The George Washington Masonic National Memorial — Attraction in Alexandria

I'm not really interested in masonic lore, nor did I really know anything about the masons other than the emblem, but my wife and I needed something to fill the day out after visiting Mount Vernon and checked this out to keep things centered on George Washington for the extent of our trip. And WOW. This was the coolest, most unique experience I've had in the DC metro area. This is not your stereotypical museum - nor is it a stereotypical shrine. It's a grand combination of both, with an excellent tour that covers really unique rooms in the tower and the absolutely stunning vista at the top. The lowest floor is architecture at its finest, decorated with exquisite craftmanship from sculpture to painting and everything in between. The galleries and rooms surrounding the main floor (and second floor, if memory serves) are well appointed and steeped in relatable history. Masonry itself is interesting enough, thanks to this visit, that I learned plenty just from skimming the exhibit signage. Once our proper tour started, our engaging guide led us through the main hall and the old meeting room and pointed out fascinating artifacts while keeping his presentation modern, thorough, and entertaining - with humor and history mixed together. Then we went up! As other reviewers mention, the elevators (!) are special, they're engineered on a slant so they use wheels to get closer to each other as the elevation increases, which is a really neat trick. The floor on masonry was not my cup of tea but it was colorful and had some interesting bits. The George Washington floor with his mementos was fantastic, and a better collection of his life relics than what is currently visible at Mount Vernon (where the exhibit on his life is closed for renovation). My favorite was the Knights of the Templar room, which we visited on the way back down. And of course, the top story was just stunning to see the area from that vantage point - the DC area is lacking, on purpose, in high structures and this one being on a hill provided just a spectacular visual of an area I've been visiting my whole life and never seen THAT way. All in all - yes, the tickets aren't cheap, but they are WORTH it, this place is a special experience that is just made by the guides' enthusiasm and the grandeur of the interior. Unforgettable. Highly...

My first visit to this place two years ago would have been 5 stars. The original content of the tour was excellent. You would have really learned to appreciate and understand masonic traditions and symbols, seeing clearly the connection to George Washington in a way the history books do not teach. When I returned recently with my significant other to share these treasures, I was very disappointed. It was like reading a dry history book. I could see artifacts and listened to a short description of the artifact as if it was being cataloged, but there was no explanation of the symbolism in the room, or details of the ceremonial proceedings, or what they meant and how the essence of the thought behind such ceremony was so foundational to our founding fathers. There was a room that talked about the ceremonial garments, but there was no explanation on the necklaces, ropes, materials, or eventual integration of women. In one room, there was a whole loft area of symbolism such as images of Solomon's temple, pictures of Washington surrounded by symbols that just seemed hidden in the background. There was a whole room they could have used to discuss these things, but it is no longer part of the tour. Instead, we just want to the 9th floor to look at a pretty view of Alexandria. Our guide was knowledgable, a great communicator, and articulate, so I'm not sure it was him as much as the dictated content he was instructor and trained to present. I hope they change this in the near future, but you would do better to just go to Washington's house in Mount Vernon. There was little to learn here that I did not learn here that I could not have...

A great place to learn the basics about Freemasonry. Reserved a slot on a Saturday afternoon... since they're required now and thinking there'd be a big crowd (but a pandemic put a damper on that). Nope! Just me and a couple being led by a tour guide. It's presented from a historical perspective - no real attempt to sing the praises of Freemasonry from a superior angle, and that's just fine. I don't think that's how they do it in the organization anyway.

Tons of exhibits from George Washington and the other more recent freemason presidents, including FDR, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harry Truman. The last Freemason president was Gerald Ford. Apparently each month they are celebrating each state where there is a Grand Lodge, this month is North Carolina. Patrick would have known about this, had he taken the tour instead of trying to recreate climbing Rocky steps on somebody's private building.

$18 is a decent amount for a tour, it's more like a museum with the value reduced since quite a few attractions (such as viewing Alexandria from the observation floor) got cut out. All in all, although it towers over the town, it's not really a place you stumble upon by accident. The tour is really for people interested on seeing what's in here, and I wouldn't suggest it if you don't care to learn about Freemasonry. However, if that is in fact exactly what you're looking for, you won't be...