Mount Vernon

✨ The newly restored first and second floors of the Mansion, including The Washingtons’ bedchamber, are now on view! After months of meticulous preservation work, these iconic spaces have reopened just in time for the holiday season. 📅 Start planning your visit today: bit.ly/3LGM6n3

🎃 That's a wrap on another year of Trick-or-Treating! 👻 Happy Halloween! This event is made possible by Mars Snacking and American Heritage Chocolate.

Our last ghost story comes from a head guard in the 1980s/90s: “Quite frequently, an alarm would go off in the stable. Then, in about the time it would take to unsaddle and put up a horse and walk from the stable to the Mansion, an alarm would go off in the Washingtons' Bedchamber. Guards dispatched to check out the situation invariably found nothing out of the ordinary.” This man's explanation was that the General was coming home, made his horse comfortable, and then went up to his room. Perhaps this horse was Nelson, one of the many horses that Washington owned and one of his favorites. This horse was said to have "carried the General almost always during the war [American Revolution]." To learn more, visit our website: bit.ly/3BpAIXm

It's your chance to hear from renowned historians and civic leaders during a milestone year! Join us November 5–7 as we explore the enduring ideals of democracy that have shaped the American experiment at Lessons from the Founding: The 2026 George Washington Symposium. For in-person or virtual tickets, visit our website here: bit.ly/4ASTvVn The annual George Washington Symposium is supported by a generous endowment established by The Barra Foundation.

✨ Celebrate the holidays at George Washington’s Mount Vernon! 🎄 🕯️ Mount Vernon by Candlelight | Select dates, Nov. 27–Dec. 22 Tour George Washington’s estate by candlelight, meet Aladdin the Christmas Camel, and discover 18th-century holiday traditions! 🎆 Christmas Illuminations | Dec. 19–20 Enjoy a spectacular fireworks show, browse an artisan winter market, savor fresh-baked gingerbread, and more! Who are you bringing? Get your tickets here: bit.ly/4Bv0NyU

Join us November 5–7 as we explore the enduring ideals of democracy that have shaped the American experiment at Lessons from the Founding: The 2026 George Washington Symposium. For in-person or virtual tickets, visit our website here: bit.ly/4ASTvVn The George Washington Symposium is supported by a generous endowment established by The Barra Foundation. Thank you to our sponsors Stand Together, More Perfect, Don and Karen Tavolacci, and the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation!

Join us November 5–7 as we explore the enduring ideals of democracy that have shaped the American experiment at Lessons from the Founding: The 2026 George Washington Symposium. For in-person or virtual tickets, visit our website here: bit.ly/4ASTvVn The George Washington Symposium is supported by a generous endowment established by The Barra Foundation. Thank you to our sponsors Stand Together, More Perfect, Don and Karen Tavolacci, and the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation!

This week in 1776, George Washington’s army faced the British at White Plains. American troops were eventually driven from Chatterton's Hill, but Washington kept the larger army intact and soon withdrew north to establish another defensive position. Preserving the Continental Army remained Washington’s greatest priority. #ThisWeekinHistory

It's your chance to hear from renowned historians and civic leaders during a milestone year! Join us November 5–7 as we explore the enduring ideals of democracy that have shaped the American experiment at Lessons from the Founding: The 2026 George Washington Symposium. Speakers will connect the nation's founding principles with today's most pressing civic questions through nine dynamic themes. For in-person or virtual tickets, visit our website: bit.ly/4yzuflz The George Washington Symposium is supported by a generous endowment established by The Barra Foundation. Thank you to our sponsors Stand Together, More Perfect, Don and Karen Tavolacci, and the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation!

It's your chance to hear from renowned historians and civic leaders during a milestone year! Join us November 5–7 as we explore the enduring ideals of democracy that have shaped the American experiment at Lessons from the Founding: The 2026 George Washington Symposium. Speakers will connect the nation's founding principles with today's most pressing civic questions through nine dynamic themes. For in-person or virtual tickets, visit our website: bit.ly/4yzuflz The George Washington Symposium is supported by a generous endowment established by The Barra Foundation. Thank you to our sponsors Stand Together, More Perfect, Don and Karen Tavolacci, and the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation!

Ever wondered how you can be more like George Washington? The qualities that shaped George Washington’s leadership continue to challenge us to consider how we lead, serve, and contribute today. Today, we're discussing his study of Francis Hawkins' The Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation. When he was about 14 years old, as part of his schooling, Washington wrote down a copy of the 110 Rules of Civility in his school book. These lessons, some serious, some humorous, stayed with him throughout his life and greatly form the leader that he would become. The first rule is as follows: "Every Action done in Company, ought to be with Some Sign of Respect, to those that are Present." To read the full list or learn more about George Washington's traits, visit our website: bit.ly/3WjohXC Image credit: U1897.1.1 George Washington as Colonel in the Virginia Regiment, Charles Willson Peale, 1772. Washington-Custis-Lee Collection, Washington and Lee University, Lexington VA

Today, we're exploring an item from our collections: a gold snuff box that Martha Washington received as a gift from her first husband. Gold snuff boxes were rare luxury items in 18th-century America. Almost all were imported from England, including this box. There, specially trained gold chasers expertly hammered its designs. The box features a lid of polished agate, a semiprecious stone, and its gold sides are chased—decorated by hammering the metal—with exuberant rococo flowers and scrolls. Engraved on the base of the box is the Parke family coat of arms: an eagle displayed in a diamond (the shape used by women, rather than a shield). To learn more, visit our webpage here: bit.ly/4zl0Mwd

Blink and you’ll miss it! 👀 This small piece of history can be found in the Yellow Room. Martha Washington’s fifteen-year-old granddaughter, Eliza Parke Custis, etched her name and the date on the glass of this window, overlooking the Potomac River. She paid visits to her grandmother and step-grandfather at Mount Vernon, sharing a warm relationship with both. Have you ever spotted this historic signature?

This week in 1776, George Washington’s army continued its difficult retreat north from Manhattan toward White Plains. The movement was painfully slow. Food was scarce, draft animals were lacking, and soldiers sometimes had to haul equipment themselves. By the end of the week, the Americans were digging in at White Plains as a large British force closed in. #ThisWeekinHistory

Did you know guests once slept in the bed where George Washington died? In the early years of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, when the Ladies were at Mount Vernon, they would sleep in the Mansion. But some visits were more frightful than others... Continuing with our #SpookySeason ghost stories, we have an account from 1890: "Of course, the most interesting of all the bedrooms is the one belonging to the immortal George and in which he died. In it is the original four-poster bed whereon Washington passed his last moments." "Mrs. William Beale and a friend of hers spent a night at Mount Vernon. At their own request, they were permitted to occupy Washington’s bedroom. In the middle of the night, they were awakened by the sputtering of their candle." Continue reading the story, and others, here: bit.ly/3BpAIXm

On October 17, 1824 the Marquis de Lafayette’s visited the Tomb of George and Martha Washington. This watercolor and silk embroidery on silk is the earliest known visual depiction of the event. The work, by an unidentified artist, captures the emotionally charged moment before Lafayette entered the Tomb. Lafayette’s official secretary later wrote, “Lafayette descended alone into the vault, and a few minutes after re-appeared, with his eyes overflowing with tears.” It depicts the Old Tomb, the original Washington family burial vault set in the wooded hillside overlooking the Potomac River. In 1831, Washington’s body was transferred to the new tomb, along with the remains of Martha Washington and other family members. Click here for an interactive look at this artwork: bit.ly/3TFHPoo

🧵 🪡 See one of only three surviving quilt tops made by Martha Washington—a colorful design featuring 19 different fabrics and patterns! It's on display until January 15th, 2027🪡 🧵 While intended to be completed and used as a decorative bed cover, the "Children's Games" quilt top remained unfinished at her death. Her granddaughter, Elizabeth Parke Custis Law, inherited and carefully preserved it. When she pieced this quilt top together, she created one of the largest and most colorful expressions of her creative personality. The technical composition and stitching reveal her expertise as a quilter. She used a common format—the framed center medallion—and made it her own with design choices that set her work apart from other quilters of the period. Visit our YouTube channel for an extended chat with Amanda to learn even more!

This week in 1776, the British landed at Frog’s Point, threatening to outflank George Washington’s army and forcing him to reconsider the defense of Manhattan. Meanwhile, on Lake Champlain, Benedict Arnold fought a losing battle at Valcour Island—but delaying the British advance in the process. #ThisWeekinHistory

Happy 251st birthday to the U.S. Navy! On October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress authorized two armed vessels to intercept ships carrying supplies to the British Army. This established what would become the Continental Navy, beginning a naval tradition that continues today. A decade later, Thomas Jefferson wrote to George Washington about those early days of the war and posed a question about one of the Revolution’s more unusual naval experiments: Did Washington remember David Bushnell’s Turtle, the one-man submarine that had attempted to attack a British warship in 1776? David Bushnell’s contributions to the Revolutionary War and to submarine technology are considerable; his ideas for a screw propeller and the use of water as ballast are both still used today. He invented the first working weaponized submarine and was the father of naval mine warfare. Read the extraordinary letter here: bit.ly/3TQaQOc

Archaeologists at Mount Vernon have collected evidence of the earliest human occupation here dating to the Early/Middle Archaic period. Early Archaic projectile points have been found in the Mansion vicinity and the South Grove Midden. Environmental changes during this period led to continued population growth. River resources played an increasingly important role to these communities, and people started to rely on migratory fish species, such as shad and herring, as well as shellfish, in their diets. Steatite or soapstone bowls appeared, which were carved or hollowed out by hand from blocks of steatite and quarried from regional sources. These bowls could be directly heated on a hearth unlike vessels fashioned from hide or fiber. These factors encouraged a trend towards a more sedentary lifestyle in the Late Archaic period—moving less frequently and staying in a single location for longer periods of time. Learn more about the Native communities who lived on the land before it became Mount Vernon: bit.ly/4hMnrK1

George Washington studied and implemented improved farming methods throughout his life. In fact, he thought of himself first as a farmer. While his initial interest in farming was driven by his own needs to earn a living and improve Mount Vernon, in later years Washington realized his leadership and experimentation could assist all American farmers. “George Washington and a Nation of Farmers” is an 18-panel exhibit showcasing George Washington’s agricultural vision, leadership, and the centrality of his farming innovations to the creation of a new American nation. If you're near West Bend, Wisconsin, you can see the exhibit in person at The Tower Heritage Center now through early December, and the downloadable exhibit is available free of charge to organizations across the country! Learn more: bit.ly/4fsKjyi