Historical Sites in Northern Virginia

Virginia is home to some of the most historical places in the United States. You will find historical colonial sites, Civil War battle sites, homes of our founding fathers and more. Virginia offers boundless opportunities to plan a historical vacation or weekend adventure to learn more and explore American history.

Popular Historical Attractions

George Washington's Mount Vernon
Address: 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy, Mt Vernon, VA 22121

Discover the real George Washington at Mount Vernon!  In addition to being America’s most visited historic home, the estate now includes 25 interactive galleries and theaters. The Ford Orientation Center and the Donald W. Reynolds Museum & Education Center feature artifacts, original movies, hands-on exhibits, and an immersive Revolutionary War "snow" experience.   Learn about Washington’s life, from his boyhood to his wartime service, agricultural entrepreneurship, and his presidency.  Tour the beautifully restored mansion, four distinctive gardens, and get a glimpse of Mount Vernon’s working farm.

American Horticultural Society's River Farm
Address: 7931 E Boulevard Dr, Alexandria, VA 22308

River Farm is the headquarters of the American Horticultural Society. Situated on 25 landscaped acres overlooking the Potomac River, it is an idyllic escape within the Washington, D.C. area. Once part of George Washington's original properties, River Farm is acclaimed for its spell-binding vistas, as well as its creative children’s garden, beautiful four-acre meadow, and colorful flower displays. It is a favorite site for weddings and other special events, corporate meetings and retreats, family picnics, bird-watchers, and painters.

George Mason's Gunston Hall
Address: 10709 Gunston Rd, Lorton, VA 22079

Gunston Hall, completed in 1759, was the plantation home of George Mason, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Mason wrote the Virginia Constitution and the Virginia Declaration of Rights on which the U.S. Bill of Rights was based. His home is an outstanding example of Georgian architecture, and is highly regarded for its elegant interiors. The elaborate interior carvings, designed by indentured servant William Buckland and carved by William Bernard Sears, provide an impressive backdrop for guided tours of the 18th century plantation household. 

Sully Historic Site
Address: 3650 Historic Sully Way, Chantilly, VA 20151

Sully was completed in 1799 by Richard Bland Lee, Northern Virginia's first Representative to Congress, and is now run by the Fairfax County Park Authority. It's also on the National Register for Historic Places and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Thursday through Sunday you can take guided tours of the house which detail the history of the property and it's owners. Or, from March through November, you can go on one of Sully's specialized Forgotten Road Tours of the outbuildings and representative slave quarter cabin.

Workhouse Arts Center
Address: 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA 22079

The Workhouse Arts Center is a massive adaptive reuse project which re-purposes the former Lorton Prison into a remarkable arts center providing nearly a dozen gallery spaces of ever-changing art exhibitions; a wide variety visual arts classes and workshops for adults and children; and supports the art and studios of more than 65 professional artists. The center offers year-round performances in theater, music and comedy; health and wellness activities and classes; and houses the Lucy Burns Museum honoring 91 years of history and the story of the imprisonment of the suffragists at the Workhouse.