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    Carlyle House: Tours & Tickets

    297 Reviews
    #7 of 75 things to do in Alexandria
    Museums, Speciality Museums
    Closed Now: 10:00 - 16:30
    121 N Fairfax St, Alexandria, VA 22314-3229
    Open today: 10:00 - 16:30
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    Traveller Overview
    4.5297 reviews
    • Excellent63%
    • Very good25%
    • Average10%
    • Poor1%
    • Terrible1%
    Travellers talk about
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    About
    A Georgian mansion built in 1753 by merchant and City founder John Carlyle. Five governors and General Braddock met here to discuss funding the French and Indian War. This historic meeting influenced the call for American independence in the 1770s...more
    Certificate of Excellence
    Closed Now
    Hours Today: 10:00 - 16:30
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    Suggested duration: < 1 hour
    Contact
    121 N Fairfax St, Alexandria, VA 22314-3229
    Website
    +1 703-549-2997
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    Reviews (297)
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    1 - 10 of 291 reviews
    Reviewed 1 week ago
    Great tour

    So much interesting history was given by our docent. Made history come alive. Fascinating story about how this house survived all these years. It was occupied by Union soldiers during the Civil War and used as a hospital.

    Date of experience: October 2019
    Thank Judy D
    JohnCarlyle1720, Manager at Carlyle House, responded to this reviewResponded 1 week ago

    Zounds! Thank you, friend, for your kind review. I am always pleased to read when one of my staff has delivered excellent customer service. Please stop by again whenever you are next in Alexandria. Most humble regards, John Carlyle, Esq.

    Reviewed 4 weeks ago via mobile
    FANTASTIC

    I have taken many tours over many years. The garden is lovely. The gift shop has a thoughtful and varied selection. The staff is very welcoming. And just when I thought there was little more to learn about colonial living and architectural restoration from a...More

    Date of experience: September 2019
    Thank CNGinAC
    JohnCarlyle1720, Owner at Carlyle House, responded to this reviewResponded 1 week ago

    Greetings, I received your letter dated the 22nd of September and it met with my greatest approbations. Mr. Evans is a sheer delight and it is obvious that he enjoys volunteering his time and knowledge in my home on a regular basis. I appreciate your...More

    Reviewed 5 September 2019
    A gem in Old Alexandria, VA

    My family enjoyed touring the Carlyle House. We arrived just in time for the last tour of the day. Shelley M. was an excellent docent, providing us with many interesting details about the house and it's furnishings, as well as stories from the time. We...More

    Date of experience: September 2019
    Thank SKoch93
    JohnCarlyle1720, Owner at Carlyle House, responded to this reviewResponded 7 September 2019

    Greetings, my friend! I received your letter dated 5 September and I was pleased to read that you had a most agreeable visit to my home. It is always gratifying to read that my staff continues to exceed at sharing their knowledge of my life...More

    Reviewed 3 August 2019
    Nice house in a bad area

    The house tour was nice, definitely worth the price of admission. Tour took about 30 mins. However, be very careful in this area. We parked right by the house, and at 4:30 in the afternoon, 3k worth of camera equipment was stolen from our car...More

    Date of experience: July 2019
    2  Thank Bbear44
    JohnCarlyle1720, Owner at Carlyle House, responded to this reviewResponded 5 August 2019

    Thank you so much for your visit to my house and your very kind words about it. I was dismayed to read of your experience on the streets after visiting my home and wish you the best of good fortune moving forward. Yours sincerely, J....More

    Reviewed 2 August 2019 via mobile
    Worth a visit

    I’m glad we toured Carlyle House because as you learn more about the history of Alexandria, his name will keep popping up. It’s pretty amazing that this house has survived and is truly an historical treasure. We had a very informative guide who was very...More

    Date of experience: June 2019
    Thank AudreyBeaglePup
    JohnCarlyle1720, Owner at Carlyle House, responded to this reviewResponded 5 August 2019

    Greetings and thank you kindly for you taking the time to visit my home. While my staff is always very excited to share their knowledge and love of the house with their guests, their enthusiasm may sometimes overflow into an excess of time. I will...More

    Reviewed 24 July 2019 via mobile
    Excellent tour

    My friend and I toured the Carlyle House today and it was wonderful. Our docent was so good-interesting and full of knowledge about the time period and history of this beautifully restored piece of American historyMore

    Date of experience: July 2019
    Thank teachfine
    JohnCarlyle1720, Manager at Carlyle House, responded to this reviewResponded 28 July 2019

    Greetings and and thank you most kindly for bringing your friend to my home. I am pleased that your docent was eager to share their wealth of knowledge with you. By and large, every one of my volunteers takes great pride in my house and...More

    Reviewed 24 July 2019
    Good tour, staff

    Knowledgeable, friendly staff guide you through this interesting historic building. Begins with a brief video explaining the background of the original builder/owner and the timeline of ownership, occupancy, and restoration. It is definitely well worth the nominal admission fee.More

    Date of experience: July 2019
    Thank Ellen H
    JohnCarlyle1720, Owner at Carlyle House, responded to this reviewResponded 28 July 2019

    Dear Madam, I received your letter of 23 July and am greatly obliged to thank you for the kind words regarding my people and home. It has met with my approbation that you chose to tour my house and that the admission cost was not...More

    Reviewed 5 July 2019 via mobile
    Fun little tour

    Fun little tour of an 18th century restored mansion. Tour guides were wonderful. Neat to see how Old Town Alexandria was divided up (by a 17yo George Washington) and how the waterfront was filled in. Upstairs, a bedroom was left unfinished, showing the original structure....More

    Date of experience: July 2019
    Thank B8917BQericc
    JohnCarlyle1720, Owner at Carlyle House, responded to this reviewResponded 8 July 2019

    Greetings, I wanted to write to thank you for taking the time to visit my home recently. It is always a pleasure to hear that my staff has succeeded in being the best of hosts. While the view of the harbor and my incoming shipments...More

    Reviewed 29 June 2019
    Quiet Elegance in the heart of Alexandria a colonial architectural gem

    Docent Shelly was wonderful at basing her tour on audience questions. Knowledgeable, and intensely passionate about her subject, she made the 35 minute tour a pleasant stop on a hot June afternoon. Gary, the manager in the gift shop, was a charming and informative as...More

    Date of experience: June 2019
    1  Thank history1guy
    JohnCarlyle1720, Owner at Carlyle House, responded to this reviewResponded 8 July 2019

    Huzzah!!! Thank you most unreservedly for your kind words about my home and staff. Ms. Shelly is one of my top volunteers and takes great pride in learning everything there can be known about my home and the times in which I resided in Alexandria....More

    Reviewed 17 June 2019 via mobile
    Don’t miss

    There’s so much to do in Old Town that you could easily miss this old historic home. Resurrected from obscurity. It is a home comparable to Mt. Vernon. The owner was related to the Washington family. A $5 admission was very reasonable. Tour guide was...More

    Date of experience: June 2019
    1  Thank David R
    JohnCarlyle1720, Owner at Carlyle House, responded to this reviewResponded 8 July 2019

    Dear Friend, I received your letter of the 17th of June and was pleased to read that the tour of my home met with your approbations! While I must admit that Mr. Washington's home is unequaled in it's marvelous view of the Potomac, I have...More

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