Alexandria, VA – A once-in-a-lifetime celebration feting 250 years of American art, history, and culture mandates some serious party planning. From George Washington’s Mount Vernon to the National Gallery of Art with notable points in between, the red, white, and blue carpet has been rolling out as exhibits spotlighting Americana are unveiled.
On June 10, VIPs, staff, donors, supporters, legislators, and reporters, along with some very fortunate accidental tourists and school groups, explored the grand reopening of “George Washington: A Revolutionary Life,” the $20 million year-long re-envisioned Education Center at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
Updated exhibits of the General’s timeline from his own beginnings to the birth of a nation take a new direction, literally and figuratively. Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association Anne “Dede” Neal Petri spoke at the ribbon cutting, extolling this birthday present to the nation. She explained, “We take our educational mission seriously, and this exhibition helps visitors see George Washington as a leader, a citizen, and a human being whose decisions continue to help shape our nation.”
Guided by President and CEO Doug Bradburn’s transformational vision for a more comprehensive, inclusive narrative, the scholarly exhibition nonetheless caters to today’s educational modalities, targeting middle-schoolers and families. Eighth graders were out in force looking, listening, and loving it!
Longtime favorites such as the 4-D theater, George’s dentures, and the General’s inauguration staged with wax figures still rule. There are nine new galleries and six immersive, interactive media attractions, including the four Worlds of Washington: youth, war and the Revolution, agricultural innovations, and his Presidency. Personal objects of George and Lady Washington are on exhibit for the first time throughout the education center’s engaging displays.
The redesigned entry centers on the Great Hall where Washington’s leadership legacy is juxtaposed with current civic engagement. Visitors have the option of continuing on to the diverting shops, cafe, and beyond to a fabulous finale at the Mount Vernon Inn. Or they may dive deeper into the story of the man who was first in war, first in peace, and the very first President of these – and those – United States.
If you stop by the Tavern at the Inn, tell barkeeper Harry Williamson that The Zebra sent you. We recommend the hoecakes, the General’s favorite. Be sure to tour the mansion house as ongoing renovations will surprise you. If you haven’t been to Mount Vernon lately, you haven’t been to Mount Vernon!
Here in Port City, along with the arrival of the Sails on the Potomac tall ships, the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum has launched an exhibit for the big 250 birthday soirée. “Stories of U.S.: Collections Capture Our History” showcases objects of everyday American life. Recently acquired as well as previously un-exhibited, newly displayed artifacts are on view through January 2028.
A few blocks north on Washington Street, “At Home with ‘Light Horse’ Harry Lee” is the Lee-Fendall House Museum’s America250-themed exhibit. Light Horse Harry Lee, good friend to the General, was one of the most celebrated figures of the American Revolution. Learn how Henry Lee III became Light Horse Harry. Explore the Lee family ties connected for over 100 years to this historic Alexandria treasure.
Not to be missed across the moat, the National Gallery of Art’s west building and east wing offer semiquincentennial fare. The concourse gallery in the East Wing presents “American Icon: The US Flag in Art.” The exhibit represents over 30 works from the National Gallery collections depicting diverse representations of the American flag from the late 1800s through today.
Photo National Gallery of Art
Emblematic of truths, justice – and injustice – and the American way, the Stars and Stripes are portrayed across movements and mediums. The flag flies proudly and provocatively through December 6, 2026, from Childe Hassan’s 1917 American impressionist Allies Day, May 1917 to photographers Dorothea Lange’s and Gordon Parks’ iconic viewfinders of the American condition to Faith Ringgold’s The Flag Is Bleeding (1967), # 18 in her The American People Series of paintings.
Now on view at the West Building until September 20, 2026, is “Dear America: Artists Explore the American Experience.” More than 100 works of art examine the question: What does it mean to be American? How has a diasporic identity shaped art in America? This is an expansively breathtaking survey exhibition of the natural as well as humanist landscape of this nation.
Be sure to travel this transcendent trip from sea to shining sea and everything in between.
