Mount Vernon has a fantastic museum and education center.  After we thoroughly explored the grounds, we headed to the museum.  Unfortunately we were getting short on time and went through it a little faster than we all would have liked.  There are 23 galleries focusing on different aspects of George Washington’s life and the lives of the estate’s slaves. In the “Discovering the Real George Washington” exhibit, you can follow Washington’s life from youth to colonial officer to Revolutionary War commander to President.  There are lots of great artifacts, including Washington’s famous dentures (and no, they are not made of …

Part of what made our visit so fun was the interactive activities designed for kids.  Mount Vernon has both an old-school, pen and paper scavenger hunt and an app-based spy adventure / scavenger hunt.  We did both and loved them, and they were a great way to thoroughly explore the grounds. We picked up the paper Adventure Map at the Ford Orientation Center.  This activity consisted of 10 different puzzles.  The first 9 puzzles led you to different locations on the property and asked a question which could be answered using clues from that location.  For example, Puzzle #4 stated …

The Pioneer Farm provides a period-authentic example of farming on Washington’s estate, as well as demonstrations of different farming techniques, cooking, sheep shearing, and more.  It was a bit of a trek down to the farm but worth the time and effort.  (A shuttle is available between the farm and the Education Center from April to October.)  We watched a cooking demonstration for a short while and then wandered through the farm to the Threshing Barn. The Threshing Barn is an invention of Washington’s – a 16 sided, 2 story barn used to separate wheat berry from the stalk.  Historically, …

Both George and Martha Washington are buried at Mount Vernon.  George Washington’s will provided instruction for the construction of a new tomb, which is now his final resting place.  Visitors to Mount Vernon line up every day to pay their respects to the Father of Our Country and his First Lady. Even after walking the grounds all day and envisioning Washington’s life there, it was hard to wrap my head around the fact that George Washington’s body was on the other side of that gate.  It was surreal and sobering.  A staff member was on hand to make sure that …

There are more than a dozen outbuildings on the estate that have been maintained in their original look and function.  The family utilized slave labor to complete many of the tasks required to keep the estate running and each building had a specific purpose.  Each building is set up as it was in Washington’s times.  The majority of the buildings cannot be entered but can be viewed from the outside through doorways.  An informative display at the entry explains what the building was used for. The Blacksmith Shop at Mount Vernon is a reconstruction of the original and is fully …

Located on the banks of the Potomac River, the property encompassed some 8,000 acres in George Washington’s days, but the current grounds are a mere 500 acres.  Washington himself was the primary landscape designer of the vast property.  A large bowling green in front of the house is the central element of the design, and the 4 gardens on the grounds both showcased Washington’s flowers and plants and provided fresh fruits and vegetables for the family. We walked through the Upper Garden, a formal garden with a greenhouse and 6 planting beds.  The current plantings replicate Washington’s own garden, according …

The mansion is the centerpiece of Mount Vernon.  It was originally built as a smaller 1.5 story home by George Washington’s father, Augustine Washington, in 1734.  Twenty years later, George Washington took it over and embarked on a series of additions and renovations that resulted in the 11,000 square foot home you can visit today. The home was built in the Palladian style, which focuses on symmetry.  Ironically, the numerous additions resulted in a slightly asymmetrical house.  The dome and front door do not align perfectly and the windows are not symmetrical.  The exterior of the home was built using …