Date Published: May 20th, 2026 | Last Updated: May 20th, 2026
Author: Abby | Category: Travel, USA
Date of travel: Feb 7th, 2026

Mount Vernon is the famous home to the first president, George Washington. It’s a top highlight landmark when visiting Virginia, especially if you’re into American history. It’s open year-round but gets especially busy in the summer. Follow this guide for a comprehensive overview of the property and what to see here!

Tip: Watching the musical Hamilton prior to coming to become a fangirl/boy of George Washington first is highly recommended so you can have the songs stuck in your head as you walk around and intermittently shout “Here comes the general!”.

A little background information on Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon is the famous estate and home of the first president, George Washington. The property was originally called Little Creek Hunting Plantation and was owned by his father, Augustine Washington. After his father’s death, the property was left to his older half-brother, Lawrence Washington, who renamed it ‘Mount Vernon’ after his old commander from the British navy, Admiral Edward Vernon (Vernon was a bit of a celebrity at the time and Lawrence felt that associating himself with Vernon’s name would elevate his social status).

After Lawrence passed away from tuberculosis in 1752, the property transferred over to his only surviving daughter, Sarah Washington. However, Sarah passed away just 2 years later and Lawrence’s widow Anne Fairfax inherited the property. By this time, Anne had already remarried and no longer lived at Mount Vernon. She leased it to George and when Anne passed away in 1761, George inherited the property outright as outlined in Lawrence’s will.

George and Martha lived on the property for the remaining 45 years of his life. Martha was already quite a wealthy woman when they married after inheriting the vast estate of her late husband. Together, her and George renovated the mansion and expanded the estate to include 5 surrounding farms – at its peak, Mount Vernon was 8000 acres!!

Today, Mount Vernon estate is renovated and preserved after what it looked like in the period when George and Martha lived here.

Scroll to the end of the page to continue the story of Mount Vernon ownership after George and Martha passed away.

Best time of year to visit?

You can visit any time of the year, however the best time to visit will be in the spring or summer when the plants and flowers in the gardens are in bloom. If you’re just here for history and to see the home of George Washington, then any time of the year will be fine.

Getting Here/Where to park?

The easiest way to get here is by driving. There are parking lots on the East and West sides of the George Washington Memorial Parkway as you approach the entrance. There is plenty of parking available at no additional cost, however the parking lot is a small distance from the visitors center that requires about a 5 minute walk. If you have people in your party that need a little extra time or assistance walking, consider dropping them off at the front gate before heading to the parking lot.

You can also get here by public transport, a shuttle bus, by boat from Washington, DC, or by bicycle. Check out their website for the most up to date and comprehensive instructions on how to get here: https://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/directions-parking-transportation .

How much is admission?

The cost to visit Mount Vernon can get quite pricey depending on whether you want to add on additional tours. I’d recommend buying tickets online early since the tours are timed and can sell out early. Mount Vernon gets very popular in the warmer months. Be warned: the online checkout process is like booking a ticket on a cheap airline – there are seemingly never-ending add-ons, so set aside a few extra minutes to make sure you’re buying tickets for what you want.

I’ve broken down the cost and the MANY tour options below:

• Base admission cost (grounds pass): $30 per adult, $16 per child ages 6-11
  • Includes an audio tour, self-guided access to the historic area (including outbuildings, gardens, tomb, farm), and the museum. It does NOT include access to inside the mansion, which can only be seen with a guided tour.
  • On Saturdays and Sundays from April through October, you also get access to the distillery & gristmill.
  • The
• Mansion tour (20 mins): +$2 per person
  • I don’t know why they don’t just include the tour in the price of the ticket since it’s only an additional $2.
  • If you join an in-depth tour, it will include the mansion tour as well so you don’t need to purchase it again.
  • These are timed tours, so you’ll have to select a time slow when booking your tickets.
• The Enslaved People of Mount Vernon Tour (60 mins): FREE, but tour times very limited
  • A 60-minute walking tour that explores the lives and contributions of the many enslaved people that worked on this estate as well as the 5 surrounding farms that made up Washington’s 8,000 acre plantation.
  • This is a free tour, however the available times for the tour are very limited and books up early. We unfortunately couldn’t get a spot since there was only 1 tour time available the day we visited in the middle of winter. There should be more tour times in the warmer seasons.
• Through My Eyes Tour (60 mins): +$10 per person
  • A 60-minute walking tour of the estate that is given by a character interpreter (Washington’s granddaughter, personal secretary, farm manager, or enslaved valet). They will go about their daily activities and make stops along the way.
• In-Depth Tour (75 mins): +$60 per person
  • A 75-minute walking tour of the estate grounds including the mansion, the farm, old tomb, and a bit of the trails. It also touches on the subject of the enslaved people that worked on this estate and surrounding plantations.
  • This is the most in-depth and comprehensive tour. This is also the only tour where you can look inside the old tomb where George Washington was originally buried.
  • Although pricey, choose this option if you want to get the best understanding of the estate, but keep in mind that you also get free audio guides with a standard admission.
  • This is the tour we chose. We had limited time to spend here and we decided that a walking tour would be the best way to get the most of Mount Vernon!
• Photo Cruise Tour (45 mins): +$7-$11 per person (warm seasons only)
  • A 45 minute cruise on the Potomac River about the history of the river and how it contributed to Washington’s business ventures.
  • Offered in warm seasons only – check the website for updated times
• Gardens and Landscape Tour (60 mins): +$10 per person (warm seasons only)
  • A 60 minute tour of the gardens and landscape of Mount Vernon
  • Offered in warm seasons only – check the website for updated times
• Hamilton the Musical Tour (60 mins): +$10 per person
  • A brand new tour on offer.
  • Although there’s no record of Alexander Hamilton visiting Mount Vernon, this 60 minute tour explores Washington’s views on many of the themes that the musical addresses.

If you want to keep costs to a minimum, I’d recommend just booking a general admission ticket which will come with a free audio guide that you can do at your own pace, a $2 mansion tour, and reserve a spot for the free enslaved people tour. The general admission gives you access to the entire estate that includes the museum, outbuildings, film, and both old and new tomb.

If you’re looking for the most comprehensive experience with a guide, book the In-depth tour which includes a short walk around the grounds and a tour inside of the mansion, then take the free enslaved people tour to get more behind-the-scenes insight, although the in-depth tour will also touch on this subject. Consider adding on the gardens tour if you’re into the landscape and the flora of the estate and the photo cruise tour if you want a different view of the property.

*NOTE: It takes at least 10 minutes at a good pace to walk from the parking lot, through the entrance, out the back garden to the actual mansion itself, so book a tour time at least 20 minutes after your intended arrival time to give yourself plenty of time!

How much time do I need here?

It depends on whether you want to do a tour and how thorough you are. You can split up your visit into 3 parts:

• Film: A 22 minute video at the visitors center
• Museum: A decent size George Washington museum where you can learn about him, his family, and see artifacts that belonged to him
• Estate Grounds: Where you can wander on your own or with a guided tour. The estate includes his tomb, the home, and small buildings where the enslaved worked

If you want to do everything thoroughly, plan for at least 5 hours here (depending on which and how many tours you book). We were in a bit of a time crunch and spent about 3 hours here where we were able to fit in the 75min in-depth tour, walking around the grounds on our own, and going through the museum at a moderate pace. We didn’t have time to watch the film.

What to expect at Mount Vernon:

The grounds to Mount Vernon are massive. I’ve attached a map below to give you an idea. The main things to do are concentrated around the visitor center/museum area and the mansion and the surrounding small buildings and gardens. There are walking paths that will lead you to the old and new tomb as well as the Slave Memorial.

There’s an attached farm, forest trail, distillery, and wharf that are further out from the main part of the property that we did not visit and was not highlighted by the staff.

Parking & The Visitors/Orientation Center

There is plenty of parking available at no additional cost, however the parking lot is a small distance from the visitors center that requires about a 5 minute walk. If you have people in your party that need a little extra time or assistance walking, consider dropping them off at the front gate before heading to the parking lot.

Once you reach the front gate, continue walking and you will see the visitors center where there will be security screening before you can enter the property.

Inside the visitors center:

Revolutionary War Theater

The Revolutionary War Theater is attached to the visitors center. It shows a 22 minute 4D film (yes, with special effects) called Washington’s War. It highlights George Washington’s role in the Revolutionary War that led to the independence of America.

The film plays every half hour starting at 9:30 a.m. with the final showing at 5:30 p.m.

Admission to the film is included in the ticket price.

George Washington Museum

The George Washington Museum is also attached to the visitors center. This is where the bulk of the information lies about the life of George Washington, his estate, and his family. There are artifacts here that he owned and there’s a lot of interesting information here. I’d recommend coming here first before heading up to the estate for background information to appreciate the grounds better.

Mansion and Estate

The mansion and the rest of the estate is about a 10-15 minute walk from the back of the visitors center (see the attached map above for reference). If you have a timed tour, be sure to give yourself extra time to walk to the top where the tours start. It’s a slight uphill walk through the gardens on a paved pathway.

The outside of the mansion was partially under renovations when we visited. They were doing some upgrades around the property as well as the gardens in preparation for America’s 250th anniversary this year and the peak summer tourism.

The main mansion is in the center and is flanked by smaller buildings on either side. To the left is ‘Servants Hall’ where it was used by visitors’ servants and to the right is the kitchen which is separated from the main building in case of a fire.

You need to book a guided tour to get access inside of the buildings. It’s an additional $2 on top of your admission fee and tours are timed. If you ask me, they should’ve just charged an extra $2 to the admission fee to include the mansion tour to make it easier for people rather than having to book a separate ticket. Most people come here to see the mansion anyway. If you don’t have a ticket, you have to go all the way back to the visitors center to reserve one and hope there are time slots left. 😒

*The mansion tour is included in the “In-depth Tour”.

The mansion has 21 rooms over 3 floors, including multiple bedrooms for the many guests they would have, some showing up unexpectedly. Here’s a collection of photos of the beautiful rooms I took on the tour. I especially loved how bright and colourful the paint/wallpaper is in some of the rooms.

There is also a Piazza/deck on the outside of the building that overlooks the Potomac River where they would sit outside to enjoy the views and tea, but unfortunately it was the middle of winter and that part was under renovation at the time of our visit.

To find out more about these rooms, check out this link to their website for a breakdown of each room as well as a virtual tour: https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/the-mansion/the-mansion-room-by-room

Outbuildings (greenhouse/enslaved quarters/Stove Room, shoemaker shed, blacksmith shed, spinning House)

Mount Vernon estate was massive which included surrounding farmland. They had 319 slaves in their time here with varying roles on the property. You can walk into the surrounding outbuildings around the mansion to get a glimpse of the roles the enslaved had here. There is a free tour that focuses on the lives of the enslaved people, however you need a timed ticket and spaces are limited, so I’d recommend reserving your ticket early!

Old Tomb

There are two tombs on the estate. The first one is the old tomb where George Washington was originally buried along with other people in his family. In his will, he stipulated building a second tomb where he wished to be buried. This new tomb wasn’t completed until after his death where he was moved later.

You can walk up to the old tomb, but you can’t see inside unless you’re on the In-depth Tour. I took a photo of the inside when our tour guide opened it. It is surprisingly small!

New Tomb

The new tomb is located a bit further away from the house. Walk through the tree-lined paths to get to the tomb.

Grounds (Trails, cemetery of the enslaved people, Farm)

There are multiple tree-lined paths around the estate. It’s a lovely peaceful walk around. There are a couple of small buildings with barn animals around the property. There is also a cemetery of the enslaved people with a memorial statue and plaques that outline where some of the known gravesites are.

What happened to Mount Vernon after George Washington passed away?

After George passed away, the property was transferred to Martha where she lived until her death. Since they had no children together, the property was then inherited by Bushrod Washington, George’s nephew. He had no passion or skill for farming and it was also a time of Virginia’s agricultural decline. Under his ownership, the property started to fall into disrepair.

Bushrod Washington had no children, so after his death the property was inherited by his nephew, John Augustine Washington II. During his ownership, he built the new tomb as outlined in George Washington’s will. Upon his death, his widow Jane Charlotte Blackburn Washington inherited the property then subsequently leased it to her son John Augustine Washington III for five hundred dollars per year in 1841.

Unfortunately by the 1850s, John Augustine Washington III (George’s great-grand nephew) was struggling to make Mount Vernon profitable due to soil exhaustion and poor harvests of the farms. The once vast 8000 acre farm was now down to 1200 acres and was still insufficient to sustain the family’s needs and maintain upkeep of the estate. John tried to bring in money by opening the property to tourists, however this only led to increase deterioration to the property and damage from souvenir-hunters wanting a piece of this historical property. He unsuccessfully attempted to sell the property to the state of Virginia and the federal government. In 1858, the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association purchased the property and became the last owner.

For more information on the owners and ownership timeline, check out their website here: https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/the-mansion/owners-of-mount-vernon

Some Final Thoughts

• Allow yourself enough time to get through everything.
• It gets very busy during the summer months, so book tickets and timed tours ahead of time before they sell out.
• Seriously, watch Hamilton the musical if you haven’t already. It’s only a 5 hour drive to Times Square (or stream it, but it will be less exhilarating).

That’s a wrap! If you’ve visited Mount Vernon and think I’ve missed something or have any information to share, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Looking for more George Washington history? Check out the town of Alexandria, only a 30 minute drive south from Mount Vernon!

Your Ultimate Day Trip to Alexandria, Virginia: What to See and Do

Alexandria, Virginia, founded in the mid-1700s as a tobacco trading post, is rich in history, notably as George Washington’s hometown. Key attractions include Old Town’s preserved streets, the Torpedo Factory Arts Center, and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. Follow this guide for a one-day itinerary that covers all the highlights!

May 23, 2026May 23, 2026