Families and Friends Are Invited to Mount Vernon Estate’s Holiday Events
Alexandria, VA – It’s that magical time of the year at the home of our First President, as George Washington’s Mount Vernon offers an array of family-friendly events for the holiday season.
The annual Mount Vernon by Candlelight Tours run on December 8, 9, and 17 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. A special, one-time-only program on the Boston Tea Party set for December 9 includes activities on the Bowling Green, including exploring the teas dumped into Boston Harbor, decorating your own tea chest, and a scavenger hunt.
At 11:30 am and 2:00 pm that day, George Washington will discuss his views on the causes of the Tea Party and Parliament’s response. On December 11 and 17, a once-a-year 60-minute special tour, The Death and Mourning Tour of Gen. George Washington, will explore his final 36 hours and the events following his death, ending with a wreath-laying at his and Martha’s tomb.
Listen to Dr. James Craik, GW’s physician and friend for 40 years, share his role in the attempts to cure Washington and see Washington’s deathbed in the mansion and then have the rare opportunity of seeing the interior of the Old Tomb where Gen. Washington was interred initially in 1799.
On December 15 & 16, from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon features fireworks over the Potomac River. And don’t miss the traditional visit of the camel Aladdin. Washington first brought a camel named Aladdin to Mount Vernon for Christmas 1787 at a cost of 18 shillings. While at Mount Vernon, enjoy the beautifully decorated Christmas trees in the Ford Orientation Center. See mountvernon.org for details.
