Admission is free on Presidents Day (Feb. 20) and George Washington’s birthday (Feb. 22). Admission tickets will be distributed on-site upon arrival; a limited number of tickets are available.
Open 365 days a year, Mount Vernon is located just 15 miles south of Washington DC.
From the mansion to lush gardens and grounds, intriguing museum galleries, immersive programs, and the distillery and gristmill. Spend the day with us!
Discover what made Washington "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen".
The Mount Vernon Ladies Association has been maintaining the Mount Vernon Estate since they acquired it from the Washington family in 1858.
Need help with homework? Our Digital Encyclopedia has all of the answers students and teachers need.
The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only.
Preservation work is always underway at George Washington's estate to ensure that generations to come will be able to enjoy the founding father's home.
The restoration of Mount Vernon is an ongoing process that began in the 19th century and continues today.
More than 12 original buildings on the estate are exposed to the extremes of weather and wear put on them by more than one million visitors each year.
Mount Vernon's preservation team restores and preserves the estate to how it appeared at the time of Washington’s death in 1799.
I have scarcely a room to put a friend into, or to set in myself, without the Music of hammers, or the odoriferous smell of Paint.
The origins of the Lafayette Room date to the initial 1730s construction period of the house, with significant changes made at the beginning and end of George Washington's residence.
The room’s eighteenth-century woodwork, window sashes, door, and floors still survive.
Immediate preservation work in the Lafayette Room will include repairing and whitewashing the ceiling, cleaning the floor, and repainting the woodwork based on updated paint analysis. After recent research, the room will also be returned to the vibrancy known to the Washingtons with wallpaper reproduced from 18th-century examples.
July - November 2022
The restoration of George Washington’s New Tomb will dramatically improve the tomb’s visual appearance, removing visible staining and efflorescence of the brick and crumbling mortar and restoring the plaster ceiling over the Washington sarcophagi.
Most importantly, by controlling and reducing the moisture infiltration that has been the underlying cause of deterioration since construction in the 1830s, it will ensure the Tomb’s preservation for generations to come.
Mount Vernon’s smokehouse stands on the south lane, part of a group of outbuildings that provided support for daily life on the estate. The smokehouse was constructed in the mid-1770s. In 1776, 132 hogs were fattened, slaughtered, and “put up” or hung in it.
Today, the smokehouse is remarkably intact. Its frame and interior hanging system are original, protected for more than two centuries by its clapboard siding, much of which has survived from the 18th century. That siding has borne the brunt of 245 summer and winters and is in need of serious conservation.
The first step is an assessment to determine the appropriate treatments for the boards in order to keep as much original fabric in place as possible. Mount Vernon’s skilled preservation staff will carry out the needed repairs using appropriate materials and the highest professional standards.
Restoration of Mount Vernon’s historic Smokehouse is sponsored by Edwards Virginia Smokehouse.
The Archaeology team is excavating 10x10-foot test units in a section of the north grove in search of archaeological features and evidence of past human activities.
Preservation work never ends. Each year, the Mansion, outbuildings, and grounds are exposed to the extremes of weather and the wear put on them by more than one million visitors.
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