Open 365 days a year, Mount Vernon is located just 15 miles south of Washington DC.
From the mansion to lush gardens and grounds, intriguing museum galleries, immersive programs, and the distillery and gristmill. Spend the day with us!
Discover what made Washington "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen".
The Mount Vernon Ladies Association has been maintaining the Mount Vernon Estate since they acquired it from the Washington family in 1858.
Need help with homework? Our Digital Encyclopedia has all of the answers students and teachers need.
The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only.
Images from the archives of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, ca. 1870
The Houdon Bust in the Martha Washington Sitting Room/Downstairs Bedchamber, ca. 1880s
The Houdon Bust, the New Room, 1910s
The Houdon Bust, the New Room, 1920
The Houdon Bust, the Relic House, 1925
The Houdon Bust in the Museum, 1950s
The Houdon Bust in the Museum, 1999
The Houdon Bust in the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center, 2006
The Houdon Bust, 2014
The Houdon Bust is considered to be the most accurate representation that we have of George Washington.
Made in 1785, this bust was made from a life mask of Washington. The French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon used plaster to make an exact copy of Washington's face.
Jean-Antoine Houdon was a French sculptor known for his fresh and lively portrayals of eighteenth-century American luminaries. Thomas Jefferson described Houdon as having the “reputation of being the finest statuary in the world.”
Images from the archives of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, ca. 1870
The Houdon Bust in the Martha Washington Sitting Room/Downstairs Bedchamber, ca. 1880s
The Houdon Bust, the New Room, 1910s
The Houdon Bust, the New Room, 1920
The Houdon Bust, the Relic House, 1925
The Houdon Bust in the Museum, 1950s
The Houdon Bust in the Museum, 1999
The Houdon Bust in the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center, 2006
The Houdon Bust, 2014
The Houdon Bust is considered to be the most accurate representation that we have of George Washington.
Look for the discovery station to learn more about the Houdon Bust and why this important object is the very first object you will see in Mount Vernon's new exhibit—Mount Vernon: The Story of an American Icon.
Learn more about the Life Mask
Amanda Isaac, Associate Curator for Mount Vernon, presents the bust of General George Washington created by the famed French sculptor Jean Antoine Houdon in 1785.
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