Get a Look Into The American Revolution Documentary
Arrive Early to Pick Your Seating
Ticketholders can enter Mount Vernon at any time on October 29 and are encouraged to arrive early to avoid long lines.
Upon early arrival, guests may also reserve their spot on the bowling green by laying down blankets and setting up chairs within the marked areas. We are not responsible for any unattended belongings left on the bowling green.
Please note that oversized chairs, strollers, and wagons are not permitted.
This event will take place rain or shine.
Enjoy Music and Concessions
From 4:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., hear a musical performance by the Olivera Quartet.
The Executive Orders food truck will be open on the 12-acre field to purchase food and drinks. Additional concessions will be available on the bowling green.
At 6:15 p.m., Ken Burns will begin his remarks and share clips from the film, The American Revolution.
About the Film
Filmmakers Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt examine how America’s founding turned the world upside-down. Thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic Coast rose in rebellion, won their independence, and established a new form of government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired centuries of democratic movements around the globe.
The film was written by Geoffrey C. Ward, and narrated by Peter Coyote. The series will premiere on Sunday, November 16 and air for six consecutive nights through Friday, November 21 at 8 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS.
Design © 2025 Public Broadcasting Service
Meet the Director & Producer
Ken Burns
Ken Burns has been making documentary films for almost fifty years. Since the Academy Award nominated Brooklyn Bridge in 1981, Ken has gone on to direct and produce some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made, including The Civil War; Baseball; Jazz; The War; The National Parks: America’s Best Idea; Prohibition; The Roosevelts: An Intimate History; The Vietnam War; Country Music; The U.S. and the Holocaust; The American Buffalo; and, most recently, Leonardo da Vinci.
Future film projects include The American Revolution, Emancipation to Exodus, and LBJ & the Great Society, among others.
Ken’s films have been honored with dozens of major awards, including seventeen Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and two Oscar nominations. In September of 2008, at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards, Ken was honored by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In November of 2022, Ken was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
Sarah Botstein
Sarah Botstein has produced some of the most popular and acclaimed documentaries on PBS. She produced and co-directed The American Revolution along with Ken Burns and David Schmidt. Her previous work includes Jazz, The War, Prohibition, The Vietnam War, College Behind Bars, and Hemingway. The U.S. and the Holocaust marked Botstein's debut as a co-director.
Food & Beverages
Concessions will be available for purchase all day at the Executive Orders food truck on the 12-acre field.
Additional concessions will be available on the bowling green. All concessions will close at 7:45 p.m.
Parking & Shuttle Service
Parking is free and first come, first served at Mount Vernon.
Parking is available in lots P1, P2, and P6 as indicated on the campus map.
Additional Parking Via Shuttle Service
Additional parking will be available at Mount Vernon High School. A shuttle service featuring 24-passenger minibusses to and from the estate will begin at 4 p.m.
The pick up and drop off location is located at the Mount Vernon High School, near the intersection of Mount Vernon Highway and Battersea Lane (N).
Mount Vernon High School Address:
8515 Old Mt Vernon Rd, Alexandria, VA 22309
Return Shuttle Service
Return shuttle service to Mount Vernon High School is located near the four-way stop intersection of VA 235 (Mount Vernon Memorial Highway) and the George Washington Memorial Parkway, and will run until 10 p.m.
Food & Drinks
Food Truck Concessions Menu – Open at 10 a.m.
- BBQ Pork Sandwich – $10
- Hot Dog – $6
- Chili Dog – $9
- Chicken Tenders – $8
- Grilled Nuggets (GF) – $10
- Jumbo Pretzel with Cheese – $12
- Turkey Sandwich – $11
- Veggie Wrap (GF) – $8
- Popcorn – $4
- Chips – $3
- Candy – $4
- Soda – $2
- Beer – $6 or $8
- Wine – $8
Bowling Green Concessions Menu – Open at 3 p.m.
- BBQ Pork Sandwich – $10
- Hot Dog – $6
- Jumbo Pretzel with Cheese – $12
- Turkey Sandwich – $11
- Veggie Wrap (GF) – $8
- Popcorn – $4
- Chips – $3
- Candy – $4
- Soda – $2
- Beer – $6 or $8
- Wine – $8
Must be 21 years old to order alcohol.
Seating & Safety Information
Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or small lawn chair to sit on the bowling green. Guests may lay down blankets and set up chairs within the marked areas.
Seating is not provided. All bags are subject to inspection.
Not Permitted:
- Outside food or beverages, except bottled water
- Large chairs exceeding 25" in width, 25" in length
- Large strollers exceeding 31" in width, 52" in length
- Coolers, grills, and glass containers
- Beach or free-standing umbrellas
- Tents and pop-up sunshades
- Stroller Wagons
- Tables
- Pets
Photography Disclaimer
By accessing the property, guests grant The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association permission to utilize their image, appearance, and statements in audio, video or photographic form without further authorization or compensation.
This event is co-hosted in collaboration with:
Mount Vernon Sponsorship of The American Revolution
George Washington’s Mount Vernon is proud to sponsor the premiere broadcast of Ken Burns’s documentary, The American Revolution.
The documentary will premiere on November 16, 2025. 15- and 30-second videos will air during the broadcast in select markets.
Thank you to our donors who made this sponsorship possible.
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)
