Tour Highlights
Take a deep dive into Mount Vernon’s history and learn how museums operate to preserve the past for future generations.
Preservation Efforts
- Hear about our ongoing preservation work and what’s happening at the estate now
- Stand on the east lawn to observe George Washington’s view of the Potomac River and hear how the view has been protected from modern development
Historic Structures and Artifacts
- Identify original structures that have stood since Washington’s time, plus learn the difference between reconstructions and replicas
- Inside the reconstructed slave quarters, view bricks that survived two fires
- Compare 18th-century and 19th-century nails
Tracing History
- View copies of historic paintings, drawings, and images, and learn what they can and can’t tell us about the estate’s appearance in Washington’s time
- Hear how the discovery of a one-hundred-year-old document led to the transformation of the greenhouses
- See 19th-century signatures in the North Garden House that are not available to general public
Examine the Architecture
- Find out what the estate’s iconic red roofs are made of and why they’re red
- Understand why the Mansion’s wooden exterior looks like stone and how the effect was achieved
- Learn why George Washington ordered the construction of a smokehouse after his marriage to Martha
Please allow 10-15 minutes to walk from the Ford Orientation Center to the Mansion circle to meet your guide.
Historic Preservation at Mount Vernon
Preservation is an ongoing process that began in the 19th century and continues today. During your visit, you can explore the ongoing efforts to preserve Mount Vernon.
