[Archived] On Presidents Day, Meet Woodrow Wilson at The Lyceum

Alexandria’s History Museum Welcomes President Wilson on Day of George Washington Birthday Parade

Meet President Woodrow Wilson at The Lyceum, Alexandria’s History Museum, on Monday, February 21, at 11 a.m., when Wilson will be brought to life by actor Brian Hilton. President Wilson, as portrayed by Hilton, will discuss his views on current events of the time of his presidency, 1913 to 1921, and then welcome questions from the audience. The Lyceum hosts the “Meet the President” program on Presidents Day, the day of the annual George Washington Birthday Parade. This event is free, as is admission to The Lyceum on this day.

Brian Hilton’s historic character portrayals are highly acclaimed. Because of his intimate knowledge of the lives and times of prominent people in history, he has performed at various venues and before National Park Service and National Trust for Historic Preservation audiences. Hilton has portrayed Woodrow Wilson for Fairfax County Public School audiences and at the Woodrow Wilson House, Wilson’s “S” Street residence, now operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Hilton has also portrayed Colonel George Washington, as well as Tobias Lear, Washington’s personal secretary, at the Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens since 1997.

One of eight U.S. presidents to be born in Virginia, Woodrow Wilson visited Alexandria on several occasions. On December 18, 1915, President Wilson and his new bride, Edith Galt, secretly traveled to Alexandria’s Union Station to depart for their honeymoon, eluding reporters and disappointing spectators who had gathered at the railroad station in Washington, D.C. On May 30, 1918, President Wilson had the honor of driving the first rivet into the keel of the Gunston Hall, the first ship constructed at the Virginia Shipbuilding Corporation yard at Jones Point. Decades later, the bridge spanning the Potomac River, connecting Maryland with Alexandria at Jones Point, would be named for President Wilson.

The Lyceum is located at 201 South Washington Street in Old Town Alexandria and is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, please visit www.alexandriahistory.org or call 703.746.4994.