Gadsby’s Tavern Museum

John Gadsby leased and operated Gadsby’s Tavern from 1796 to 1808. In addition to a dining establishment and hotel, the tavern was also a center for political activity. George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe were all known to have visited the tavern. The Gadsby’s Tavern Museum consists of two connected buildings. One building was the tavern itself, where guests would dine, drink, conduct business, and share the latest news, and the other building functioned as the hotel. The Assembly Room also hosted lectures, concerts, a traveling dentist, and acts like Toby the Learned Pig.

Although a tavern was often treated like a public meeting space, the tavern keeper was above all a businessman. The food served in the public dining room was not always fresh or high quality, and the tavern keeper would look for ways to make food stretch farther or to sell additional items to increase the price of a meal. A private dining room could also be rented, which is where George Washington most likely ate. In the hotel, up to three people slept in the small beds and linens were only washed when they were quite soiled.

Private rooms could also be rented that had canopy beds with curtains that could be closed for privacy, mosquito protection in the summer, and warmth on cold nights. Although not mentioned on the tour, one of the most interesting legends is said to have taken place in Room 8 of Gadsby’s Tavern. A couple arrived at Gadsby’s Tavern demanding the best room in the hotel. The woman was quite ill, and the man refused to give their names. Her condition worsened, and despite constant care from her husband and local physicians, she eventually died at Gadsby’s Tavern. Those who knew her identity were sworn to secrecy, and she was buried in nearby in St. Paul’s Cemetery under a tombstone marked “Female Stranger.” Some say her ghost still haunts Room 8 at Gadsby’s Tavern. It is difficult to separate fact from fiction in this intriguing story, and staff at the Gadsby’s Tavern Museum prefer to focus on the documented history of the establishment rather than ghost stories. Her story was highlighted in the Centennial of the Everyday art exhibit at Gadsby’s Tavern in 2017.

George Washington was a frequent guest at Gadsby’s Tavern, and he attended the annual Birthnight Ball, a dance celebrating the birthday of the United States’ first president, twice. Thomas Jefferson also held his inaugural ball here. In the early 1900s, the building was in disrepair, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City purchased the mantelpieces, musicians gallery, and most of the original woodwork. The Gadsby’s Tavern ballroom was then recreated as the “Alexandria Ballroom” exhibit at the Met. The acquisition is still contentious for the Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, and they feel it should be returned to its original location.

After your tour, exit the Gadsby’s Tavern Museum and turn left towards the corner of N. Royal Street and Cameron Street. There you’ll find an additional exhibit showing a subterranean ice well – where blocks of ice would have been stored for use by the tavern. In the winter, ice would be cut in blocks from the Potomac River and then stored in ice wells like this, covered in straw, to be used during the summer. Go down the steps around the corner to peer inside and read more information about the well.

Gadsby’s Tavern utilized slaves to perform much of the day-to-day work like cooking and cleaning, but this is not a focus of the tour. You can learn more about John Gadsby’s role in the slave trade at the Decatur House.

Next to the Gadsby’s Tavern Museum is a restaurant by the same name, which is easy to accidentally walk into instead of the museum itself. I have not dined there, but others say it can be a fun addition to your historic adventure, if a bit expensive. The Gadsby’s Tavern Museum is an interesting glimpse at early life in the Washington, DC area and gives a glimpse into the lives of the founders of the United States.

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Address

134 N Royal St, Alexandria, VA

Metro Station

• King Street-Old Town (BL, YL)

Cost

$5.00

Hours

November to March:

• Wednesday to Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sunday from 1:00 – 4:00 pm.
• Guided tours at 1:00 and 3:00 pm

April to October:

• Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday and Monday from 1:00 to 5:00 pm.
• Guided Tours at 1:00 and 3:00 pm, as well as 11:00 am on Sunday and Monday.

Length of Adventure

1 hour

Website

https://www.alexandriava.gov/GadsbysTavern

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