Lee-Fendall House
Lee-Fendall House
4
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
About
The Lee-Fendall House, located in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, is a showcase of American history. Since its construction in 1785, the house has served as home to thirty-seven members of the Lee family, hundreds of convalescing Union soldiers during the American Civil War, Alexandria’s locally prominent Downham family, and one of our nation’s most controversial and significant 20th century labor leaders, John L. Lewis.
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Old Town
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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

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles35 reviews
Excellent
17
Very good
10
Average
5
Poor
3
Terrible
0

binsca
Alexandria, VA66 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
I visited this house as part of the Smithsonian's Museum Day. Think I had visited maybe 15 years ago, but couldn't remember it. It didn't stand out to me. BUT this time it stood out so much more. The staff working were all fantastic. Very friendly, but also super knowledgeable. I asked one of them about the portraits on the wall in one room and he rattled off information about each individual in each portrait. I love when I encounter staff or volunteers that really know the history and appear to have a true passion for the place they are representing. Some really interesting bits of history happened in this house. I knew the house mostly to be connected to the historic Lee family in Virginia, but I had no idea that the last resident was John L Lewis. He was president of the United Mine Workers of America and founder of the Congress of Industrial Organizations - the CIO in the AFL-CIO. There is a room upstairs in what would have been his office with information about him, and I found this particularly interesting. A nice way to end the visit is with a walk through the garden behind the house.
Written 19 September 2022
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.

Kate Illinois1
Illinois4,722 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
Henry (Light Horse Harry) Lee's sister, Mary, married Phillip Richard Fendall. Mr. Fendall was an attorney and friends with George Washington. The house was built in 1784 with telescoping style architecture. Across the street, is nephew General Robert E Lee's boyhood home. We learned so much about the house, artifacts and family lineage that I can not mention it all in a review. We would recommend this tour. Street parking. Restroom on site. Guided tour $7.00. Open Wednesday-Sunday.
Written 21 May 2022
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.

Carrie L
Richmond, VA111 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Friends
We had an excellent tour here. The house has elements of architecture and furnishings that span hundreds of years so you get a taste of so many of the different owners. It was a hospital during the Civil War where the first successful blood transfusion took place. Its basement was enlarged to store booze during prohibition. It was the home of labor boss John L Lewis.

So many interesting stories and a really interesting place to visit.
Written 8 May 2022
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.

GarryUK
Newbury, UK400 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019 • Couples
A must do in Alexandria. The tour takes about 45 mins to a hour and is fascinating. Every room is steeped in history as were its owners. General Robert E Lee lived here as a boy, but those who lived here before and after him are very interesting in their own right. The house is spread over 3 floors of which you can visit 2 of floors.
There is plenty of very interesting pieces of period furniture on display as well.
We throughly enjoyed it.

Written 31 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.

Amber G
Inwood, WV254 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019
We were able to tour this museum for free with Museum Day tickets from the Smithsonian. With that being said, it was a nice experience.
The house is beautiful and has many interesting rooms and pieces to look at. We were offered a map of the house upon entry along with a brief overview. Then, we were free to wander as we pleased.
The house had a little wall of souvenirs that were fair in price too!

I do wish that I could have seen the garden in bloom because at this time of year it was rather boring.
Written 22 September 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.

Kristin R
NYC481 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Solo
Went to this house tour as part of my Key to the City Pass. This house is a bit more off the main drag of King Street. I took the free trolley up to the nearest stop and then walked the rest of the way.

Tours are offered at the top of the hour and last about an hour. I, unfortunately, arrived at 10 past. But, luck was in my favor and nobody had arrived for the tour so they just started a personal tour upon my arrival!

The guide was a retired man with an interest in the history of the house and the family who lived there. He was well-informed an pleasant to talk to. We explored the home, learned about the family, saw a new rotating exhibit on the women of the home, and then he showed me around the garden which he took particular pride in.

If you have time to visit this home and walking isn't an issue for you, I do recommend it.
Written 20 May 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.

tennisev
Orlando, FL42 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Solo
The tour is interesting and worth the effort to see it. The docent is knowledgeable, but the history of the house is more a recitation of who has lived there. It is interesting that George Washington's funeral was planned here. As in many Alexandria homes, famous people visited here as well. I think the most powerful person who lived here was John L. Lewis, the labor leader.
The architecture of the home is interesting, but the area that one actually tours is very limited. The kitchen and area that the servants and slaves lived in are off-limits.
Written 3 March 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.

RayGCincinnati_OH
Cincinnati, OH164 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2018 • Couples
The house was nice and the rooms were big but it is nothing special. We had a very nice docent who took her time describing the home and the period, The only connection with Robert E. Lee however is that his father sold the land to the Fendall family.
Written 21 October 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.

FREPLUG
Macomb, MI597 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2018 • Couples
Loving history I had to stop in and see what this place was all about. It is working history preserved and renovated over the years, mostly by the same strand of Lee family!! Amazing history and a neat old house. The 2 of us had a private tour simply because we were the only ones there! The guide was young and vibrant and knowledgable. This is a great stop for any history buff in the area and as most other stops it is cheap!
Written 5 October 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.

Gary V
Pleasant Valley, NY199 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2017 • Couples
A bit of a walk from King Street, however, the prensce of 18th century houses and all types of architecture may it seem shorter. We were met by a very accommodating tour guide tht was in the middle of a tour and let us join in. Leaarned much from his presentation. The home is part of the Robert E. Lee family as the house he grew up in is across the street.. The host gave us the first part of the tour as we missed it by joing the other group.
Written 23 December 2017
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.

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Lee-Fendall House - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Lee-Fendall House