On the Potomac · Since 1749

Old Town Alexandria, Virginia

The historic heart of Alexandria on the Potomac: restaurants and shops along King Street, parks and boats at the waterfront, museums in 18th-century taverns and houses, and something on every weekend.

This Weekend Things to Do

Old Town at a glance

Old Town is the original town of Alexandria, laid out on the Potomac River in 1749, and today it is the historic core of the City of Alexandria, ZIP code 22314. Most of what brings people here sits on King Street, which runs from the King Street-Old Town Metro station down to the river, and on the blocks to either side: restaurants and independent shops, museums in old taverns and houses, and parks and boat docks at the water.

This page is the short version, with a link in each section to the guide that covers it in full. For a longer read, start with our complete local guide to Old Town.

This weekend in Old Town

Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 18, from our events calendar:

Fri, Oct 16 Old Town Sticker Treat Halloween Sticker Crawl Oct 16–18 · Old Town Alexandria
Sat, Oct 17 Old Town Farmers' Market 7 AM – 12 PM · 100 block of N. Royal St. and Tavern Square courtyard

Our weekend guides come out every week at This Weekend in Old Town.

See & Do

Things to do in Old Town

Old Town's museums are mostly in the buildings they are about. Gadsby's Tavern Museum is the 1785 tavern and the 1792 City Tavern and Hotel on N. Royal Street. Carlyle House is John Carlyle's 1753 stone house on N. Fairfax Street, and Christ Church, from 1773, keeps the pew where George Washington worshipped.

At the foot of King Street, the Torpedo Factory Art Center fills the old Naval Torpedo Station with artists' studios and galleries you can wander for free, with the Alexandria Archaeology Museum on its third floor. Along the river are Waterfront Park and Founders Park, the Mount Vernon Trail and, in season, sightseeing cruises.

Our guide to things to do in Old Town lists each museum and landmark with its address, opening days and prices, and the art galleries guide covers the Torpedo Factory and the galleries along King Street.

Where to eat

Old Town's restaurants line King Street from the Metro down to the Potomac and fill the blocks on either side. Our guide to where to eat in Old Town sorts them by street, by occasion (lunch, weekend brunch, a special dinner, a table on the water) and by kind of cooking, with every detail taken from the restaurant's own website. For the main street alone, read our King Street restaurant guide, and for coffee, pastries and ice cream, see coffee and sweets.

Events, every week and every year

The Old Town Farmers' Market runs every Saturday morning, all year, and in the warmer months the Torpedo Factory keeps a late night on the second Friday with open studios and music. The big dates come round every year: the George Washington Birthday Parade in February, the St. Patrick's Day Parade on King Street in March, and the December parades.

Our events calendar lists what is coming up and is updated every week, and a new This Weekend in Old Town guide comes out each week.

The holidays

The season runs on a few long-running traditions: the City's tree lighting in November, the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade and the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights on the same December Saturday, and First Night Alexandria on New Year's Eve. This year's dates and times are in our holiday guide.

Getting here and parking

Old Town has its own Metro station, King Street-Old Town, on the Blue and Yellow lines and three stops from Reagan National Airport. The station is about 17 blocks up King Street from the waterfront. From there the free King Street Trolley runs down King Street to City Hall/Market Square every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., every day of the year. It does not go to the waterfront: its last stop is about two blocks up from the Torpedo Factory, so the last stretch to the river is on foot. In season, City Cruises' water taxi connects the Alexandria Marina, at the foot of King Street, with The Wharf, Georgetown and National Harbor.

If you drive, the Market Square Garage is closed for the City Hall renovation. The City's own garages include the Courthouse Garage at 111 S. Pitt St. and the North Union Street Garage at 220 N. Union St. Most street meters charge $2.75 an hour, usually Monday through Saturday, but some residential blocks near the shops charge cars without a district permit on Sundays too, so read the signs before you leave the car. Our parking guide covers garages and street parking. Plan Your Visit has the rest: the Metro, the trolley, the water taxi and the best time to come.

What has changed since January 2026

City Hall and Market Square, at 301 King Street, are being renovated. City Hall was built in 1871, and the City expects the work to take two to three years (its City Hall renovation page has the latest). Three things have moved because of it:

The Farmers' Market moved on January 10, 2026, to the 100 block of North Royal Street and the courtyard at Tavern Square, across the street from Market Square. It still runs every Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon, and it returns to Market Square when the work is finished (City of Alexandria).
The Market Square Garage closed to the public on February 9, 2026. On market Saturdays, from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., market parking is free at the Courthouse Garage at 111 S. Pitt St. and the Tavern Square Garage at 418 Cameron St.
The trolley's City Hall/Market Square stop, at King and N. Fairfax streets, is being moved several times during the work, the first time to 302 King St., the City said in February 2026; DASH announces each move.

Where to stay

Old Town has around fifteen places to stay inside the historic district: big-brand hotels clustered around the Metro, boutique hotels along King Street, one hotel on the river and two small inns. Our guide to where to stay in Old Town sorts them by what you need, from the Metro end of King Street to a kitchen for a longer stay, parking at the hotel or room for a dog.

Shopping

Nearly all of Old Town's shopping is within about a mile of King Street, and most of it is independently owned: boutiques, consignment, antiques and estate jewelry, books, toys, home goods, wine and gifts. Our Old Town shopping guide groups the 46 shops in our directory by what you are looking for.

The business directory lists shops, restaurants, galleries and services across Old Town, Del Ray and Arlandria.

Historic cobblestone street in Old Town Alexandria

Since 1749

A short history

By 1732 Hugh West had a tobacco warehouse on high bluffs above a small, deep bay. Merchants asked the Virginia General Assembly in 1748 for a town at the warehouse, and in 1749 the new town was named Alexandria for John Alexander, the Scotsman who had owned much of the land. Sixty acres were laid out, by tradition with the help of a 17-year-old George Washington, and the first lots were auctioned in July 1749.

Alexandria was ceded to the new District of Columbia in 1789 and returned to Virginia in 1847. Its old streets now lie in the Old and Historic Alexandria District, one of the City's two local historic districts, where the Board of Architectural Review must approve exterior changes that can be seen from a public way.

Read the full story in our history of Old Town Alexandria.

Old Town and its neighbors

Old Town is one of several walkable neighborhoods in Alexandria. The others in our guide are Del Ray, whose main street is Mount Vernon Avenue, Carlyle and Eisenhower, and Potomac Yard. Our guide to Alexandria's neighborhoods maps them with their landmarks and what each area is known for.

Living in Old Town

Living in Old Town means living inside a local historic district, on streets where parking is managed block by block, beside a waterfront the City is rebuilding against floods. Our guide to living in Old Town sets out how those things work, from the City's and the school system's own pages: the Board of Architectural Review, residential permit parking, the waterfront flood project, the fare-free DASH buses, finding which schools serve an address, and the real estate assessment.

From the Journal

The newest guides

Our latest writing on Old Town, newest first.

Things to Do

October 13, 2026 · 6 min read

Getting to Old Town Alexandria from DC

Metro, water taxi, cycling, rideshare, or driving — here's every practical way to get to Old Town Alexandria from Washington, DC and Reagan National Airport.

Things to Do

October 6, 2026 · 6 min read

Antique Shops in Old Town Alexandria: A Guide

From estate jewellery and fine silver to vintage furniture and antique maps, Old Town Alexandria's antique shops reward a Saturday afternoon stroll.

Dining

September 15, 2026 · 6 min read

Best Brunch in Old Town Alexandria VA

From French brasseries to cozy neighborhood cafés, Old Town Alexandria serves up some of the best brunch spots in Northern Virginia — here's where to go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Old Town Alexandria?

On the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia. Old Town is the historic core of the City of Alexandria, ZIP code 22314, and its main street, King Street, runs from the King Street-Old Town Metro station down to the river.

How do I get to Old Town on the Metro?

Take the Blue or Yellow line to King Street-Old Town, three stops from Reagan National Airport. The station is about 17 blocks up King Street from the waterfront, and the free King Street Trolley runs from the station to City Hall/Market Square every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., every day.

Does the King Street Trolley go to the waterfront?

No. It runs between the King Street-Old Town Metro station and City Hall/Market Square, about two blocks up King Street from the Torpedo Factory at the water's edge, so the last stretch to the river is on foot. During the City Hall renovation the City is moving the Market Square stop several times, and DASH announces each move.

Where is the Old Town Farmers' Market now?

On the 100 block of North Royal Street and in the courtyard at Tavern Square, across the street from Market Square, every Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon. It moved there on January 10, 2026, while City Hall and Market Square are renovated, which the City expects to take two to three years, and it returns to Market Square when the work is finished.

Where can I park in Old Town?

The Market Square Garage is closed during the City Hall renovation. The City's garages include the Courthouse Garage at 111 S. Pitt St. and the North Union Street Garage at 220 N. Union St., and most street meters charge $2.75 an hour, usually Monday through Saturday; some residential blocks near the shops charge cars without a district permit on Sundays too, so read the signs. On market Saturdays, from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., market parking is free at the Courthouse Garage and the Tavern Square Garage at 418 Cameron St.

When was Old Town Alexandria founded?

In 1749. Merchants asked the Virginia General Assembly for a town at Hugh West's tobacco warehouse in 1748, the town was named Alexandria for John Alexander, who had owned much of the land, and its first lots were auctioned in July 1749.

What is on in Old Town this weekend?

This weekend's events are near the top of this page and on our events calendar, and we publish a This Weekend in Old Town guide every week. The Farmers' Market is on every Saturday morning.

Historic Homes & New Construction

Homes in Old Town

Old Town mixes historic houses and new building, from 18th-century rowhouses to new townhomes along the Potomac River.

Historic brick rowhouses in Old Town Alexandria

Historic Homes

Learn about the preservation efforts that maintain Old Town's character, and the stories behind its 18th- and 19th-century rowhouses.

Browse historic homes for sale →

New waterfront construction in Old Town Alexandria

New Construction

Stay updated on the latest developments, from boutique condos to new waterfront building along the Potomac.

See new construction listings →