Freedom House Museum
Freedom House Museum
4.5
Monday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Old Town
How to get there
- King St – Old Town • 8 min walk
- Alexandria Station • 10 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
36 reviews
Excellent
26
Very good
8
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
1
MrWil_low
185 contributions
Jul 2023 • Friends
An interesting little museum which addresses an important element of local history. The introductory talk by a member of staff was the best bit - much of the rest of the building is a collection of local archaeology linked with slavery and the site. The tope floor is more of a local community association, which seemed more for the local audience.
Written 23 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wandering Cajun
Texas313 contributions
While spending the day in Old Town Alexandria, we stopped in at this small museum, which is located just a few blocks off King St. The museum is fairly new, and is not well marked outside of the historic building, so be sure not to miss it. They were working on getting a sign up, so that problem should be corrected shortly.
Although this museum is small, we really enjoyed it, and the kids (ages 8-12) really liked it. The Freedom House was a slave trading house at one time, and slaves were held here in the basement. Most of the exhibits are in the basement, and we found them to be very interactive. We really learned alot about slaves and how they were traded, their way of life, and how they were treated.
The museum is free, but depends on and accepts donations to operate. This was a fun and educational experience for all of us, and I would definitely recommend it. Plan on spending about 1-2 hours here.
Although this museum is small, we really enjoyed it, and the kids (ages 8-12) really liked it. The Freedom House was a slave trading house at one time, and slaves were held here in the basement. Most of the exhibits are in the basement, and we found them to be very interactive. We really learned alot about slaves and how they were traded, their way of life, and how they were treated.
The museum is free, but depends on and accepts donations to operate. This was a fun and educational experience for all of us, and I would definitely recommend it. Plan on spending about 1-2 hours here.
Written 12 August 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
irenencurdie
Alexandria, VA104 contributions
Jul 2016
The absolute horror and human injustice of slavery is well presented in this small museum. In order to really get a sense of how Old Town was built (slave labor and money from the slave trade), every visitor should come here while visiting the other Old Town museums. The entrance logistics are a bit quirky, however, as the museum is in the basement of an office building belonging to the Urban League. The building isn't too far from the King Street metro station (three blocks or so). It might be best to go to this museum before travelling farther east to the waterfront, especially considering the museum's very short (and frankly not very visitor friendly) opening hours. According to the hours posted on the website currently, the museum is open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. Please check prior to showing up, however, because the hours seem to change periodically. In the past, they have had Saturday hours, which they do not seem to have currently. The exterior of the building is innocuous and you have to know what you are looking for as the museum itself is not well advertised on the outside of the building. There is a historic plaque outside the building with a brief history of the slave traders that owned the building and the building itself (1315 Duke Street) has a sign for the Urban League on the outside of the building.
Upon entrance, there is a small entrance foyer (big enough for two or three people) beyond which there is a locked door through which visitors are admitted upon a buzz of the lock (again, not visitor friendly). When I visited, there was a lady at the front desk that didn't seem to either know or care why I was visiting. She asked me to sign the visitor book and then gave me a quick overview of the flow of the museum and sent me on my way, after asking me, again, if I'd signed the visitor book. She seemed more concerned about the book than presenting a welcoming appearance. The museum is free, but they do have a donations box for those that would care to give.
If you're still reading and interested in the museum (and I hope you are!), the museum itself made up for the incredibly unwelcoming entrance of the non-museum exterior, the locked door, and the front desk woman. Immediately past the front entrance, you are drawn into the building's connection to slavery and the stories of the people that suffered slavery's bonds at the hands of people like Franklin and Armfield. The hallway that leads to the basement museum is covered with quotes and pictures of people touched by the scourge of slavery. At the end of the hallway is a door that has been created to look like a jail cell door that people bound for slave markets in Alexandria or further south might have passed through on their way to the basement slave pen. Going down the stairs to the museum, immediately past the door, the Urban League has listed the names, skills, and prices of people that passed through the building on their way to being sold as slaves. The main museum is at the bottom of the stairs, in the original slave holding area. The first thing that you'll see is a display of men and boys sitting chained to the walls and floors of the room. In the same area as this display is a motion-sensored TV that will start to play at some point while you're walking around the area, which was one of the points mentioned upon entrance. The TV contained actors speaking from heart-breaking accounts of people's experiences as slaves, including Solomun Northup (the story behind the movie "12 Years a Slave.") As you make your way around the room, you'll see first-hand accounts detailing the horrors of the slave trade and how the building originally looked when it was used as a slave pen by Franklin and Armfield.
Due to the self-guided, mainly reading, aspect of the museum, I would not recommend this museum for young children, unless they are able to sit and understand the video that plays while the adults absorb the written material around the space. However, older children (8-9 and older) and adults should visit this place before leaving Alexandria. You'll leave the museum with a deep and abiding horror of the slave trade and a better understanding of how large towns like Alexandria thrived on the back of the enslavement of fellow humans. In connection to the other museums like Carlyle House, Gadsby's Tavern Museum, and the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, the Freedom House will complete the picture of life in this centuries old seaport.
Upon entrance, there is a small entrance foyer (big enough for two or three people) beyond which there is a locked door through which visitors are admitted upon a buzz of the lock (again, not visitor friendly). When I visited, there was a lady at the front desk that didn't seem to either know or care why I was visiting. She asked me to sign the visitor book and then gave me a quick overview of the flow of the museum and sent me on my way, after asking me, again, if I'd signed the visitor book. She seemed more concerned about the book than presenting a welcoming appearance. The museum is free, but they do have a donations box for those that would care to give.
If you're still reading and interested in the museum (and I hope you are!), the museum itself made up for the incredibly unwelcoming entrance of the non-museum exterior, the locked door, and the front desk woman. Immediately past the front entrance, you are drawn into the building's connection to slavery and the stories of the people that suffered slavery's bonds at the hands of people like Franklin and Armfield. The hallway that leads to the basement museum is covered with quotes and pictures of people touched by the scourge of slavery. At the end of the hallway is a door that has been created to look like a jail cell door that people bound for slave markets in Alexandria or further south might have passed through on their way to the basement slave pen. Going down the stairs to the museum, immediately past the door, the Urban League has listed the names, skills, and prices of people that passed through the building on their way to being sold as slaves. The main museum is at the bottom of the stairs, in the original slave holding area. The first thing that you'll see is a display of men and boys sitting chained to the walls and floors of the room. In the same area as this display is a motion-sensored TV that will start to play at some point while you're walking around the area, which was one of the points mentioned upon entrance. The TV contained actors speaking from heart-breaking accounts of people's experiences as slaves, including Solomun Northup (the story behind the movie "12 Years a Slave.") As you make your way around the room, you'll see first-hand accounts detailing the horrors of the slave trade and how the building originally looked when it was used as a slave pen by Franklin and Armfield.
Due to the self-guided, mainly reading, aspect of the museum, I would not recommend this museum for young children, unless they are able to sit and understand the video that plays while the adults absorb the written material around the space. However, older children (8-9 and older) and adults should visit this place before leaving Alexandria. You'll leave the museum with a deep and abiding horror of the slave trade and a better understanding of how large towns like Alexandria thrived on the back of the enslavement of fellow humans. In connection to the other museums like Carlyle House, Gadsby's Tavern Museum, and the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, the Freedom House will complete the picture of life in this centuries old seaport.
Written 31 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
retiredlady1731
Alexandria, VA19 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
I had a friend visiting who had read about this very small and free museum about the slave trade in Alexandria. It is very well done and parking is easy once you locate it. It is in the basement of an office building in an old town house.
Written 27 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
deeleft
Endwell, NY160 contributions
Apr 2014 • Couples
Located on Duke Street sits an unassuming 3 story home that served as a holding area for slaves who were bought, sold and traded on the open market. Technically this historic home is free, but donations are encouraged. Visitors can view video presentations. look at the clothes of slaves, observe the original bars that are still in place and even hold the weighty shackles. It is a sad part of history that needs to be told and never forgotten.
Written 9 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura R
Boise, ID68 contributions
Jul 2013 • Business
The story of slavery in the U.S. is long and tragic, almost too much to comprehend, but this museum focuses on how it unfolded in Virginia, thereby making it more specific and more devastating. Using narration on film, 3-D displays, artefacts, and analytical graphs and charts, the museum appeals to diverse learning styles. It's small, and I was lucky enough to be by myself the whole 90 minutes of my visit - large groups may be problematic. The museum brings up often overlooked topics like the story of those who fought for an end to slavery, and the economic facts behind the practice which made it so enduring.
Written 15 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LisandroVoyager
Washington DC, DC784 contributions
Nov 2019
The posted info is clear and well written, and attractively displayed. There is a video and books for sale in the entrance hall. It's a good first stop to walk along a circuit of several historic attractions in Old Town Alexandria. They give a map out to orient visitors to the city. Open only Friday and Saturday afternoons. They may let groups in at other times by prior arrangement. Especially important stop for anyone wishing to understand the reasons for the Domestic Slave Trade pattern of the 19th century linking Virginia and Louisiana and the Deep South.
Written 3 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AnnDG_12
Ann Arbor, MI132 contributions
Oct 2019
Not in the usual tour books, but this museum is a one-of-a-kind. This home was a center of the domestic slave trade; slaves were gathered here and "sold South." There is an excellent, clear explanation of the issue in this museum. Everyone should visit it.
Written 20 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dona D
Winston Salem, NC1,075 contributions
Nov 2017 • Couples
If you only go to one museum on your trip to the Northern Virginia, Washington DC area go to this one. While it is tiny, and tucked away on a side street easy to miss, it is well worth the effort. When you go to a museum and it stays with you long after you leave (even now, months later) you know it is well done. The docent who was manning the front desk was a delight. When we went we were the only two in the building other than her and she let us go and explore on our own. I had no idea until I visited this museum how much of the slave trade originated from Alexandria. A tragic time in our nation's history.
Written 21 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda H
Elk City, OK65 contributions
Apr 2018 • Friends
We were hoping to visit this museum. Went to the address, read a sign about slavery, but never did find the museum. Later found out that it is the basement of the building with very limited hours. They could really use better signage posting their hours.
Written 11 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What is the average length of the tour? Do I need to make reservations for a group of 5
Written 21 February 2018
I would call ahead if you have a group. It’s just two rooms, I did not take a tour.
Written 22 February 2018
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