Visit the First President's Estate
George Washington's estate is a can’t-miss for history buffs, families, and visitors to Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia.
Start by getting your grounds pass, which grants you admission to the estate.
“I visited with my child in October 2023 and it was a great place to see. The museum, house, and overall property had so much interesting historical information, artefacts, and sights. The tour was well run and informative. My child also enjoyed the interactive features of the museum.”
Experience Our Nation's Founding
During this 75-minute guided tour, discover more than 250 years of Mount Vernon history as you explore available rooms of the Mansion, and the surrounding outbuildings and gardens.
This tour provides behind-the-scenes access to buildings typically closed to the public, like the Old Tomb, and an in-depth experience of the estate.
Explore the lives and contributions of the enslaved community who built and operated Mount Vernon. In 1799, more than 300 slaves lived and worked on the five farms that made up Washington’s 8,000-acre plantation. Listen to their stories and learn more about their daily life. Visit the slave quarters and view reproduction clothing, tools, furniture, cookware, ceramics, toys, and personal accessories that represent their experiences.
Please budget 10-15 minutes to walk from the Ford Orientation Center to the Mansion Circle to meet your guide.
Step back in time for an immersive experience and see Mount Vernon through the eyes of the people who knew George Washington best. A character interpreter, such as Washington's granddaughter, personal secretary, farm manager, or enslaved valet, will guide you across the estate as they go about their daily activities, making several stops along the way.
What is a legacy? Join Tobias Lear mere moments after George Washington's death as he considers how George Washington will be remembered.
At stops in selected Mansion rooms, learn more about the people who played a key part in trying to keep Washington alive. After viewing Washington’s deathbed in the Mansion, guests will have the unique opportunity to look inside the Old Tomb where Washington was originally interred in 1799.
This 20-minute tour introduces you to staff favorites in the “Mount Vernon: Story of an American Icon” exhibition on display at the Museum. See treasured items that tell the full story of Mount Vernon from prehistoric times to today.
So Much More Than a Mansion
Explore the estate, on your own or as part of our tours, and experience what life was like for George Washington, his family, and the people who lived and worked at Mount Vernon.
See more than a dozen historic outbuildings, including the blacksmith shop, smokehouse, stable, and spinning house.
Visit the final resting place of George and Martha Washington. A brief wreath-laying ceremony is held daily at the tomb.
Experience the American Revolution as you walk through an 18th-century Continental Army encampment featuring soldiers' tents and an officer’s tent.
Stroll through four gardens, including a a formal garden created for the enjoyment of George Washington's guests.
The four-acre farm site explores George Washington’s role as a visionary farmer.
The Forest Trail meanders through a small woodland, giving visitors a feel for the natural setting of Mount Vernon when George Washington lived here.
Visit the Slave Memorial & African American Burial Ground to honor the community of the enslaved people who lived and worked at Mount Vernon. A brief wreath-laying ceremony is held daily.
View George Washington's sword, a bust said to be the most accurate likeness of George Washington, Washington's presidential chair, and more.
Find out how the 317 enslaved people at Mount Vernon formed families, created tight-knit communities, earned money, and acquired personal possessions.
George Washington's Mansion is ten times the size of the average home in colonial Virginia.
Entry to the Mansion is by guided tour only and requires a Mansion tour ticket.
Savor the flavors of early America. Open for lunch and dinner daily and brunch on the weekends. An admission ticket to the estate is not required to dine.
Shop historically-inspired products only available at Mount Vernon. An admission ticket to the estate is not required to shop.
Mount Vernon remains open during preservation work, and there is still much to see and do on the estate.
The Education Center exhibit on George Washington’s life is closed for an extensive rebuild and will reopen in 2026.
The museum exhibit Mount Vernon: Story of An American Icon, located next to the Education Center, is open.
Mount Vernon remains open during preservation work, and there is still much to see and do on the estate.
The Education Center exhibit on George Washington’s life is closed for an extensive rebuild and will reopen in 2026.
The museum exhibit Mount Vernon: Story of An American Icon, located next to the Education Center, is open.
What’s Coming Up
![Detail, A general map of the middle British colonies, in America…, by Lewis Evans, engraved by Jas. Turner, 1755. Gift of Richard H. Brown and Mary Jo Otsea, 2024, MVLA [2024-SC-008-127]](https://mtv-main-assets.mountvernon.org/files/styles/event_slide/s3/2025-11/06_01_010191.jpg.webp?VersionId=8nuXrMQI.CD6MF4CLrgtN.98Le2ZADqg&itok=3zkfCPlV)
