Celebrating Food Culture at Mount Vernon

With a fascinating featured exhibition, Hoecakes & Hospitality: Cooking with Martha Washington, unique special events, a new food-focused specialty tour and the release of a new book, Dining with the Washingtons, Mount Vernon is serving up a bountiful helping of programs in 2012 for fans of food, culinary history and entertaining.

Although he took tremendous pride in his accomplishments as a farmer, Washington might be surprised to find his dining and entertaining habits to be an area of such great interest. He once wrote to his longtime friend George William Fairfax, "My manner of living is plain. . . . A glass of wine and a bit of mutton is always ready—such as will be content to partake of it are welcome—those who look for more will be disappointed." Nevertheless, the Washingtons welcomed thousands of guests to Mount Vernon in the more than 40 years they lived here. Mount Vernon was known for its boundless hospitality, its frequent and memorable parties, and for the wide variety of culinary treats that were served.

Use the navigation on the left to learn more about food culture at Mount Vernon in George Washington’s time and to discover how those intriguing food traditions continue today. 

Ready to experience Mount Vernon’s food culture for yourself? Use our interactive day planner to organize your visit. You can also pre-purchase your admission tickets online.