The Fairy Houses of Del Ray

Alexandria, VA – They are whimsical. They are artistic. They are serious business if you are a fairy and you are looking for lodgings.

Look closely at the trees in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria and you might spot a little door and staircase, or at the base of a brick building, there could be a little storefront of a music store. Children and adults alike are reveling in the artistry and clever imaginations that make fairyland come alive in these suburban streets. You just need to be on the lookout.

To see many of the houses and even some of their locations if you want to do a walkaround sightseeing tour, check out the dedicated Facebook page, Fairies of Del Ray. But also be mindful as you discover the houses, as this plea from the fairies reminds people (facebook.com/fairiesofdelray): “Please do not pull our door knobs off, our doors do no open for humans. And while our houses are strong enough to survive most weather they not strong enough for human children to climb. Please be gentle with our homes when on a fairy hunt so that we can stay for a long time.”

To qualify for a fairy door you will need to be in or around the Del Ray borders, have a tree that does not have peeling bark, and the tree must be either be able to be seen from the sidewalk or a yard willing to be explored by fairy hunters. If you think you qualify please send a message to the FB page with your address and some photos of the tree and you will be added to the safe tree list.

But the fairy maker, who does take donations and insists parents do not point her out to children if you spot her working on a new house or repairing an existing one, says in the FAQ section of the Fairy FB page, “Alas this does not mean you will be getting one [a fairy house] as I am majorly backed up on requests.”

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