Historic Alexandria Candlelight Tours
ONE NIGHT ONLY
December 8
5:00 to 9:00 pm
To purchase tickets, please call Gadsby's Tavern Museum at 703-838-4242 or ORDER ONLINEAdults $20
Senior Citizens (65 years and older) $15
Children (ages 6-17) $5Discount available when purchased before December 1st!
Make Historic Alexandria Candlelight Tours part of your family's 2007 holiday celebration. Take a break from the fast pace of the season and experience the unique charm and history of Old Town Alexandria. Tour Gadsby's Tavern Museum, Carlyle House, Lee-Fendall House and Christ Church as part of your holiday celebration. Enjoy evening candle-lit tours of each site (some in period costume), live musical performances, seasonal greenery and displays, and hot cider.
Historic Sites on Tour this Year:
The Lee-Fendall House, built in 1785, served as home to 37 members of the Lee family. Labor leader John L. Lewis also made this his home during the height of his power, 1937 to 1969. This year, guests are invited to celebrate a traditional Early Victorian Christmas. Holiday music of the period will fill the house. Greenery will be hung in seasonal displays and the Christmas tree will be trimmed with ribbons, antique toys, and gilded ornaments in the style of the 1850s. Guides will explain early Victorian holiday customs and tell of famous visitors to the historic home such as "Light Horse" Harry Lee, the Washingtons, and John Quincy Adams.
John Carlyle and his family will celebrate with friends and family in the house he built in 1753. During the season beginning Christmas Eve and ending Twelfth Night, Virginians in the 18th took advantage of this winter down period, for planters and merchants like Carlyle to enjoy festive entertainments. A Christening will be the reason the Carlyle family is entertaining this season. Candles will grandly illuminate the house and a beautifully appointed dining table will display a dessert collation. Desserts being the most elegant and expensive fare for an evening party, it will illustrate the family’s wealth and position in Virginia society. Musical entertainment and a taste of Martha Washington's great cake will add to the ambience of the evening.
The warm hospitality of the tavern will be highlighted by the serving of hot cider to guests who will also enjoy the history of this site. The scent of fresh greens and flickering candlelight bestow the tavern rooms - made famous by visits from the first five American Presidents - with a true holiday ambience. As you tour the ca. 1785 tavern and 1792 City Tavern, now known as the City Hotel, you will also be greeted with the seasonal sounds of choral music. A highlight of your visit will include enjoying the entertainment in Gadsby's historic Ballroom, scene of Washington's Birthnight Ball and Jefferson's Inaugural Banquet.
Candlelight flickers on holiday green in the windows of this Georgian style church, completed in February, 1773 by John Carlyle. Spirituality and history are intermingled here where George Washington and Robert E. Lee worshiped. Washington’s pew is still preserved in its original configuration. Christ Church docents will greet you as you enjoy holiday music. It is the tradition for the President of the United States to visit Christ Church, usually on a Sunday near Washington’s birthday. Inside, visitors will note the hand-lettered tablets containing the Ten Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, and Lord’s Prayer. These were hand-printed by Colonel James Wren, the church architect. The background, originally white, has mellowed to the present burnished gold. Christ Church has played an active role in the life of Alexandria since colonial times. Today, it is a parish of over 2,400 members who celebrate the rich traditions of our Anglican history while reaching out to serve those in our community, the nation, and the world. The members and clergy of Christ Church invite you and your family to share this holiday season with us.
