A Piece of Alexandria’s Past You Can Hang on Your Tree

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Alexandria’s history lovers have a new treasure to add to their holiday traditions. The 2025 Historic Alexandria Holiday Ornament is here, and this year’s design shines a light on one of the city’s most intriguing and long-buried chapters: the Alexandria Canal, which once connected the waterfront to inland trade routes through Georgetown.

Produced by the Office of Historic Alexandria and manufactured in America, the ornament is crafted from polished brass and depicts a canal boat emerging from Lock No. 4, heading east toward the Potomac River. Behind it, the canal’s turning basin curves north toward the historic Aqueduct Bridge, tracing the original route that linked Alexandria’s port to the C&O Canal in Georgetown.

A Small Ornament With a Big Story

The ornament’s design is significant in light of a recent archaeological discovery that uncovered part of the original Lock No. 4 on North Pitt Street. The find has renewed public interest in Alexandria’s once-bustling canal system and provided a rare glimpse into infrastructure that had been lost to time beneath the modern cityscape.

The Alexandria Canal opened in 1843, after nearly a decade of planning and engineering. Stretching approximately seven miles, it carried coal, flour, lumber, salt, and other goods between Virginia and the national markets connected by the C&O Canal. The waterway operated until 1886, when shifting transportation needs and the rise of railroads rendered canals obsolete.

This year’s ornament captures that blend of innovation, commerce, and history — a pocket-sized tribute to the workers, engineers, and waterways that helped shape Alexandria in the 19th century.

Where to Buy the Ornament

The 2025 Historic Alexandria Holiday Ornament is available now at:

• The Lyceum Museum Store

• Gadsby’s Tavern Museum Store

• Alexandria Archaeology Museum Store

• Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum Store

• Online through the Alexandria Shop

Each ornament is part of a limited annual series, and designs often sell out quickly — especially ones connected to significant historical discoveries.