THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Join Francesco De Salvatore and descendants from the Frederick Douglass Memorial Cemetery for a focused, 1.5-hour conversation that unlocks Alexandria’s neighborhood histories. Expect coffee, rare-collection access, and a community-led lens on memory and preservation.
Join Francesco De Salvatore and descendants from the Frederick Douglass Memorial Cemetery for a focused, 1.5-hour conversation that unlocks Alexandria’s neighborhood histories. Expect coffee, rare-collection access, and a community-led lens on memory and preservation.
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Operated by Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey House · Alexandria, Virginia
Historic Grounds in Alexandria offers an intimate, 1.5-hour program that brings local Black history alive at Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House in Alexandria, Virginia. On November 21, 2026, join Francesco De Salvatore, Director and Curator of the Alexandria Oral History Center, and descendants from the Frederick Douglass Memorial Cemetery and the Colored Rosemont community for a focused conversation that ties community memory to place. The session is part lecture, part oral-history workshop, and part behind-the-scenes museum visit. Expect a paced hour and a half beginning at 2:00 pm with coffee and light refreshments, an hour of expert-led discussion, then an exclusive experience such as a specialized tour or vault access to rarely seen collection items. Francesco’s background as a public historian and archivist — with roles at institutions including the National Public Housing Museum and StoryCorps — shapes a program that emphasizes ethical, stakeholder-driven preservation and tangible connections to lived experience. Key features of the visit include the Frederick Douglass Memorial Cemetery, a historic African American burial ground, archival materials curated by the Alexandria Oral History Center, and conversation with descendants who tie names and objects to neighborhood histories like Colored Rosemont, one of the early African American homeowner communities in the city. The program foregrounds memory work: oral testimony, archival photographs, and artifacts that make city history immediate and human. This is not a passive museum talk. The format invites questions, encourages participant reflection, and models how community historians document and preserve neighborhood stories. For visitors wanting to understand how national themes — migration, segregation, homeownership, and remembrance — play out at the neighborhood level, the program provides clear, local case studies. Accessibility, group size, and exact meeting point are provided at booking; ticket sales support ongoing preservation of Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House. Why book it? You’ll leave with names, context, and a new lens for looking at Alexandria’s streets and cemeteries. You’ll also support organizations actively conserving material culture and training community historians. Practical takeaways include recommended local reading, directions to related sites, and chances to sign up for deeper archival work. Bring curiosity, comfortable shoes for a short outdoor stop at cemetery sites, and a readiness to listen. This session is an ideal half-day cultural add-on for visitors staying in Alexandria or traveling from Washington, D.C., who want historically grounded, community-centered engagement rather than a surface-level tour. The program runs 1.5 hours and is priced at $40 per ticket; organizers recommend booking early because seats are limited and special vault-access moments are reserved for attendees. This session sits inside the larger Fall Lineup; signups are available online and the organizers offer a Fall Package Pass that can save 20% for multiple dates. Purchasing directly helps fund programming sustainably.
The session runs approximately 1.5 hours, typically starting at 2:00 pm with coffee and light refreshments followed by a discussion and a special access experience.
Regular admission is listed at $40; check the Fall Package Pass if you plan to attend multiple dates for a 20% savings.
The exact meeting point is provided at booking; check your confirmation for the start location at Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House.
Accessibility specifics are listed at booking; contact the organizers through the booking link for details about mobility accommodations.
Age and suitability are not specified in the listing; consider that the format is discussion-based and best for older children and adults interested in history.
The program may include vault or collection access to rarely seen items; photography policies are set by the host and will be shared during the session—assume some objects may be restricted from photography.
Woodlawn and Pope‑Leighey House, located in Alexandria, Virginia, preserves and interprets two distinct American landmarks. Woodlawn reflects a narrative that moves from plantation origins connected to George Washington to an antislavery farming community and active working farm. Pope‑Leighey House is a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian design preserved for its architectural significance and natural setting. Together the sites offer a range of guided tours and specialty experiences that deepen understanding of architecture, regional history, and landscape. Public offerings include house tours of Woodlawn and of Pope‑Leighey House, combined visits, and thematic tours such as “Slavery and Freedom,” “Architecture of Woodlawn & Pope‑Leighey House,” and a Lafayette specialty tour that explores Marquis de Lafayette’s 1824 connections to the Custis and Lewis families. Seasonal and limited-capacity events include “Wright at Twilight,” Yoga Nidra led by instructor Emily Hampton, Forest Bathing with guided mindfulness, and community programs like a pizza-and-history evening. Tours and experiences are led by named guides and instructors, offering documented perspectives on design, preservation, and community legacy. The site supports ongoing preservation with visitor programs, and the grounds include a working farm and a gift shop that highlights local crafts. Small-group experiences and limited tickets for specialized sessions provide intimate access to sites and stories. Woodlawn and Pope‑Leighey House combines architectural significance, historical interpretation, and active stewardship to provide informative visits and meaningful public programming. Visitor support through admissions and events helps fund preservation, interpretation, educational programming, and ongoing stewardship of these significant historic properties for present and future generations alike.
Book with Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey House