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How much time will you be spending at Mount Vernon?

Less than 3 Hours 3 Hours or More

Less than 3 Hours

There is so much to see and do at Mount Vernon that we recommend you allow at least three hours to experience the estate. However, if you have less time, we suggest these activities:

View Washington's Tomb

Visit the final resting place of George and Martha Washington, as well as 28 other family members.

Visit the Slave Memorial

Commemorate the community of the enslaved people who lived and worked at Mount Vernon.

The memorial is located on sacred ground in an area used as a cemetery by the enslaved and free black community.

Take Our Audio Tour

Hear details about the estate's history as you tour the grounds with our audio tour.

While exploring the estate, the device tracks the stops you visit. When you turn in your audio tour device at the end of your visit, enter your email address to receive a recap of the stops you visited and information about the stops you missed.

Mount Vernon's audio tour is available in multiple languages. 

Stroll the Gardens and Grounds

Walk through the estate’s four gardens and examine a great variety of trees, flowers, and plants that provided food for the Mansion’s table and beautiful settings for an evening stroll.

While the gardens look their best from April through September, you can visit the greenhouse in the upper garden year-round.

Explore the Outbuildings

View more than a dozen buildings where many of the estate’s essential operations took place.

Enslaved men and women used their skills to make tools and textiles, care for livestock, and process food. Today, visitors can explore the outbuildings where much of this work was done. 

Observe blacksmith demonstrations throughout the year. Other demonstrations seasonally.

Interact with Characters

Visit with people from Washington’s world as they stroll the grounds.

Costumed interpreters portray members of the Washington family and the enslaved community. 

Meet the Animals

Mount Vernon keeps animals similar to the breeds that Washington had, including sheep, pigs, oxen, and horses.

Each spring, the estate welcomes more than twenty baby sheep, who guests can visit in the paddock south of the lower garden.

Tour the Mansion

Tour the Mansion that George Washington shared with his wife, Martha. We recommend reserving your Mansion tour in advance online, as capacity is limited.

Due to preservation work, some rooms may be off-view during your visit. You can view a guided, virtual tour of those rooms in our Orientation Center.

Learn about the Preservation Work

More than 3 Hours

In addition to the above, we recommend:

Take a Specialty Tour

Mount Vernon offers a series of tours such as: 

Explore specific aspects of Mount Vernon with our themed tours, which change according to the season.

Visit the Museum

Inside the museum exhibit Mount Vernon: Story of an American Icon, you'll discover the history of Mount Vernon and its landscape. 

You'll also meet the people who shaped Mount Vernon, including Washington and Custis family members, enslaved and hired laborers, and Vice Regents of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.
 

Explore the Farm

The four-acre farm includes a replica of Washington’s 16-sided treading barn and a reconstructed slave cabin.

Our historic trades staff performs 18th-century demonstrations from April to October, including wheat treading, sheep shearing, and cooking over an open fire.

Take a Photo Cruise

March - September

Experience Mount Vernon from a different perspective during this 45-minute narrated photo cruise excursion on the Potomac River.

Boat cruises are offered seasonally.

Discover the Distillery and Gristmill

Weekends, April - October

Visit the fully-functioning reconstructions of Washington's Distillery and Gristmill. Watch the mighty gears turning and the stones grinding at our Gristmill, where flour and cornmeal were produced.

Within our functioning distillery, you can see where we make George Washington's whiskey. 

Drive less than three miles to the reconstructed distillery and gristmill.

This site is open on weekends, April through October. 

Shop at our Gift Shop

The Shops at Mount Vernon offers reproductions of Mount Vernon treasures, home decor, books, and toys and games from a bygone era. 

Every purchase from the Shops at Mount Vernon helps to support our mission of preserving George Washington's legacy.

Learn More

How Much Time to See Everything?

Activity Duration Distance from Entrance Season
Mansion Tour 20-45 minutes, duration varies throughout the year. Due to preservation work, some rooms may be off-view during your visit. 10 minutes Year-round Learn More
The Washingtons' Tomb 15 minutes 10 minutes Year-round Learn More
Slave Memorial and Burial Ground 15 minutes 10 minutes Year-round Learn More
Gardens and Grounds 15-30 minutes 10 minutes Year-round Learn More
Outbuildings 30-45 minutes to see all 10 minutes Year-round Learn More
Museum 1-2 hours 5 minutes Year-round Learn More
Specialty tours 45-60 minutes 10 minutes to Mansion Circle Dates/times vary Learn More
Dining 30-60 minutes 5 minutes Year-round Learn More
The Farm 45 minutes 15 minutes April-October Learn More
Distillery & Gristmill 1 hour 2.8 miles (access via shuttle or driving, 12 minutes) April-October Learn More
Photo cruise 45 minutes 15 minutes March-October Learn More