Are you looking for fun and educational ways to engage your brain this summer? Enjoy these fun and educational activities around Alexandria!
Celebrate History
Scavenger Hunt
Enjoy this free printable History Alexandria Scavenger Hunt which includes 20 different sites to see!
Alexandria Archaeology Family Dig Days
Various Saturdays Through October 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Shuter’s Hill Site at the Masonic Temple
$5 donations and pre-registration
Assist at a public dig that includes history and archaeology of the Shuter’s Hill site along with a tour. Registered particpants have the opportunity to sift through excavated soil and assist with artifact processing. Spaces fill quickly. Register online today.
Friendship Firehouse Festival
Saturday, August 5, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
107 S. Alfred Street, Alexandria
Have some fun at the annual festival and receive a free fire hat while visiting the historic fire station. The festival includes community booth, fire-fighting activities, fire vehicles and more. Learn more.
Relax and Enjoy a Movie
Regal Cinemas: Summer Movie Express
$1 movies all summer long
Tuesdays and Wednesdays starting at 10:00 a.m.
Check out the movie schedule online
Cinema Del Ray
Mount Vernon Recreation Center Field, 2701 Commonwealth Ave.
- Saturday, July 15: “Zootopia”
- Saturday, August 19: “Beauty and the Beast” (animated)
- Saturday, September 16: “Moana”
Bring family, friends, neighbors and a blanket to watch these freeopen-air movies on field at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center. The fun starts at 7:00 p.m. and the movie starts at dusk.
Movies Under the Stars
- Friday, July 22: “Finding Nemo” – Waterfront Park, 1A Prince St.
- Friday, July 29: “Mrs. Doubtfire” – John Carlyle Park, 300 John Carlyle St.
- Friday, August 12: “The Lion King” – Ben Brenman Park, 4800 Brenman Park Dr.
- Friday August 26: “Alice in Wonderland” – Market Square, 301 King St.
All movies start approximately 8:00 p.m. (dusk)
Get Your Art On
Visit the Torpedo Factory
Looking for a chance to see art, meet new people and explore over 80 artist exhibits? Visit the free Torpedo Factory. You can also bring your four-legged fur friends!
The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage
Enjoy free daily performances with no tickets required. Visit the website for details about upcoming performances.
Connect with Nature
Mount Vernon Trail
Take a bike ride or a walk along the Potomac River starting in Old Town, or at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and ride, walk, blade or bike to the national monuments/memorials in Washington D.C.
Explore Old Town Alexandria
Take a walk down to Alexandria’s Waterfront district by travelling though Old Town and taking in all the historic sites. You can ride the free King Street Trolley at one of its various stops.
Visit the Nature Center and Go for a Hike
Jerome “Buddie” Ford Nature Center
5750 Sanger Ave., Alexandria
Open Wednesday – Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Jerome “Buddie” Ford Nature Center is free to the public year round. The center includes an exhibit on Alexandria’s birds of prey, reference library with children’s section, greenhouse with tropical rainforest plants and live parrot, interpretive exhibits on local geology and live snakes, salamanders, turtles, toads and more!
Visit the Library
Alexandria Library
Sign up for the SummerQuest Reading Program. Enjoy free daily programs at multiple library locations across Alexandria.
Little Free Libraries
Have you ever noticed what look like birdhouses filled with books in some neighborhoods? These are known as the “Little Free Libraries,” where you can leave a book for someone or take your own! Scout your neighborhood for a Little Free Library, or start your own.
Enjoy Free Food
Old Town Whole Foods
On Saturday’s head over to the Old Town Whole Foods for a free live cooking demonstration and tasting.
Sugar Shack Donuts
Check out the Facebook page of locally owned Sugar Shack Alexandria to learn how you can score a free donut every day of the week.