Gadsby’s Tavern Museum occupies two connected brick buildings at Royal and Cameron streets in Old Town Alexandria: a circa 1785 tavern and the 1792 City Hotel. Owned by the City of Alexandria and designated a National Historic Landmark, it draws visitors for one reason above all. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other founders ate, drank, and danced here.
Guided and self-paced tours move through restored taverns rooms, dining spaces, and lodging chambers that show early American life across race, gender, and class lines, including the enslaved workers who kept the business running. The second-floor ballroom, with its elevated musicians’ gallery, is the centerpiece. Washington attended Birthnight Balls in his honor there. The ballroom’s original woodwork now sits in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, so the room you see is a faithful reproduction. Look for the ice well beneath the building as well. Colonial-style meals happen at the separately operated Gadsby’s Tavern Restaurant next door. Costumed dances and music take place during special museum events.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Weekday mornings are the quietest time to visit. Weekends from spring through fall bring the heaviest Old Town traffic. Seasonal hours and ticket prices change, so confirm them on the city’s admission page before you go. Groups can book private tours, including a $250 flat-fee hour outside regular hours. If you are planning a meal, reserve at the restaurant ahead of time. From King Street–Old Town Metro, take the free King Street Trolley to Market Square, which is one block away.
