If your last visit to Mount Vernon was years ago, or if you have never visited there, what better time to go than during the month of George Washington’s birthday, February. Admission is free on February 18, and it’s likely Washington himself would appreciate your remembering him.

Of course if you can’t make it to Mt. Vernon on Washington’s birthday, any day will do. The new Donald W. Reynolds Museum and EducationCenter and the Ford Orientation Center (completed in October 2006) are wonderful additions and well worth making the trip.

Ford Orientation Center

Your visit to Mt. Vernon begins at the Ford Orientation Center, where an 18-minute action-packed film, “We Fight to be Free,” reveals George Washington as a dynamic leader who had tough decisions to make and the courage to make them. In the film, Washington survives close calls in the French and Indian War and meets and falls in love with Martha Custis.  As the events leading up to Washington’s crossing of the Delaware unfold,Washington becomes more real as a person to those watching the film.  Under Accessibility, “the Ford Orientation Center and the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center are completely accessible and climate controlled”

Another attraction at the Ford Orientation Center is “Mount Vernon in Miniature,” a one-twelfth scale exact replica of the Mt. Vernon mansion visitors will see later on their tour. The replica is a working model with doorknobs that turn, windows that open and close, candles that light, drawers that open, fireplaces that work and latches that latch. It contains reproductions of Washington’s furniture, china, paintings and books. This model has been touring the United States since 1998. 

Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center

The Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center features 23 galleries and theaters in which you can experience Washington’s life from young man through his presidency. The exhibits bring Washington alive, conveying who he was and how he rose from a surveyor at age 19 to our country’s first president at age 57. You’ll learn about Washington through interactive displays, an action-adventure movie, short films produced by The History Channel, and a comprehensive collection of more than 700 objects.

As you walk into the Reynolds Center, note the museum entrance on the right and the Education Center entrance on the left. You should give yourself at least two hours to see both places.

Museum

The museum features more than 500 objects in six permanent galleries and a changing exhibit space. It provides an insightful look into the taste, style and personalities of the Washington family. The galleries include the Houdon Bust Gallery and the “Washington’s World” Gallery. The “From Soldier to Statesman” Gallery takes you on a journey through Washington’s life via artifacts relating to his military career and presidency. The largest permanent exhibit, “At Home with the Washingtons,” gives you a glimpse into how the Washingtons lived behind the scenes, out of the public eye. The “Washington Style” Gallery presents personal objects used and worn by members of the Washington family. The Book and Manuscript Gallery feels like an elegant library, with maps, prints, a globe, spectacles, inkstand, one of Washington’s Argand lamps and of course plenty of manuscripts and books. You might expect to find Washington’s famous dentures here; however, they are housed in the Education Center in the “A Leader’s Smile” Gallery.

Education Center

The Education Center introduces you to the scientific processes involved in creating the three life-size figures of Washington you will find in the center. With no known portraits depicting Washington under the age of 40, the three figures were created using forensic anthropology, historical research and artistic interpretation. The first figure, located in the “Young Virginian” Gallery, depicts Washington as a 19-year-old surveyor. The galleries that follow include Washington as a soldier in the French and Indian War and as a gentleman planter at Mount Vernon. Another gallery features a second life-size figure of Washington, as commander during the Revolutionary War, seated on his horse. This gallery also contains a reproduction of a hut at Valley Forge, with a realistic figure of a sick soldier lying in his bunk, coughing. You will actually feel the cooler wintertime temperatures the Revolutionary War soldiers felt.

The galleries that follow depict other important aspects of Washington’s life. In the “Dilemma of Slavery” Gallery, the evolution of Washington’s views on slavery and his increasing awareness of slavery as incompatible with the ideals of the republic are revealed. You will hear personal stories of some of the slaves who carried out tasks at Mount Vernon. Finally, “The People’s President” Gallery portrays a life-size figure of George Washington taking the presidential oath of office on a replica of the Federal Hall balcony in New York City in 1789.

In addition to the Education Center’s galleries, three theaters reveal aspects of Washington’s life.  

The Education Center houses a distance learning center; a virtual presidential library — the Phoebe Apperson Hearst Learning Center; and a Hands-on History Center geared toward children ages 3 to 8. The Hands-on History Center allows children to learn the same themes and ideas presented in the galleries through dressing in 18th century clothing, putting on stage plays, reading books, exploring activity boxes and learning about Washington’s farm animals. 

The Mansion and grounds

No visit to Mt. Vernon is complete without a tour of the famous mansion and grounds, including the gardens, outbuildings, Washington’s tomb, and the monument that marks the burial ground of the African-American slaves who lived and worked at Mount Vernon. Tours of the mansion are continuous.

For more information and directions, visit www.mountvernon.org. 

Accessibility

Mount Vernon welcomes visitors with special needs. Check with Guest Services at the Ford Orientation Center for personalized advice to make the most of your visit. Pathways in the historic area consist of gravel, dirt, and bricks. The estate includes hills. A shuttle to the Pioneer Farmer Site is available March 11 through November.

The first floor of the mansion is accessible to visitors with wheelchairs and walkers.

Standard wheelchairs are available first-come, first-served at no cost at the Main Gate.

Motorized wheelchairs, sometimes called “scooters,” are not allowed in the mansion. Visitors may choose to borrow a conventional wheelchair at the Main Gate for use while touring the mansion.

Mansion tours are available in Braille.

The Ford Orientation Center and the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center are completely

accessible and climate controlled.  

You can also call 703-780-2000 or 703-780-8697 (TDD) for more information.