By Jennifer Primrose
Travel hasn’t always meant researching every stop, building an itinerary, and capturing the perfect photo. There was a time when discovering a new place meant walking, wandering, and talking with the people who called it home.
During a recent visit to Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, I embraced that old-fashioned approach. I left the car behind, put the phone away when I didn’t need it, and spent much of my time walking through Old Town, looking at the buildings, listening to the stories, and seeing what was around the next corner.
Nearly three centuries after its founding, the city continues to evolve without losing sight of its past. Along the brick sidewalks of Old Town, colonial architecture and familiar names from American history sit alongside working artists, independent shops, restaurants, and businesses that keep the city moving forward.
“One thing I love about Alexandria is that it’s historic, but not static,” says Andrew Postal, director of communications for Visit Alexandria.
That may be the best way to understand it: History is everywhere, but it isn’t the only story being told.
Getting there from Raleigh is easy, with several options. Travelers can fly into nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, take Amtrak directly to Alexandria’s Old Town station, or drive north.
Old Town: The First Chapter
Old Town is the natural starting point.
A walking tour with Visit Alexandria provides a good introduction. Rather than simply checking off historic sites, the tour highlights details that are easy to miss when walking through the district on your own.
The tour begins at the Ramsay House Visitor Center, named for Scottish merchant and Alexandria founder William Ramsay. The building is a re-creation of his circa 1724 home.
“Alexandria is a place where you can find deeply historic buildings, but inside and throughout the city, there’s also a very modern experience—transportation, restaurants, maps, things to do,” says Karishma Singh, communications specialist with Visit Alexandria.
“It’s a place where history and modern life really connect.”
The connection becomes obvious on the streets. Cast-iron fire plaques are attached to historic buildings. Star-shaped anchors help hold old brick walls together. Architectural details tell pieces of the story without requiring a museum visit.
Carlyle House is one of the larger examples.
Begun in 1751 for Scottish merchant John Carlyle and completed in 1753, the Georgian mansion offers a glimpse into the lives of Alexandria’s prosperous merchant class during the city’s colonial years.
Some of Old Town’s stories are considerably smaller.
The Hollensbury Spite House is hard to miss—unless you know where to look. At just 7 feet wide, this tiny, bright blue house is said to have been built in 1830 by John Hollensbury to keep wagons and noisy loiterers out of the alley beside his home.
“You can walk by something in Alexandria and not necessarily know there’s this whole story and history behind it,” Singh says. “When you see it all in person, it brings history to life.”
A few blocks away, Gadsby’s Tavern provides another window into Alexandria’s past. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the Marquis de Lafayette were among the notable figures who visited, but the tavern’s story also includes the enslaved workers whose labor kept the business running.
Nearby, the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum offers a different glimpse into Alexandria’s past. We first heard about it during our walking tour, when our guide called it one of her favorite spots and encouraged us to return.
The guided tour took us through both floors, largely unchanged from the building’s days as a working apothecary. I was amazed by how many original items remain, from glass bottles and prescription books to the tools and furnishings the pharmacy used. The tour also included a look at the role apothecaries played in everyday life during the 1800s and early 1900s.
The additional fee was well worth it, adding another layer to the history we were discovering throughout Alexandria.
RELATED VIDEO: Explore inside the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum.
Established in 1753, the Old Town Farmers’ Market is recognized as the country’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ market at the same site. During renovations to City Hall and Market Square, it was temporarily relocated to nearby North Royal Street and Tavern Square.
History Gets a New Use
Alexandria has a knack for giving old buildings new lives, and the Torpedo Factory Art Center may be its best-known example.
Built in 1918 as the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station, the waterfront complex served various federal purposes before the City of Alexandria transformed it into an arts center in 1974.
Today, three floors house working artists, with studios, galleries, and exhibitions turning the former industrial complex into a place where creativity happens in real time. “Visitors can watch artists working in their studios, talk with them, and purchase original artwork directly from the artists,” Postal says.
The history is still there—you just experience it through a different lens.
More to Explore
Along the Potomac, the waterfront is lined with walking paths, public docks, river views, and several places to eat. Chart House overlooks the water, while nearby Ada’s on the River, BARCA Pier & Wine Bar, and Vola’s Dockside Grill offer their own takes on waterfront dining. Here, the river is part of the experience.
Elsewhere, Alexandria’s personality shows up in less expected places.
Continues Arcade brings classic pinball machines and newer games into the mix. With more than 50 original arcade cabinets, pinball machines, and other games spanning decades, the Old Town North spot is built around playing the games themselves rather than collecting prizes.
Visiting The Turkish Coffee Lady felt like coming full circle: years earlier, I’d written about the brand’s Apex café for Midtown Magazine’s sister publication, 5 West, and now I was in Alexandria, where the brand established its brick-and-mortar presence, enjoying an iced Turkish coffee.
Alexandria’s food-and-drink scene extends beyond Old Town. We stopped at Aslin Beer Company for a beer, then enjoyed a cider flight at Lost Boy Cider.
Much of Alexandria, though, is best experienced without a plan. Walk King Street. Ride the trolley. Join a walking tour. Step inside a building that catches your attention. Stop for coffee. Look up at the architecture.
History is everywhere, but Alexandria isn’t stuck in the past. You just have to know where to look.
Celebrate the Season in Alexandria
• Santa Railway Express
Climb aboard a seasonal train ride with Santa, traveling round-trip between Alexandria and Manassas.
• Scottish Christmas Walk Parade
Dozens of Scottish clans, pipe and drum bands, terriers, hounds, and community groups fill the streets for this longtime Alexandria tradition.
• Holiday Boat Parade of Lights
Watch dozens of brightly lit boats cruise along the Potomac River, with waterfront festivities, food, drinks, and family activities adding to the celebration.
• Santa on the Potomac
On Christmas Eve, head to the waterfront to see Santa and his friends cruising along the Potomac.
Event dates and times can change. Check out visitalexandria.com for the latest schedule and details.
