reception. Afterward, guests headed into Old Town for the after-party. The music from the ballroom could easily be heard outside, and we used battery-powered candles for ambiance. Everything worked out great. The only think I would have done differently would have been to hire a wedding planner. I'm more of a DIY kind of person and figured there was no need to hire someone to do something I could do myself. In the end, it all worked out fine, but I underestimated how much work it would be, and how many decisions I had to make it. Without on-site wedding coordination at River Farm, all that work fell to me and my mom (with a lot of advice from Main Event Catering!), and it would have been a major sanity-saver to have professional doing the heavy lifting. All in all, though, I really couldn't have asked for a better spot for a wedding! read more

Best kept secret in town. This is a free alternative to Mount Vernon. We love the children's garden.

I brought an out of town guest with me to River Farm. We are both garden enthusiasts and have to admit to being very disappointed. The gardens were a bit tatty, which is surprising given that it is run by the Horticultural Society. There are no identifying tags on any of the trees or plants. The staff, of which there seemed to be plenty having their lunch, barely spoke to us, except one individual. Although supposedly open to visitors, the gift shop was locked up. The views of the Potomac River are stunning. It appears that River Farm is more interested in hosting paying weddings and other parties. I had looked forward to seeing the property for some years and was very disappointed. read more

Just went to a beautiful wedding held here- what a fantastic space. The service staff were incredible, and the food was great. They invited the bride & groom to plant a treet in the garden, and the view of the water was breathtaking. Highly recommended for any outdoor events! read more

Absolutely breathtaking! We just attended a wedding here and the atmosphere is perfect for an afternoon celebration. You are surrounded by beauty and deep rooted history. I could not think of a better place to tie the know in the DC area. read more

We had our wedding there a few weeks ago and it was the most perfect venue. Janet was extremely helpful throughout the entire wedding planning process - helped us find vendors, answered questions in a timely manner, and was very accommodating as far as scheduling our rehearsal/bringing things early went. Very easy to work with and the venue is absolutely gorgeous!! read more

I would give this place 6 stars if I could. My boyfriend took me here for a nice surprising picnic for my b-day. It was so amazing. I've lived in this area all my life and I never knew about this place. We went there on a Monday and we literally had the entire place to ourselves. I kept thinking that this place in the spring must be an amazing site, but even in the fall is was breath-taking. I kept telling my boyfriend that the picnic was my favorite part of my birthday! read more

Took my 2-year old there today and he had a great time! There was plenty of space for him to run around and explore. We will be back in the spring! read more

Beautiful location!! The Mount Vernon area has so many hidden gems and this is one of them. I can't wait for spring to see it in full bloom. The staff at the Hampton Inn & Suites Mount Vernon let me in on this and I'm glad they did. read more

I had family pictures taken here! The play area was a hit with my kids and the breath taking view over looking the river were amazing. This is seriously one of the best kept secrets as I had never heard of this place until our photographer recommended it! Can't wait until the weather warms back up to revisit! read more

What a gem. A place off the beaten trail. 27 acres right on the Potomac. The grounds are well-kept with tons of views of the Potomac. The kids gardens are fun and interactive with lots of learning opportunities. Great for an afternoon of fun. The site also offers children's programs, site rental (great place for wedding) and an annual plant sale. This is a must see and do! read more

The grounds are beautiful, but every time we've been we are spoken to by staff about something. Little things, they seem to go out of their way to find. Though they allow the public in, there certainly is a feeling you are not welcome there. Once with a group of moms we were told we should donate if we wanted to visit by staff. Our friends rented the place out for their child's birthday, and as we were packing up we were told rudely 3 times that we needed to leave NOW because a wedding was coming in. Why book the 2 events so close together with no pad time in between? My kids (who are both 2 and under) brought a small inflatable ball another time to roll back and forth in the grass and we were told, "they don't allow sporting equipment, they want the children to enjoy nature." Sporting equipment? Every time their tone has been very arrogant. There have been other things as well. Maybe a sign with the rules would be a good idea? Seems as if they just want the place for weddings alone, and it's an inconvenience to let others enjoy George Washington's grounds. There is never anyone there, so I'm starting to wonder if they are purposely doing this to keep people out. There must have been some kind of agreement with the government that the Mt. Vernon Ladies Assoc. could operate the place and make profits from event rentals, but they have to allow the public in. read more

This past weekend, we held our daughter's wedding at the American Horticultural Society's River Farm in Alexandria, Virginia. It's a beautiful place for a wedding. The grounds are lovely. It has ample space for a tented dinner, and a ballroom for dancing. Also, with so much acreage, our young guests had plenty of room to run. The bonus is Janet Daniels, River Farm's wedding specialist, who helped us in so many ways as we prepared for the wedding and on the day of the wedding. Janet was responsive but never intrusive. She was absolutely perfect. read more

Had my wedding here last summer, and it honestly couldn't be a better location. so beautiful and great for the pics. only downside is that you have to be out by 10pm which is pretty early for an evening wedding, especially considering the cost. But i would do it over again in a heartbeat. read more

River Farm was a perfect venue for our wedding! The staff was so great to work with. They always answered my emails promptly and they were full of great suggestions and ideas. The gardens were a beautiful backdrop for our wedding portraits, and the interior of the house is beautiful too! The upstairs "bride room" was perfect for peeking out the window to watch your guests arriving. If I could do it all over again I'd choose River Farm for sure! read more