The Mount Vernon Virginia Estate and Gardens, welcoming an average of 1 million visitors each year from around the world, is home to the historically preserved home of our nation’s first president, George Washington. The Mount Vernon estate is owned and maintained in trust for the people of the United States by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, a private, non-profit organization founded in 1853 by Ann Pamela Cunningham. The Mount Vernon Virginia Estate and Gardens is the most popular historic estate in America and is open 365 days a year.
The history of Mount Vernon Plantation is really more a history of the life and proclivities of our first president, George Washington. Throughout his life, Washington was fond of the symbolic power of architecture, specifically how it could related to an enduring national identity. The history of Mount Vernon plantation tells us that Washington first used his idea of identity through architecture when building his Mount Vernon Virginia estate. It was later that Washington used his experiences building his Mount Vernon Virginia home to help guide the creation of our Federal city. In the end, it’s not hard to understand that the history of Mount Vernon plantation relates integrally to our own national identity.
The Mount Vernon Virginia plantation is now a modern day Mecca for those interested in our nation’s history. The plantation in Virginia maintains curatorial and archival collections of domestic objects associated with the lives of George and Martha Washington, as well as historic documents related to the building of the Virginia plantation, among others. The Curatorial Collections include three-dimensional objects, textiles, and paintings, while the Library/Archives include rare books, manuscripts, works of art on paper, archival collections, and reference materials.
Forty-five acres of the 500 acre plantation in Virginia are open to the public including the Virginia plantation mansion house of George and Martha Washington as well as the gardens and surrounding estate. Hours of operation are from 8am - 5pm April - August, 9am - 5pm in March, September and October, and 9am - 4pm November - February. Tickets range between $6 - $13 per person, discounts for children and seniors are available.
For special events at the Mount Vernon plantation in Virginia, try the Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour in May. Buy your tickets to this enchanting evening of wine and entertainment early, they tend to sell out very quickly. Tickets are $30 each and include a candlelight tour and a surprise appearance by George Washington himself. Mount Vernon historic Virginia plantation also offers dining, shopping, and private evening tours ($30 per person, $1000 minimum).
