The charge is just $26 for an adult pass ($14 for children 11 to 17) for an Old Town Guided walking Tour, a Potomac River Cruise, and entrance to Gadsby's Tavern Museum (1770, restored, where Washington and Thomas Jefferson ate and drank), the Carylyle House Historic Park (1752), the Lee-Fendall House Museum (1785) and the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum (1792), where George and Martha Washington bought their cough syrup.
A separate Key Pass covers three historic estates of Virginia, all properties of extreme importance to the development of America: George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, George Mason's Gunston Hall Plantation (1755), and Woodlawn, a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Adults pay $20 (a 15% savings), children 6-17 only $11. This is available from now through December, 2002.
At Mount Vernon, in addition to seeing the home (and deathbed) of Washington, you can tour his gardens, learn about slavery, hike the new Forest Trail, visit his tomb and a 16-sided barn. At Gunston Hall, Mason meditated over the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which he wrote, and the Constitution, which he helped draft. At Woodlawn, you'll see an elegant Georgian mansion, on land which was the gift of Washington to his adopted daughter and his nephew on the occasion of their wedding.
To purchase the passes, or to get more information and to request a free visitors guide (which has 18 discount coupons inside), contact the Visitor Center at 21 King Street, Alexandria VA 22314, phone toll free to 866/300-6044 or their toll number 703/838-5005. For hotel reservations, phone 800/296-1000, for B&B reservations 888/549-3415 or 800/470-5588, or go to their Web site, which is www.funside.com.
