Mount Vernon, VA – George Washington’s iconic Mansion reopened earlier this month following a transformative $40 million revitalization, the most ambitious preservation effort in Mount Vernon’s history. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony, leaders unveiled a newly stabilized and meticulously restored home that reveals Washington’s world with greater accuracy and authenticity than ever before. For the first time since January 2024, all first- and second-floor rooms are once again open to the public, marking a milestone moment for one of America’s most sacred historic landmarks.
This privately funded project is Mount Vernon’s birthday gift to the nation as America approaches its 250th anniversary. The multi-year effort preserves the Mansion’s original 18th-century fabric, fortifies its structure for centuries to come, and revitalizes the spaces most cherished by Washington himself. Anchored by a full restoration of the Washingtons’ Bedchamber and sweeping enhancements across the home’s interiors and exteriors, the project reflects Mount Vernon’s enduring mission to protect, preserve, and share the legacy of the first President of the United States.
Photos and video of the ribbon cutting event and project are available here, attributable to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.
“Today we are honored to welcome the public back into the home that tells George Washington’s story,” said Anne Neal Petri, 24th Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. “Thanks to the vision of the intrepid women who rescued this estate more than 170 years ago, we can continue sharing his legacy. After three years of meticulous work, we are proud to unveil a newly revitalized Mansion that is ready to stand strong for the next 250 years.”
“This project reflects our unwavering belief in the power of place. When visitors walk inside Washington’s home, learn about the people who lived and worked here, and see the view he cherished, they connect with our nation’s founding in a way no book can match. We are profoundly grateful to the American people—our visitors, donors, and friends—whose grassroots support makes this work possible, and to our incredible staff and partners for the remarkable teamwork behind this extraordinary restoration,” Petri said.
“You cannot understand the founding of the United States without understanding George Washington. And you cannot understand George Washington without Mount Vernon,” said Doug Bradburn, President & CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. “This was his home, the place he cared for most, shaped by his own architectural vision and landscape design. When visitors walk through the Mansion, they step directly into Washington’s world. The more authentically we preserve and restore this site, the better we help the American people understand the man who held our fragile nation together and ensured its new experiment in self-government would endure.”
“This restoration represents the most important historic preservation project in America today, and it was made possible by extraordinary talent—architects, engineers, curators, preservationists, carpenters, masons, electricians, and so many other experts. We are proud to share their work with the nation. More than 100 million people have visited Mount Vernon, and we believe every American should experience it. You wouldn’t visit Rome without seeing the Colosseum, and you shouldn’t come to Washington, D.C., without visiting Mount Vernon.”
More details on the Mansion Revitalization Project are as follows:
Project Overview: Mansion Revitalization Project
In 2023, Mount Vernon embarked on a landmark preservation project to safeguard the Mansion’s original building fabric and ensure its structural integrity for generations to come. The major tasks of this $40-million project include:
- Designing and installing a new heating/ventilation/air conditioning system (HVAC) for the Mansion
- Improving drainage in and around the Mansion’s cellar
- Repairing sections of the Mansion’s framing and masonry
- Making way for the cellar to return to its appearance in 1799, the year of Washington’s death
What’s New: Reopening of First and Second Floors & a Restored Washington Bedchamber
- After nearly two years of rotating room closures, the first and second floors of the Mansion have now reopened to visitors. The Mansion cellar, however, will remain off-view as work continues through fall 2026.
- With this reopening, visitors will also see the Washingtons’ Bedchamber—newly restored following in-depth architectural and material culture research. The restoration introduced meticulously researched 1790s reproduction wallpaper, newly re-plastered walls and ceilings, and an accurate reinstallation of original Washington family furnishings.
Notable Discoveries
- During excavation of the Mansion cellar during the Mansion Revitalization Project, archaeologists uncovered a cache of 35 18th-century glass bottles in five storage pits. Twenty-nine of those bottles remain intact and contained perfectly preserved cherries and other berries (likely gooseberries or currants). Historians believe the findings offer a rare, tangible glimpse into food preservation and domestic life in the 18th century.
- During restoration of the Washingtons’ Bedchamber, Mount Vernon’s Preservation team discovered a rare 18th-century fork hidden behind a wall in Martha Washington’s closet, an adjacent space. Featuring a green-stained ivory pistol-grip handle, a steel body, and a silver ferrule, the fork matches several cutlery orders George Washington placed in the 1760s and early 1770s. The discovery corroborates the understanding that the room’s closet was used to store silver and expensive utensils.
For more information, visit: mountvernon.org/revitalization and mountvernon.org/washingtonbedchamber.
Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the oldest national historic preservation organization in the United States. The estate is open to visitors and includes the Mansion, a museum and education center, gardens, tombs, a working farm, a functioning distillery, and a gristmill, as well as the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon.
