If you’re looking for something to do tonight (Friday), Gadsby’s Tavern Museum is hosting a 21-and-over “Tavern Games Night“.
The event is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum at 134 North Royal Street.
“Gadsby’s Tavern Museum invites you to step back in time and relive the spirited ambiance of 18th-century taverns at ‘Tavern Games Night’ on March 1,” a release said. “Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of historical gaming as Gadsby’s Tavern Museum brings the 18th-century ‘sporting’ culture to life. Join us for an engaging presentation on the gaming customs of the era, followed by the opportunity to try your hand at a variety of authentic 18th-century games.”
Tickets are priced at $25 per person and must be purchased in advance. Attendees must be 21 and older.
Care to try your hand at some tavern games by candlelight?
The Gadsby’s Tavern Museum (134 N. Royal Street) is hosting a night of drinks and games at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19.
Tickets are $25 and include one drink ticket. The event is recommended for those 21 and older.
According to a newsletter from the Office of Historic Alexandria:
Taverns were a hot spot for ‘sporting’ culture — some taverns even lived and died by what games that had on offer! Enjoy drinks, a brief presentation about 18th-century gaming culture, and the opportunity to try your hand at a variety of 18th-century games.
Alexandrians have had a lot of thoughts on local architecture recently, and now they’ll get a chance to craft their own building in Old Town — albeit one made out of gingerbread.
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum (138 N. Royal Street) is once again hosting its gingerbread decorating event early next month, with gingerbread houses themed around various historic buildings in Old Town.
According to the city’s website:
Learn about local architecture as you decorate a flat “façade” (front) based on historic buildings around Gadsby’s Tavern Museum. Ticket includes one flat gingerbread façade, all the supplies needed to decorate, and admission to the museum. Inspiring samples highlight architectural details you can recreate in candy and search for in the neighborhoods on your way home. Event ideal for families or adult groups; up to four people welcome per ticket. Hot cider available for purchase during event. $25 per decorating set for up to four people.
The event is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 17, from 1-6 p.m., but be prepared to defend your unauthorized exterior gumdrop additions or anachronistic frosting choices at the Board of Architectural Review later.
An event next month will translate a lesson in local historic architecture into sweet treats and load-bearing cookies.
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum (134 N Royal Street) is hosting a gingerbread decorating event on Sunday, Dec. 18. The Office of Historic Alexandria said the confectionary class celebrates the creative concepts of close-by construction.
“Learn about local architecture as you decorate a flat “façade” (front) based on historic buildings around Gadsby’s Tavern Museum,” the city’s website said. “Ticket includes one flat gingerbread façade, all the supplies needed to decorate, and admission to the museum. Inspiring samples highlight architectural details you can recreate in candy and search for in the neighborhoods on your way home.”
The event works for both families or adult groups, with up to four people welcome per $25 ticket. Hot cider is also available for purchase during the event.
For the fifth straight year, Alexandria was named in the top five best small cities in the country in the 2022 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.
Alexandria took home the fourth spot this year after placing third the last two years in a row.
- Aspen, Colorado
- Alexandria, Virginia
- Savannah, Georgia
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Key West, Florida
- Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
- Palm Beach, Florida
- Wilmington, North Carolina
According to Condé Nast:
Washingtonians are all in on the secret, but it’s no surprise the rest of the world is catching up: Alexandria, Virginia, the charming, historic city just across the Potomac River from our nation’s capital, draws travelers and would-be residents alike.
Most folks start to imagine moving there immediately after setting foot in Old Town, once they’ve strolled the red-brick sidewalks, clocking street after street of perfectly preserved rowhouses from the 18th and 19th centuries. When you visit, scope out King Street, packed with boutiques, restaurants, and specialty shops; then land at the waterfront, where you can watch the boats bobbing on the water before touring the Torpedo Factory Art Center, a collective of galleries and artists’ studios. End the day at Gadsby’s Tavern, where some of our founding fathers used to drink — don’t mind the actors in colonial garb.
https://twitter.com/AlexandriaVA/status/1577294376887255041
It’s a few years behind the cultural zeitgeist, but for anyone still running Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton on repeat: Gadsby’s Tavern Museum’s (138 N Royal Street) Hamilton-themed tour is making a return next month.
The tour centers mostly around Hamilton’s supporting cast like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The musical is also currently touring at the Kennedy Center through Oct. 9.
“Discover the room(s) where it happened,” The Office of Historic Alexandria said in an email. “Inspired by the musical Hamilton, hear about Washington, Lafayette, Jefferson, Madison, and Burr, who all came to the tavern, and delve into the issues they faced and how their choices impacted local citizens.”
The tours are scheduled for Sept. 3, Sept. 9, Sept. 17 and Sept. 23. Each tour runs from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tours are $15 per person or $12 for Office of Historic Alexandria members.
“Space is limited, so advance purchase of tickets is recommended,” the email said. “They may be purchased by calling 703.746.4242 or through the online shop at www.alexandriava.gov/shop.”
Image via Gadsby’s Tavern Restaurant/Facebook
Tours have been getting going around Alexandria’s historic sites over the last year, and one of the most iconic — the Gadsby’s Tavern Museum — is looking for public help to handle new visitors.
“Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, part of the Office of Historic Alexandria, is recruiting volunteers to lead guided tours,” the Office of Historic Alexandria (OHA) said in an email. “Guides are trained to use the historic tavern spaces to share the stories of diverse people in early America who both shaped and were shaped by the young nation.”
Training is scheduled to start on Jan. 15, from 9-11 a.m., with an in-person workshop followed by virtual evening classes and a second in-person workshop in February/March.
“Participants will end the series ready to complete their tour certification,” the OHA said. “Volunteers with both weekend and weekday availability are needed. A minimum of one shift per month (approximately three hours) is required once training is complete.”
Volunteers are required to submit proof of vaccination and wear a mask during on-site shifts.
“To apply, please submit an application online at AlexandriaVa.gov/GadsbysTavern,” the OHA said. “A staff member will follow up with more details about the program.”
Photo via Gadsby’s Tavern Museum/Facebook
After months of being closed during the holidays, a number of museums in Alexandria will be open to the public starting this Thursday, March 25.
The Alexandria Archaeology Museum, Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum, Friendship Firehouse Museum and Gadsby’s Tavern Museum will open with modified hours, capacities, and advance ticket requirements, according to the city.
This follows a closure over the holidays during a surge, which ended up closing a number of museums.
“For the safety of museum staff, volunteers and guests, visitors are expected to follow the requirements of Executive Order 72 and the City mask ordinance,” the city advised. “Everyone ages 5 and older is required to wear masks that fit snugly over their nose and mouth at all times; to keep 6 feet of physical distance between households; and to wash hands or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% ethyl alcohol frequently.”
The following museums are still closed:
- Alexandria Black History Museum (closed for renovation)
- Archives and Records Center
- Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site (closed for renovation)
- Freedom House Museum (closed for renovation)
- Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; CDC Launches New Website Tracking COVID-19 Variants in U.S.; Some Alexandria Museums Reopen: https://t.co/5b4mRGtzXE.
— AlexandriaVAGov (@AlexandriaVAGov) March 18, 2021
Even after an unforgettable year stricken by a pandemic, Alexandria has been named one of the best small cities in the United States.
Alexandria took the fifth spot in the Condé Nast Traveler’s 33rd annual Readers’ Choice Awards. The city placed third last year and fourth the year before that.
Here’s the top five small cities in the U.S. this year, according to the magazine:
- Laguna Beach, California
- Alexandria, Virginia
According to Condé Nast:
Washingtonians are all in on the secret, but it’s no surprise the rest of the world is catching up: Alexandria, Virginia, the charming, historic city just across the Potomac River from our nation’s capital, draws travelers and would-be residents alike. Most folks start to imagine moving there just after setting foot in Old Town, once they’ve strolled the red brick sidewalks, clocking street after street of perfectly preserved rowhouses from the 18th and 19th centuries. When you visit, scope out King Street, packed with boutiques, restaurants, and specialty shops; then land at the waterfront, where you can watch the boats bobbing on the water before touring the Torpedo Factory Art Center, a collective of galleries and artists’ studios. End the day at Gadsby’s Tavern, where some of our founding fathers used to drink–don’t mind the actors in colonial garb.
Just announced! Alexandria is a Top 5 Best Small City in the U.S. for the third consecutive year, according to the @CNTraveler 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards. #RCA2020 https://t.co/shDD9oZopJ
— Visit Alexandria VA (@AlexandriaVA) October 6, 2020
Old Town historical site Gadsby’s Tavern (134 N. Royal Street) is the latest local institution scheduled to reopen, with tours starting again this Friday.
According to the city website, the museum will be open on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays from 1-4 p.m.
“In an effort to keep volunteers and visitors safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, City museums will initially reopen operating at 25% capacity, with reserved, timed tickets required to be purchased from The Alexandria Shop,” the city said in a news release. “Visitors will be able to tour the museum at their own pace and immerse themselves in the spaces and stories of the tavern.”
Tours of the facility are free for Alexandria residents and Gadsby’s Tavern Museum Society members, and $5 for non-residents.
Visitors are required to wear a mask inside the facility.
Other recent historical tour reopenings include:
Photo via Gadsby’s Tavern/Facebook
