february 10–16, 2025
What's New
Romance, Bromance, & BFFs
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street
Friday, February 14
6-9 p.m.
$25 per person (includes one drink ticket)
Purchase tickets.
Explore the history of love and friendship in Alexandria! Drop in for stories of good and bad relationships, learn about love in the animal kingdom with our friends from the Jerome “Buddie” Ford Nature Center, sip a specialty cocktail, and maybe even meet your match! Includes chocolate demonstrations, special make+takes, plus a pop-up shop with Friends to Lovers Bookshop. Bring your SO, your BFF, or just yourself!
2025 George Washington Birthday Parade
Old Town Alexandria, parade route
Saturday, February 15
2-4 p.m.
Thousands of spectators will line the streets of Old Town Alexandria to cheer on the oldest and largest George Washington Birthday Parade in the country! This year’s parade theme is George Washington: America’s Commander-in-Chief, marking the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War and founding of the United States Army, and the Grand Marshal is Lieutenant General Heidi J. Hoyle, Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Army. For other parade information, visit www.washingtonbirthday.com.
DC News Now Black History Month Special
Sunday, February 16
8-9 p.m.
Free
Please click the link to help you better find the channel numbers on your TV provider for DC News Now.
The DC News Now Black History Month Special features a variety of stories all over D.C., Maryland & Northern Virginia, from DC’s history of G0-Go music, to an African American WWII Veteran remembered through letters, and all the way to a museum exhibit advertising revolutionist Moss Kendrix.
How to Watch DC News Now & DCW50
Upcoming Events
View the Historic Alexandria Calendar
Martin Luther King Jr. Poster Exhibition
On view in the Vola Lawson Lobby of City Hall, 301 King Street
Saturday, February 1 - Friday, February 28
Free
The Alexandria Black History Museum, in partnership with the Office of Historic Alexandria, sponsors an annual Student Poster Exhibition for Alexandria City Public School students in grades 2-5. The 2025 theme is Mission Possible: Freedom, Justice, and Democracy. The Posters will be on view in the Vola Lawson Lobby of City Hall throughout the month of February. This is a 30+ year event that has over 200 ACPS students and their families attend. View the posters online.
Glimpses of Historic Alexandria: A Carol Stalun Exhibition
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden, 614 Oronoco Street
Saturday, February 1- Sunday, April 27
Learn more.
Lee-Fendall's newest exhibit, Glimpses of Historic Alexandria, showcases a collection of photographs by local Alexandria photographer, Carol Jean Stalun. This special exhibition brings together many of Stalun's works that are focused on historic sites around the city of Alexandria. Learn the history of these sites as you walk around the Lee-Fendall House that was built over 200 years ago. Admission into the exhibit is included with general admission.
George Washington Birthnight Dinner
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal Street
Saturday, February 15
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
$150
Purchase tickets.
Enjoy a four-course period inspired dinner with wine honoring Washington’s Birthnight at Gadsby’s Tavern. General Washington, portrayed by Brian Hilton, will be in attendance to share in the festivities. In addition, in honor of the 2025 Washington Birthday parade theme "George Washington: America’s Commander in Chief,” Dr. Peter Henriques, Professor of History, Emeritus at George Mason University, will highlight Washington’s military career and legacy during dinner. Cocktail attire recommended.
Lecture Series: What’s in a Name: The Syphax Family Legacy
Carlyle House Historic Park, 121 N. Fairfax Street
Sunday, February 16
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
$12 per person
Purchase tickets.
Join genealogist and family historian, Stephen Hammond, for a presentation titled "What's in a Name: the Syphax Family Legacy" that will summarize his Syphax family history, old and new. Steve speaks to a variety of audiences to inspire and educate while helping to heal and repair a Nation still impacted by the repercussions of the Civil War 160 years ago. He is a docent, volunteering regularly for the National Park Service and has recently opened a new exhibit at the Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial titled "One Family's Service: Syphaxes in the Military." He is a member of multiple genealogical organizations and lineage societies where members honor their ancestors and promote historic preservation. Steve has been named a Virginia Humanities Scholar.
The Washington Revels Jubilee Voices Concert
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street
Sunday, February 16
2 - 3:30 p.m.
Free
Reserve tickets.
Join Washington Revels Jubilee Voices and the Office of Historic Alexandria’s Division of African American History to celebrate African American music, history and culture in a concert exploring the themes of freedom, resistance and resilience, from the Civil War through the present day. Enjoy traditional African American spirituals, poetry, dance, ring shouts, banjo tunes, stories, and audience participation.
Alexandria Association Lecture Series
The Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street
Monday, February 17
7 p.m. light refreshments, 7:30 p.m. lecture
Members free; Guests $10 at the Door
Calder Loth, Senior Architectural Historian of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (Retired) will speak about “Alexandria’s Official Historic Landmarks.”
The City of Alexandria is enriched with forty-seven places listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. These include architectural, engineering, religious, educational, military and ethnic historical areas of significance. Calder Loth's extensively illustrated presentation on this historic legacy will cover the specific attributes of each of the city's official cultural resources.
Membership Information and the Association's Calendar are available at: alexandriaassociation.org
Future of Market Square
Virtual meeting
Thursday, February 20
Register online at alexandriava.gov/CityHall.
The journey to reimagine City Hall and Market Square is reaching an exciting milestone, and we want YOU to be part of it! Join us on Thursday, February 20, 2025, 7-8:30 p.m., for a virtual meeting as we kick-off Series #4 of community meetings to help shape the future of this transformative project.
At this session, you’ll be among the first to share your ideas on how the revitalized City Hall can best serve the community – suggest programs, activities, and experiences that could shape the future of City Hall! This is a free event and is open to all. Advanced registration is required.
Meaningful Conversations about Racism and What to Do About It
Topic: Safety and Self-Actualization
Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street
Thursday, February 20
7 - 9 p.m.
Free
Join us for a continued series of meaningful conversations aimed at exploring and celebrating the diversity of cultures and peoples in our community. We will address the attitudes and behaviors that continue to divide us and seek solutions grounded in the understanding that we are all part of an interconnected, interdependent human family.
Vive Lafayette Wine Challenge
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal Street
Friday, February 21
7-9:30 p.m.
$100
Purchase tickets.
To commemorate the Bicentennial of the Marquis de Lafayette’s February 21, 1825, visit to Alexandria, join us at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum for a France vs. Virginia wine challenge. Meet the Marquis de Lafayette, enjoy tavern games, listen to live 19th-century music, and taste six wine varieties paired with heavy hors d'oeuvres and charcuterie. We’ll pit France vs. Virginia with six different grape varietals and you’ll have a chance to vote for your favorite in each category. Please note the event takes place on the second floor of the building. Due to the historic nature of the building, there is no elevator.
Preservation Tours: Lost Buildings of Alexandria-The Berg & Parker-Gray
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden, 614 Oronoco Street
Saturday, February 22
1-2 p.m.
$20
Purchase tickets.
Join Carlyle House and Lee-Fendall House on a tour of “Lost Alexandria.” Explore parts of the historic neighborhoods of The Berg & Parker-Gray. Learn why these buildings were not preserved.
Tour begins at Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco St. This tour includes walking over many city blocks. Walking shoes required, bottled water suggested. Held rain or shine. Tour will be cancelled in extreme weather.
Specialty Tour: A Magical Apothecary
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, 105-107 South Fairfax Street
Sunday, February 23
11 a.m.-noon
$15, $12 Historic Alexandria members
Purchase tickets.
Learn about the muggle botanical science that inspired the potions and herbology of Harry Potter's wizarding world on a tour of this 19th century apothecary, and make your own magical potion! Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Choir of William and Mary Concert for a Cause
Old Presbyterian Meeting House, 323 South Fairfax Street
Sunday, February 23
4 p.m.
Free
The Choir of the College of William and Mary will perform a concert at the Old Presbyterian Meeting House, 323 South Fairfax Street. The Choir is starting its 101st year. The concert is free, but a voluntary offering will be collected to benefit two $3000 scholarships established by the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project. These scholarships, first awarded in 2024, recognize and remember this City's known lynching victims: Joseph McCoy (1897) and Benjamin Thomas (1899), by providing scholarships to two Alexandria City High School students annually.
Murray-Dick-Fawcett House Comprehensive Plan Presentation - Hybrid
Virtual Presentation and in-person at the Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street
Monday, February 24
6-7:30 p.m.
Free
Register via Zoom.
Join the Office of Historic Alexandria and Glavé & Holmes Architecture for the final presentation on the Comprehensive Planning process for the Murray-Dick-Fawcett House at 517 Prince Street. The final report will be posted online in the coming weeks.
The Murray-Dick-Fawcett House, at 517 Prince Street, is one of the earliest homes in the city, and possibly the least altered 18th century home in Northern Virginia.
The Office of Historic Alexandria, in close collaboration with the community and stakeholders, has embarked on the development of this Comprehensive Plan. This strategic document will chart the course for the future use, interpretation, and preservation of the Murray-Dick-Fawcett House site.
For additional information on the process, visit https://www.alexandriava.gov/museums/comprehensive-plan-murray-dick-fawcett-house
Lecture: Robert Colby
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street
Thursday, March 6
7-9 p.m.
$15, $12 for Historic Alexandria members
Purchase tickets.
Robert Colby is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Mississippi. His first book, An Unholy Traffic: Slave Trading in the Civil War South, was published in 2024 by Oxford University Press. His research has won awards from the Society of American Historians and the Society of Civil War Historians and has been published in the Journal of the Civil War Era, Journal of the Early Republic, and Slavery & Abolition. Proceeds from the event support Freedom House Museum.
Between Fort Sumter and Appomattox, Confederates bought and sold thousands of men, women, and children through a persisting trade in enslaved people. They did so for a multitude of reasons, including to adapt to the conflict, to invest in their desired slaveholding future, and to fend off the onset of emancipation. These transactions had profound impacts on the enslaved, their lives and families, and the ways in which they pursued freedom during the war. The surviving traffic in humanity thus shaped the experience of the Civil War and its aftermath for all inhabitants of the wartime South.
Specialty Tour: A Toast to the Ladies!
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal Street
Friday, March 7 and Saturday, March 8
6-7:30 p.m.
$20, $15 Historic Alexandria members
Purchase tickets.
This special tour and discussion will highlight the many women over the centuries associated with Gadsby’s Tavern Museum. From Hannah Griffith, the first woman to operate a coffeehouse in the tavern, to the spearheading preservationist Rebecca Ramsay Reese, these women’s stories will spark conversations about political, economic, and social conditions for women in the past and the present. Please note the tour involves ascending and descending stairs Ticket includes tea, which can be carried throughout the tour and discussion.
Story Time for Little Historians
Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street
Saturday, March 8
10 - 10:45 a.m.
Free
Designed for children ages 4-8, this event introduces young learners to African and African American culture through stories and songs.
An Evening of Irish Music
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street
Saturday, March 8
7 p.m.
Ticket $10/$15 at the door, Children 17 & Under $5. Free Snacks. Beer & wine for sale.
Purchase tickets.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early with The Irish Breakfast Band. Most Irish Breakfast Bank performances feature 15 or more musicians, often several fiddles and flutes, a guitar or two, a drummer, a hammered dulcimer, banjo, pipes, and at least one vocalist. The band performs extensively in the Washington Metropolitan area at festivals and other events including the Washington Folk Festival, Art on the Avenue (in Alexandria) and local concert series. Proceeds from ticket sales, cash bar, and tips benefit the Office of Historic Alexandria.
Specialty Tour: Poisons at the Apothecary Museum
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, 105-107 South Fairfax Street
Sunday, March 9
11 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Please arrive between 10:45-11 a.m.)
$15, $12 Historic Alexandria members
Purchase tickets.
Come explore the sinister side of medicine on the Apothecary Museum’s Poisons Tour. This one-hour tour explores several different types of poisons, their historic uses at the Apothecary, and what we know today. Recommended for ages 18 and up. Tour is 11a.m. to 12 p.m. Please arrive between 10:45 - 11 a.m. as the museum is not open to the public until 1 p.m. and the doors will be locked when the tour begins at 11 a.m.
Support Historic Alexandria
Historic Alexandria receives City operational funding to support its mission; however, these resources do not cover the full scope of the department’s strategic goals and projects. Donations, special revenue, and grant funding help supplement staff, conservation work, and educational programs. Please consider making a gift today.
Historic Alexandria Museum Hours
Monday, February 17: In honor of President’s Day, Gadsby’s Tavern Museum will be open from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. All the other museums will be closed.
Alexandria Archaeology Museum
Tuesdays–Fridays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 – 5 p.m.
Alexandria Black History Museum
Thursdays & Fridays, 11 a.m.– 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays, 1– 5 p.m.
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum
Thursdays & Fridays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 – 5 p.m.
Fort Ward Museum
Thursdays & Fridays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 – 5 p.m.
Freedom House Museum
Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 – 5 p.m.; Reopens weekdays beginning February 3–Mondays, 1 – 5 p.m, Thursdays & Fridays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.,
Friendship Firehouse Museum
January closed. Open Saturday, February 15, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum
Thursdays & Fridays, 11 a.m.– 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays, 1– 5 p.m.
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
Wednesdays–Fridays, 11 a.m.– 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays 1 - 5 p.m.
Visit our website and follow us on social media to discover new things about your hometown. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic. Admission to City of Alexandria museums is complimentary for city residents.
For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Nicole Quinn at historicalexandria@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4554, Virginia Relay 711.
This Week in Alexandria's History
Alexandria celebrates African American heritage every month of the year, but before there was a designated Black History Month, Black History Week was started in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson to commemorate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on February 12th, and Frederick Douglass on February 14th. In many black communities, these birthdays were already commemorated in the years between 1865 and 1926. Black History Week evolved into Black History Month in 1976.
Upcoming Commission and Committee Events
Commissions Supporting Historic Alexandria
February 10 Sister Cities Committee (SCC) - Dundee and Helsingborg
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7 p.mFebruary 10 Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee
City Hall, 301 King Street, Sister Cities Room 1101
7-9 p.m.February 13 Alexandria Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
8-9:15 a.m.February 18 Historic Alexandria Resources Commission
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7-9 p.m.February 19 Alexandria Archaeological Commission
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7 p.m.