George Washington’s Christmas Camel Lives On: The 1,400-Pound Holiday Visitor You Can Still See at Mount Vernon

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Thanks to a captivating social media reel by Alexandria History Tours, a delightful piece of local lore is making the rounds again: in December 1787, George Washington bought a camel in Alexandria for the Christmas season — a towering, 1,400-pound, 7-foot-tall showstopper he had delivered directly to Mount Vernon.

Washington recorded the purchase in his ledger: 18 shillings for an animal to be brought to Mount Vernon. That “animal” was a camel, hired as a rare holiday attraction for his guests and family.

At the time, such exotic creatures were seldom seen in Virginia, and Washington — an avid collector of animals — delighted in offering visitors a memorable seasonal surprise.

And here’s the best part: You can still visit a Christmas camel at Mount Vernon today. Every December, Mount Vernon welcomes Aladdin the Camel, continuing Washington’s original 1787 tradition. Families flock to see him, and the estate’s website offers rich historical detail about Washington’s fascination with exotic animals, including the story of that first Christmas camel.

Alexandria History Tours’ recent reel has helped revive this centuries-old tale, reminding Alexandrians that our first president wasn’t just a commander-in-chief — he was also a man who thought a camel was the perfect holiday entertainment. So the next time you’re searching for a memorable Christmas experience, skip the mall crowds and follow Washington’s lead: go visit a camel. After all, it’s a holiday tradition with 238 years of Alexandria roots.