Old Town Alexandria

About Old Town Alexandria

Old Town Alexandria is America's third-oldest historic district, founded in 1749 along the Potomac River just south of Washington, DC. Its cobblestone streets are lined with well-preserved Federal and Georgian-era buildings now housing more than 200 independent restaurants, boutiques, and small museums, including Gadsby's Tavern and the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum. The Alexandria Visitor Center, located in the 1749 Ramsay House on King Street, is a good first stop for maps, brochures, and tour tickets, including history and ghost tours. The waterfront area along the Potomac offers parks, a public pier, and boat access, including a seasonal water taxi connecting to DC's Wharf and Georgetown. As a neighborhood rather than a single site, Old Town has no admission fee or set hours; individual shops, restaurants, and museums keep their own schedules.

Location

221 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Nearby attractions

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  National Mall

  A vast open-air national park stretching between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, lined with iconic monuments and Smithsonian museums.

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  Washington Monument

  A 555-foot marble obelisk honoring George Washington, offering sweeping views of DC from its observation level.

• 

  Thomas Jefferson Memorial

  A domed neoclassical monument on the Tidal Basin honoring Thomas Jefferson, surrounded by famous cherry blossom trees.

• 

  Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

  A granite memorial on the Tidal Basin featuring a colossal carved likeness of Dr. King emerging from a 'Stone of Hope.'

• 

  Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

  A sprawling outdoor memorial along the Tidal Basin divided into four outdoor 'rooms' representing FDR's four terms in office.

• 

  Vietnam Veterans Memorial

  A stark black granite wall inscribed with the names of more than 58,000 U.S. service members who died or went missing in the Vietnam War.

Nearby restaurants

• Zaytinya

  Mediterranean · $$$ · Downtown / Penn Quarter

• Ben's Chili Bowl

  American / Comfort Food · $ · U Street

• Mi Vida

  Mexican · $$ · Navy Yard / Waterfront

• Ambar Capitol Hill

  Balkan · $$ · Capitol Hill

• Centrolina

  Italian · $$$ · Downtown / Penn Quarter

• Maketto

  Cambodian / Taiwanese · $$ · Capitol Hill