Early American Life
Many attractions in and around Washington, DC, give insight into early American life and interests. English settlers first came to America in the early 1600s, and began settling up the Potomac into the area that became our nation's capital in the late 18th century. The sites listed below include early American life and information.
Arlington House (the Custis-Lee Mansion)
(703) 235-1530
Located on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery
Hours and Admission
Generally 9:30am-4:30pm, some extended hours in the summer.
Check the Arlington House website for today's hours.
Closed January 1, December 25
No admission charged; reservations are not required, but groups are limited to 25 at one time.
This was the home of Robert E. Lee and his family for 30 years, it was originally built by George Washington Parke Custis as a memorial to his step-grandfather George Washington.
It was in this house that Robert E. Lee wrote his resignation letter from the U.S. Army on April 20, 1861.
Ash Lawn-Highland (President James Monroe's home)
(434) 293-8000
2050 James Monroe Parkway, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Hours and Admission
11am-5pm November-March
9am-6pm April-October
Admission charged; guided house tours available
Located in Albemarle County near Monticello and Montpelier approximately two hours southwest of Washington, DC, Ash Lawn-Highland was home to our 5th President James Monroe for nearly a quarter of a century.
Berkeley Plantation (Presidents William Henry and Benjamin Harrison ancestral home)
(804) 829-6018
12602 Harrison Landing Road, Charles City, VA 23030
Hours and Admission
10:30am-6:30pm - January-mid March
9:30am-4:30pm - mid March-December
Closed Thanksgiving, December 25
Admission charged; guided house tours available
Considered one of the first great estates in America; the first official Thanksgiving was celebrated here on December 4, 1619. Berkeley Plantation was home to the Harrison family--6th President William Henry Harrison, and his grandson, the 23rd President Benjamin Harrison.
Carlyle House Historic Park
(703) 549-2997 
121 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Hours and Admission
10am-4pm Tuesday-Saturday
12-4pm Sunday
Closed Mondays, December 25, and January 1
Admission charged
This historic 18th-century Palladian-style mansion, located in Alexandria, was built in the 1750s. George Washington was a frequent overnight guest at Carlyle House. It served as the initial headquarters for Major-General Edward Braddock during the French and Indian War. It operated as a hotel during the mid 1800s, and was occupied by Union forces during the Civil War.
Christian Heurich House Mansion (The Brewmaster's Castle)
(202) 429-1894
1307 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Hours and Admissions
Public tours offered on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 11:30am, 1:00pm, 2:30pm.
Admission charged, children under 10 not permitted.
This Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places is considered one of the most intact late-Victorian homes. It was built in the 1880s by German immigrant and local brewer Christian Heurich (HI-rick), who ran his brewery until his death at 102-1/2.
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum
(202) 628-1776
1776 D Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006
Hours and Admission
9:30am-4pm Monday-Friday
9am-5pm Saturday
Closed Sundays
No admission charged
Self-guided and guided tours available in this 1910 Beaux Arts building, which emphasizes the role of women throughout American history. Exhibits include everyday items out of America's past (generally up to 1840), including a four-sided mousetrap that guillotines its captures. A Touch Area is available for children. You can also tour period rooms.
Decatur House Museum
(202) 842-0920 
Tours begin at 1610 H Street, NW. Washington, DC 20006
Hours and Admission
Tours offered Monday's at 11am, 12:30pm, and 2pm
No admission charged
One of the oldest surviving homes in Washington, DC, Decatur House was completed in 1818 for naval hero Stephen Decatur. It features a Federalist style and counts Henry Clay, Martin Van Buren and Edward Livingston among its past residents.
Dumbarton Oaks Gardens and Museum
(202) 339-6401
1703 32nd St. NW, Washington, DC 20007
Hours and Admission
Museum Hours: Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11:30am-5:30pm
Closed Mondays, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1. 
Admission to the museum is free
Garden Hours Open Tuesday-Sunday, 2pm-6pm March 15-October 31.
Admission is charged for the gardens.
The gardens are closed Monday's, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, December 25 and January 1.
The gardens at Dumbarton Oaks incorporate elements of French, English and Italian gardens. The formal gardens cover ten acres of beautiful landscape and small formal gardens along with a Roman-style amphitheater. Museum tours feature Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art along with European masterpieces.
Ferry Farm (George Washington's home)
(540) 370-0732
268 Kings Highway, Fredericksburg, VA 22405
Hours and Admission
March-October
Monday – Saturday, 10am-5pm
Sunday, Noon-5pm
November- December
Monday – Saturday, 10am-4pm
Sunday, Noon-4pm
Closed Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and December 24, 25, & 31
Admission charged
George Washington's family roots are deep in historic Fredericksburg. He lived on Ferry Farm from six years old to about 19 when he moved to Mount Vernon.
Gadsby's Tavern Museum
(703) 838-4242
134 N. Royal Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Hours and Admission
November-March
11am-4pm, Wednesday-Saturday
Sunday 1-4pm
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
April-October
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday and Monday 1-5 pm
Closed January 1, Thanksgiving, December 25
Admission charged
Visitors will get a "slice of life" picture of what life was like for everyday early Americans. The Gadsby’s Tavern Museum consists of two buildings, a 1785 tavern and the 1792 City Hotel. George Washington’s Birthnight Ball and an inaugural banquet for Thomas Jefferson were held at the location, which is now a National Historic Landmark in Old Town Alexandria.
Gunston Hall Plantation (George Mason's home)
(703) 550-9220
10709 Gunston Road, Mason Neck, VA 22079
Hours and Admission
Home tours 9:30am-4:30pm daily
Grounds open 9:30am-6pm
Closed January 1, Thanksgiving, December 25
Admission charged
Located 20 miles south of Washington, DC, the home of George Mason, which was constructed in the 1750s, is a National Historic Landmark. Mason, one of the Founding Fathers, contributed significantly to the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
The home is an outstanding example of Georgian architecture with elaborate carvings designed by indentured servant William Buckland. The garden features the original configuration of gravel pathways, a 250-year-old boxwood allee, earthen terraces and vistas of Deer Park leading to the Potomac River shore.
Kenmore Plantation (Family home of George Washington's sister)
(540) 373-3381 
1201 Washington Avenue, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Hours and Admission
March to October
Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm
Sunday, Noon-5pm
November to December
Monday-Saturday, 10am-4pm
Sunday, Noon-4pm
Closed Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and December 24, 25, & 31
Admission charged
This Georgian mansion, built in the 1770s by Fielding and Betty Washington Lewis, George Washington's sister, is famous for its ornate plasterwork ceilings.
Monticello (President Thomas Jefferson's home)
(434) 984-9800
931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Hours and Admission
Hours for Monticello adjust seasonally. Please see Monticello's calendar for today's hours.
Admission charged; guided house tours available
Estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States. Located in Albemarle County, Virginia, approximately two hours from Washington, DC; near Ash Lawn-Highland and Montpelier.
Montpelier (President James Madison's home)
(540) 672-2728 
11350 Constitution Highway, Montpelier Station, VA 22957
Hours and Admission
Generally 9am-5pm but hours may adjust seasonally. Please see Montpelier's hours for today's times. Admission charged; guided house tours available
Home of James Madison, 4th President of the United States and the Father of the Constitution. Located about two hours southwest of Washington, DC, in the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Charlottesville, Virginia, James Madison was raised at Montpelier and lived here for his entire life except during his presidency.
Mount Vernon (George Washington's home)
(703) 780-2000 
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, VA 22121
Hours and Admission
April-October
9am-5pm
November-March
9am-4pm
Admission charged
Home and final resting place of America's 1st President, George Washington.
During the time that Washington lived here (more than 45 years), Mount Vernon was an 8,000-acre plantation, which was divided into five farms; each was a complete unit. The farm where Washington and his family lived was called the "Mansion House Farm," and is the part of the plantation that we refer to today as "Mount Vernon." Washington inherited the property from his older half-brother, who named the property in honor of his commanding officer, Admiral Edward Vernon of the British navy.
Interactive Exhibit: "Be Washington: It's Your Turn to Lead"
Ongoing
George Washington's Mount Vernon
3200 Mount Vernon Hwy
Mt. Vernon, VA
$18/Adults; $17/Seniors; $11/Youth (6-11); $0/Children under 5
(202) 626-7439
1799 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
Hours and Admission
Self-guided tours available Tuesday-Saturday
1pm-4pm
No admission charged.
Located just blocks from the White House, this residence, designed by the architect of the U.S. Capitol, Dr. William Thornton, was built in 1801 and served as a
temporary "Executive Mansion" for President James Madison in 1814 after the British burned the White House. You will see the This kid-friendly museum house contains touchable exhibits and opportunities for children to learn more about life during early American history.
Old Stone House Garden
3051 M Street, NW, Washington, DC
Hours and Admission
Open daily 11am-6pm
Closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.
The garden is open during daylight hours. No admission charged.
This English garden in Georgetown, on the site of the oldest surviving building in the Washington area, is managed by the National Park Service and features fruit trees and flowers.
Poplar Forest (President Thomas Jefferson's home)
(434) 525-1806
1548 Bateman Bridge Road, Forest, VA 24551
Hours and Admission
Open daily 10am-5pm March 15-December 30
Closed Easter, Thanksgiving Day, December 24-25
Admission charged; guided house tours available
This plantation and octagonal-shaped home near Lynchburg, Virginia, was used as a retreat by our nation's 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson. He considered it "the most valuable" of his possessions and called it "the best dwelling house in the state except that of Monticello."
President Lincoln's Cottage
(202) 829-0436
140 Rock Creek Church Road, NW, Washington, DC 20011
Hours and Admission
9:30am-4:30pm Monday-Saturday
10:30am-4:30pm Sunday
Open Christmas Eve 9:30am-1:30pm
Closed Thanksgiving, December 25, January 1
Admission charged; advance purchase strongly recommended
This cottage gives an intimate, never-before-seen view of Abraham Lincoln, who spent most of the summers during his presidency in this cottage, commuting to the White House daily by horseback or carriage. The cottage, which is located on the grounds of the Soldier's Home, was designated a National Monument in 2000, and opened for public tours in February 2008 after a seven-year, $15 million restoration project.
Scotchtown Plantation (Patrick Henry's home)
(804) 227-3500
16120 Chiswell Lane, Beaverdam, VA 23015
Hours and Admission
Open March through December
Friday and Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday Noon-5pm
Closed Monday-Thursday
Admission charged
Home to Patrick Henry, Virginia's first governor and one of the most well-known orators and patriots, from 1771 to 1778. It is located 11 miles northwest of Ashland, Virginia, in Beaverdam.
Stratford Hall Plantation (General Robert E. Lee ancestral home)
(804) 493-8038
483 Great House Road, Stratford, VA 22558
Hours and Admission
9:30am-4pm daily; check website for closures in January and December
Admission charged; guided house tours available
This National Historic Landmark was home to the Lee family (Thomas Lee, birthplace of Richard Henry Lee and Robert E. Lee). It is about two hours from Washington, DC.
Tudor Place Garden
(202) 965-0400 
1644 31st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
Hours and Admission
February through December
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm
Sunday Noon-4pm
Closed Monday and most federal holidays
Admission charged
Tudor Place in Georgetown Heights was built by Martha Washington's granddaughter and her husband. The 5-1/2 acre garden features a box edging from Mount Vernon with a large collection of period flowers and shrubs.
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