Find Unique Holiday Gifts at The Shops, Visit the Newly Restored Historic Mansion Rooms, and Stamp Your Virginia 250 Passport
Mount Vernon, VA, December 15, 2025 – There’s no better place to get into the holiday spirit than George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Throughout the month, guests can step back in time during Mount Vernon by Candlelight estate tours, enjoy Breakfast with Santa, sip festive Holiday Afternoon Tea, meet Aladdin, the beloved Christmas camel, and experience much more. Visitors can complete their holiday shopping at The Shops at Mount Vernon, where they’ll find gifts perfect for even the most discerning individuals. Some of the most popular Mount Vernon inspired gifts included holiday ornaments, the Key to the Bastille Paperweight, the Commander-in-Chief wool blanket, books, whiskey and wine, and custom prints.
Just in time for the holidays, guests now can explore the newly restored Washingtons’ Bedchamber and enhanced Mansion rooms—including the Central Passage, Little Parlor, and Old Chamber—each meticulously revitalized through Mount Vernon’s recent preservation efforts. Visitors can also pick up and stamp the new Virginia 250 Passport, a free commemorative travel guide featuring more than 70 historic sites across the state, offering unique stamps, discounts, and opportunities to enter prize drawings.
Upcoming winter events and activities at George Washington’s Mount Vernon are detailed below.
Mount Vernon by Candlelight is offered on select dates through December 23. Experience the magic of the holiday season with a guided 45-minute candlelit tour through the Mansion and historic grounds. Guests will step back in time as they explore lantern-lit paths, meet 18th-century characters, and learn how Virginians celebrated Christmas in 1775—marking the 250th anniversary of that pivotal year in American history. Visitors can greet Aladdin, the beloved Christmas camel, on the 12-acre field; join 18th-century dancing in the greenhouse; and enjoy live music, caroling, and photo opportunities with beautifully decorated trees in the Ford Orientation Center. The evening also features complimentary ginger cookies and spiced cider, tavern games on the bowling green, and an immersive Revolutionary War encampment where guests can experience what life was like for Continental Army soldiers during the first Christmas of the war. Learn more.
Holiday Afternoon Tea on December 12–14, 22–23, and 27–28 Indulge in a festive “Holiday Afternoon Tea” at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant with seasonal teas and a curated menu of sandwiches, scones, and sweets are served amid live harp music in the estate’s elegant dining room. Learn more.
Ford Evening Book Talk: The Home Front on December 16. Historian Lauren Duval will discuss her deeply researched book, The Home Front: Revolutionary Households, Military Occupation, and the Making of American Independence, offering a ground-level view of how the American Revolution impacted private lives across race, status, and freedom. Learn more.
Breakfast with Santa on December 20. Celebrate the season with a special holiday breakfast buffet at the historic Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant. Take a photo with Santa and enjoy decorating Christmas cookies. Learn more.
Christmas Illuminations on December 20 and 21. Experience a magical, family-friendly evening. Shop for unique holiday gifts at an artisan winter market, visit with Aladdin the camel, have conversations with 18th-century soldiers in a winter encampment, and witness spectacular fireworks over the Potomac River. Learn more.
Please note that the Education Center exhibit on George Washington’s life is closed until Spring 2026 for an extensive rebuild. The Mansion and expansive estate remains fully accessible, including the museum, more than a dozen historic buildings, the gardens and farm, and the Tomb.
Guests can take advantage of value pricing programs designed to keep the historic site accessible to all. Mount Vernon participates in the Visit Alexandria Key to the City Pass, which offers a deep discount to the estate. Plus, every Tuesday at the Mount Vernon Inn, children ages 12 and under receive a complimentary kid’s meal with every adult entrée. Mount Vernon’s 2025 Pass is still in effect, providing unlimited daytime admission for the rest of the year.
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.
