Gadsby's Tavern Museum

If we weren't already spoiled by all the free museums in the area, one Saturday in September the rest of our museums become free for Smithsonian's Museum Day Live! event. That day was yesterday and we like to take advantage of it to see something we've never seen before.

9-26-15 - The girls listen intently during their museum tour.

This year, we went to Old Town Alexandria and toured Gadsby's Tavern Museum. Gadsby's is an old tavern and hotel built in 1785 which was attached to a restaurant where George Washington used to celebrate his birthday and other events. You can still go to the restaurant and order George Washington's favorite dish (glazed duck -- which is delicious), but we'd never been in the museum before. It included a short tour (which was perfect for the kids) with a mocked up typical tavern room, a pair of ballrooms, and an example of a guest bedroom (without a bathroom, of course).

What a tavern was like in 1785.

Original flooring and decor. The girls are posing with their make-believe lanterns, which were carried throughout the tour.

An Old Piano

This featherbed was luxurious at the time.

Music balcony includes a "door to nowhere". If you leave through that door, you must jump half a story to get down into the hallway.

After the tour, we bought some heritage chocolate, which we enjoyed in front of the Alexandria City Hall after a walk through the Farmer's Market and lunch.

It's always fun to discover new things in our own backyard and it's especially fun to do it for free!