[Archived] Free Father’s Day Tours at Gadsby’s Tavern, Apothecary & Friendship Firehouse Museums on June 19

Three Alexandria museums are pleased to offer free tours on Father’s Day for all visiting fathers!  Treat Dad to a tour of these Old Town historic sites on the afternoon of Sunday, June 19.

At Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Dad can tour the historic tavern and City Hotel for free. Notable visitors include the “Father of Our Country” George Washington, as well as founding fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. This day is also a special Family Tour Day at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, so your kids can learn about history from other kids! Junior Docents, volunteers from grades 3 through 7, will be stationed at each stop on the tour, including the taproom, bedchambers, ballroom, assembly room and dining room, so families can tour at their own pace. Gadsby’s Tavern Museum is located at 134 North Royal Street and can be reached at 703.746.4242 or www.gadsbystavern.org.

From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., fathers can tour the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum for free. This museum features an outstanding collection of medicinal herbs, shop furnishings, apothecary bottles, and equipment, many still in their original location. Visitors will learn about the special properties of herbs and botanicals, like dragon’s blood and Job’s tears, while discovering the important role the Apothecary played in early Alexandria. The Apothecary Museum is located at 105-107 South Fairfax Street and can be reached at 703.746.3852 or www.apothecarymuseum.org.

The Friendship Firehouse Museum is also offering free tours for fathers on Father’s Day. From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Friendship Firehouse will make every father with his children an honorary chief of the Friendship Fire Company Bucket Brigade. Dad will receive his own “Honorary Chief” certificate, and kids will get their own fire hats! Friendship Firehouse is located at 107 South Alfred Street and can be reached on Saturday and Sundays at 703.746.3891.

Fathers and grandfathers, accompanied by their children or grandchildren, will receive free admission to these sites, but regular admission rates apply to other guests.

For more information, visit www.historicalexandria.org.