Free Tours of Local Attractions for Alexandria Residents

Sure, you know Alexandria. But just how well?

That house is cool and so is that one over there. You’ve recommended your out-of-town guests take the Old Town Ghost and Graveyard Tour and enjoy the view from the river, but what about you?

In recognition of National Travel & Tourism Week, the Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association and its members invite City of Alexandria residents to be tourists in their own hometown with free tours Friday, May 10.

The ACVA is partnering with 10 tour companies and attractions to offer free tours and admission throughout the day. To participate, you must complete an online reservation here. Proof of residency may be requested.

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These tours include:

• History of Old Town Walking Tour: Carolyn Cooper, owner of Old Town Experience tour company and Old Town resident, leads a 90-minute walking tour of Old Town. The tour starts at 10:30 a.m., leaving from the gardens of the Alexandria Visitors Center at Ramsay House.

• Mount Vernon by Bike and Boat: Special thanks to Bike and Roll, Potomac Riverboat Company and Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens. This self-guided tour includes the bike rental, admission to Mount Vernon and return boat ride aboard the Miss Christin. Bikes available between 10 and 11 a.m. at Bike and Roll Alexandria. Return boat departs Mount Vernon at 4 p.m.; arrives in Alexandria at 5:30 p.m.

• The Old Town Boutique District’s Insider Tips: Amy Rutherford, owner of Red Barn Mercantile and expert on vintage finds, leads a tour of the shops of the Old Town Boutique District and at each shop, shares an insider's tip from the owner. The tour starts at 11 a.m. at Hooray for Books.

• Torpedo Factory Art Center Tour: The Torpedo Factory’s CEO Eric Wallner leads a tour at of artists’ studios at noon. Meet at the information desk near the Union Street entrance.

• Alexandria’s Original Ghost & Graveyard Tour: Learn about Alexandria’s spookier residents with the popular ghost tours, when costumed guides lead you by lantern light telling you ghost stories, legends and folklore, courtesy of Alexandria Colonial Tours. Two times are available: tours leave the gardens of the  Alexandria Visitors Center at 7:30 and 9 p.m.

• Free Tours at Historic Sites Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, Carlyle House and Lee-Fendall House (no registration required for historic site tours).

• Duke Street as a Center of Alexandria’s African-American History [Details to be announced]