Virginia

Alexandria Spotlights Black History With New Walking Tours

Walking Tours in Old Town Alexandria
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In the era of social distancing, Visit Alexandria has created new self-guided tours that highlight Black history in the city. So grab your car keys, phone and make your way through some of the most historical sites in the country. 

Courageous Journey: Alexandria’s Black History Self-Guided Driving Tour

Get in your car and start exploring this eight-site tour that begins at the Barrett Branch Library, the site of the nation’s earliest recorded civil rights sit-in in 1939. The tour ends at Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site which was one of the Union's largest forts in the Civil War Defenses of Washington and protected the nation's capital.

African American Heritage Trail

The African American Waterfront Trail is a new self-guided walking tour that begins at Waterfront Park. The 11-stop trail features important people and places from the foundation of Alexandria to the 20th century.

Integral Site for Legalizing Interracial Marriage

In Old Town Alexandria, at the corner of King and N. Pitt St., you will find a new interpretive kiosk commemorating Loving v. Virginia, the 1967 Supreme Court decision that legalized interracial marriage.

Duke Street Black History Trail

The historic walk down Old Town’s Duke Street corridor begins at the Edmonson Sisters sculpture, which pays tribute to two enslaved teenage sisters who became prominent abolitionists. The walk will take you through Alfred Street Baptist Church, Alexandria’s oldest African American congregation, and ends at African American Heritage Park.

Manumission Tour Company’s New Underground Railroad Route

The Manumission Tour Company's route tells the story of enslaved people's journey to freedom through the retelling of "The Underground Railroad," a book by abolitionist William Still. The tour is set to open on Nov. 1.

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