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.
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The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only.
This lead plank bears the distinctive scalloped indentations produced by pinking irons, sharp punches used to create a decorative edge on women's garments and their trimmings during the eighteenth century. In 1768, George Washington acquired a "Com[plete] Sett of Pink[in]g Irons" from London for his…
This agate button with a silver boss was among a larger set owned by George Washington. Originally numbering a dozen or more, the semi-opaque hemisphere of precious stone offered a unique embellishment to one of his formal coats. The white and brown striations in the stone would have offered a sharp…
This agate button with a silver boss was among a larger set owned by George Washington. Originally numbering a dozen or more, the semi-opaque hemisphere of precious stone offered a unique embellishment to one of his formal coats. The white and brown striations in the stone would have offered a sharp…
"…another thing occurs which must not escape unnoticed-and that is, A Case bought of Phil Bell at the price of 17 Guineas-Surely, here must be as great a mistake, or as great an Imposition as ever was offerd by a Tradesman. The Case is a plain one, and such as I coud get made in this Country (where…
This small object may have been one of several travelling razor cases owned by George Washington over the course of his lifetime. It originally came equipped with all the tools necessary to maintain a neat appearance: two razors, a hone and strop to set them, a mirror, comb, lather brush, scissors, and…
George Washington owned both of these pamphlets, which describe medicinal treatments for various ailments. MAREDANT'S ANTISCORBUTIC DROPS contains testimonials of individuals who have been cured of scurvy and its related symptoms. EXPERIMENTS ON THE RED AND QUILL PERUVIAN BARK focuses on this popular…
This brass griffin ornament representing the Washington family crest once adorned the leather harness of one of George Washington's draft horses. It was excavated in 1936 from the site of the blacksmith shop at Mount Vernon, suggesting that the ornament may have been brought there for repairs. This small…
George Washington enjoyed fishing both as a gentleman's contemplative recreation and as a practical means of securing provisions while on the frontier. His diary records successful catches of a dolphin and shark in Barbados, a legendary catfish in the Ohio Country, and trout and perch during the recess…
In 1784, George Washington wrote to family and friends in search of a marble surround suitable for his "New Room". In response, Samuel Vaughan, a recent émigré, presented this mantelpiece depicting pastoral life that originated from his home in Essex, England. Although Washington was humbled by Vaughan's…
This intriguing portrait has an English provenance from the early decades of the 20th century and was purchased from an English collector in the early 1950s. It has been inscribed with the name of the eldest granddaughter of Martha Washington, Eliza Parke Custis, on the reverse. However when compared…
Descendants of Mrs. Washington's niece, Mary Dandridge Willison, carefully preserved this tiny bottle and its powdered contents, labeling it "musk [that] Gen. Washington carried in his pocket all through the Revolutionar[y] [W]ar." Musk, a glandular secretion obtained from the musk deer of Asia, was…
In the eighteenth century, pastes - rhinestones made of glass - enjoyed great popularity as less expensive, sparkling jewels that rivaled the radiance of real gems. In contrast to diamonds, pastes could be more freely faceted and shaped to fit a variety of designs, making them ideal candidates to fill…
On May 15, 1750, Martha Dandridge married Daniel Parke Custis, marking her ascension into the highest echelon of Virginia society. As befitting her new station, she and her husband outfitted their home with the finest dining wares from England. This pair of silver sugar tongs, engraved with the early…
In August 1759, George Washington received from London, "3 Salvers, 1 Top piece, 1 dozn Sullibub Glasses, 2 dozen Jellys, 1 dozen Sweet Meat ditto [glasses], [and] 2 dozn Baskets." Together, this glassware formed one of the most stunning centerpieces of the day - a pyramid of round glass salvers displaying…
