From our friends at Mount Vernon...
Candlelight Tours, Fireworks on December 20, and Special Evening Programming
George Washington’s home welcomes a festive season with three special events at the estate of the first president! Step back in time during Mount Vernon by Candlelight tours. “Lady Washington” again hosts this popular event weekends from November 28 through December 21. For the first time ever, on Saturday, December 20, Mount Vernon will open its doors for a special evening of holiday-themed fireworks and special programs. For Mount Vernon’s daytime visitors, we host Christmas at Mount Vernon, with Christmas decorations, a special Christmas camel, and the opportunity to tour the third floor of the Mansion. For more information about these events, please visit MountVernon.org/Christmas.
Mount Vernon by Candlelight
Nov. 28-30, Dec. 6-7, Dec. 13-14, Dec. 19 & 21, 5-8 PM
Nov. 28-30, Dec. 6-7, Dec. 13-14, Dec. 19 & 21, 5-8 PM
Join “Mrs. Washington” as she hosts an enchanting evening of candlelight tours! Tours include merry music, dancing, and characters from Washingtons’ world guiding visitors through the first and second floors of the home, adding ambiance and authenticity to a traditional Christmas evening at Mount Vernon.
On the Mount Vernon by Candlelight tour, visitors will meet a cast of friends and family of the famous founding couple. In the kitchen, the final stop on the tour, guests will hear about 18th-century holiday cooking, see a reproduction of Martha Washington’s Great Cake, and be given a complimentary copy of the recipe to try at home. Following the Mansion tour, guests are invited to stroll candlelit walks, join in fireside caroling, and visit Aladdin the Christmas camel. Tickets for Mount Vernon by Candlelight are $22 for adults and $15 for children 11 and under.
Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon
Saturday, December 20, 5:30-9 PM
Saturday, December 20, 5:30-9 PM
Ring in the holiday season with sparkling fireworks overlooking the Potomac River at George Washington’s Mount Vernon on Saturday, December 20! For the first time ever, Mount Vernon will open its doors for an evening of holiday-themed fireworks and special programs. Before the fireworks show at 8:45 PM, Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon offers guests a chance to step back in time and experience a festive holiday evening at the first president’s estate. Stroll through the historic area while being serenaded by local choirs. Watch as colonial artisans demonstrate the 18th-century process of creating chocolate. Visit a winter encampment and meet re-enactors from the First Virginia Regiment.
Enjoy cider, cookies, and a bonfire while listening to the harmonious sounds of musicians performing 18th-century tunes. Impress holiday guests by learning 18th-century dance moves with costumed guides in the Greenhouse. Warm up in the blacksmith shop - a working reconstruction of Washington’s blacksmith shop. Sip hot chocolate while watching a fireworks show choreographed to holiday music over the Potomac River. “General and Lady Washington” along with a cast of costumed characters from the 18th century will be on hand to greet Mount Vernon’s holiday guests. Tickets are $30 adults, $20 children (6-11), children five and under are free. Please note that tickets are still available for this special event, however a Mansion tour is not included.
Christmas at Mount Vernon
November 28 - January 6, 9 AM - 4 PM.
Mount Vernon is joyfully decking the halls for Christmas at Mount Vernon, a special daytime program offered through January 6. Themed decorations (including 12 Christmas trees) and historical chocolate-making demonstrations will be offered.
Tour the rarely-open third floor of the Mansion and learn how the Washingtons celebrated Christmas. In 1787, George Washington paid 18 shillings to bring a camel to Mount Vernon for the enjoyment of his guests. During Christmas at Mount Vernon, visitors can meet a camel on the grounds.
About George Washington's Mount Vernon:
Since 1860, over 80 million visitors have made George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens the most popular historic home in America. Through thought-provoking tours, entertaining events, and stimulating educational programs on the Estate and in classrooms across the nation, Mount Vernon strives to preserve George Washington’s place in history as “First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.” Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, America’s oldest national preservation organization, founded in 1853. A picturesque drive to the southern end of the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway, Mount Vernon is located just 16 miles from the nation’s capital.
Hours of operation: April-August, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; March, September, October, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; November - February, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Regular admission rates: adults, $18; senior citizens, $18; children age 6-11, when accompanied by an adult, $9; and children under age 5, FREE. Admission fees, restaurant and retail proceeds, along with private donations, support the operation and restoration of Mount Vernon.
