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.
As president, George Washington regularly held formal dinners at his executive residence. Such occasions were marked by carefully selected tablewares purchased by Congress. They included elegant ivory- and silver-handled cutlery and flatware. Although the presidential service was probably sold at a 1797…
Finger bowls were essential parts of any genteel dining service in the second half of the eighteenth century. Placed at each setting, they were filled with plain or rose water and functioned as individual tableside wash basins in which to wash ones' soiled fingers after each course. George Washington's…
As president, George Washington regularly held formal dinners at his executive residence. Such occasions were marked by carefully selected tablewares purchased by Congress. They included elegant ivory- and silver-handled cutlery and flatware. Although the presidential service was probably sold at a 1797…
These two candlesticks are among five surviving examples of octagonal candlesticks acquired by George Washington and distinguished by neoclassical fluting, beaded borders, and swag decoration. They were among an array of lighting devices used in the executive mansion that also included Argand lamps…
In 1871, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association acquired this chair with the understanding that it had been owned or used by the Washingtons. While its ladder-back design resembles chairs made in America and England c. 1780-1800, the carved ornament on the crest rail and cross-slats, its robust dimensions…
Finger bowls were essential parts of any genteel dining service in the second half of the eighteenth century. Placed at each setting, they were filled with plain or rose water and functioned as individual tableside wash basins in which to wash ones' soiled fingers after each course. George Washington's…
As president, George Washington regularly held formal dinners at his executive residence. Such occasions were marked by carefully selected tablewares purchased by Congress. They included elegant ivory- and silver-handled cutlery and flatware. Although the presidential service was probably sold at a 1797…
These two candlesticks are among five surviving examples of octagonal candlesticks acquired by George Washington and distinguished by neoclassical fluting, beaded borders, and swag decoration. They were among an array of lighting devices used in the executive mansion that also included Argand lamps…
During the army's grueling winter encampment at Valley Forge, Washington inspired his men through simple gestures. These included giving the spurs on his boots to Lieutenant Thomas Lamb, who volunteered to ride to Boston to request supplies. Unfortunately, Lamb and his horse were injured near the city…
Due to its fragility, few pieces of glass associated with the Washingtons survive. At the end of his second presidential term, George Washington meticulously itemized all the furnishings procured by Congress for use in the executive residence. The glassware he considered his own, inasmuch as it had "been…
This side table is thought to be one of the "2 marble Tables" listed in George Washington's probate inventory. Its possible early date of manufacture suggests it may have belonged to Martha Washington's first husband, Daniel Parke Custis (who died in 1757), and was brought to Mount Vernon upon her marriage…
Washington depended on telescopes to monitor British and American troop movements during the Revolution. His wartime correspondence contains frequent requests for and purchases of "[spy] glasses" and "pocket telescopes." In his will, Washington identified this handsome, three-draw, mahogany and brass…
Visitors to Mount Vernon routinely commented on the abundance of provisions offered at dinner, which included a selection of beverages ranging from fine wines to ale, beer, and the Philadelphia porter of which George Washington was fond. Malted liquors were traditionally served in glasses, like this…
