George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Before we moved from Northern Virginia my family (mom, dad, sisters and their families) came for a visit. My 12-year old nephew was an infant the last time we took everyone to George Washington’s Mount Vernon. We were due for another visit as none of us had been to the new Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center.

Planning

Mount Vernon is only a 30 minute drive from the National Mall, making it an easy stop on any visit to the nation’s capital. Plus, the trip from D.C. requires you to drive the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway which runs along the Potomac River. Since the parkway is maintained by the National Park Service it has its own passport stamp if you’re a collector.

Tickets for Mount Vernon can be purchased once you arrive, but I strongly recommend purchasing them online the day before. This ensures you get a preferred tour time, and a small discount is given for purchasing online. General admission is good for one day and includes admittance to the Mount Vernon Estate and George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill.

The Estate includes the mansion, surrounding colonial buildings, garden, farm and museum. There is an app you can download to your mobile device that tells you about events scheduled for that day, has a map of the grounds, and a guide to plants in the garden among other useful information. I bet George Washington never imagined we would be using a mobile device to learn about flowers in his garden or taking selfies on his lawn.

The grounds are large. Therefore, I’d recommend bringing a stroller for small children. While strollers are not allowed on the mansion tour there is nearby stroller parking monitored by museum staff.

Dining

It is important to note that they do not allow outside food so you would want to feed small children immediately prior to going in. There are nearby restaurants in the surrounding towns or you could pack a lunch to eat in the car. While I have never eaten at Mount Vernon I know there are two options for dining. The first is the Mount Vernon Inn. You’d want to make reservations online or over the phone for this. The second option is the food court. The food court is likely the better option if visiting with small children.

What to See

The mansion tour is the highlight of the trip. The tour lasts approximately 15-25 minutes depending on number of people and questions asked. Photography is not allowed inside the mansion. There is also a premium mansion tour available for an additional cost. Pictures of the inside of the mansion can be viewed on the website here.

We were also present for the Tribute at the Tomb. A member of the staff leads visitors in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. A visitor then reads George Washington’s prayer for his country and assists with placement of a wreath. The ceremony typically takes 20-30 minutes.

One of my daughters’ favorite things to see are the animals. Since animals played an important role in life at Mount Vernon, it’s no wonder there are so many to see during your visit. They include Hog Island sheep, Milking Devon cattle, oxen, horses, and Ossabaw Island hogs.

Want a souvenir before leaving? Not to worry. The gift shop is huge and sells everything from wine to fine jewelry and books for the adults and toys and t-shirts for the kids. Proceeds go directly to supporting Mount Vernon’s operations and mission.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon is open 365 days a year! I’ve always thought it would be neat to visit on Washington’s Birthday (February 22) or Independence Day (July 4) but my dislike for large crowds keeps me from visiting then.

What to Remember

• Wear comfortable shoes as the grounds are large and there are gravel paths in many locations
• Bring water
• Free WiFi anywhere across the Estate. Gotta upload those selfies to Instagram
• Allow yourself about 1.5 hours to explore the Education center and museum
• When using a GPS, follow routes to “George Washington’s Mount Vernon.” Simply searching Mount Vernon will send you to a location within the town.