George Washington's Mount Vernon Mansion Fully Reopens After Restorations

MOUNT VERNON, VA — The first president's home is fully reopened to visitors after an extensive restoration project to preserve it.

The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, which privately operates George Washington's Mount Vernon, held a ribbon cutting Wednesday to celebrate the completion of the Mount Vernon mansion's restoration project. The privately-funded $40 million Mansion Revitalization Project sought to stabilize and restore the first president's home "with greater accuracy and authenticity than ever before," the association says.

"Thanks to the vision of the intrepid women who rescued this estate more than 170 years ago, we can continue sharing his legacy," said Anne Neal Petri, 24th regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. "After three years of meticulous work, we are proud to unveil a newly revitalized Mansion that is ready to stand strong for the next 250 years."

"When visitors walk through the Mansion, they step directly into Washington’s world," said Doug Bradburn, President & CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. "The more authentically we preserve and restore this site, the better we help the American people understand the man who held our fragile nation together and ensured its new experiment in self-government would endure."

The restoration project started in 2023 to protect the mansion's original building structure and maintain it for years to come. Major work included installing a new HVAC system, improving drainage in and around the mansion's cellar, repairing sections of the mansion's framing and masonry, and setting the cellar up for a return to its 1799 appearance.

Mount Vernon noted several notable artifact discoveries during the project. Archaeologists involved with excavation of the mansion cellar discovered 35 glass bottles from the 18th century in five storage pits. Twenty-nine of the bottles remained intact and had preserved cherries and other berries, which historians say could offer insight into 18th century food preservation.

Another discovery was a rare 18th century fork hidden behind a wall in Martha Washington's closet in the Washingtons' bedchamber. According to Mount Vernon, the fork matches several cutlery orders George Washington made in the 1760s and early 1770s. Historians believe the room's closet stored silver and expensive utensils.

As the restoration project concludes, the first and second floors of the mansion have reopened to visitors. Rotating room closures had previously been in place for about two years. The cellar remains closed to visitors as work continues through fall 2026. Visitors can see the newly restored Washingtons' bedchamber after extensive architectural and material culture research. The room features 1790s reproduction wallpaper, newly re-plastered walls and ceilings and an accurate reinstallation of original Washington family furnishings.

"This restoration represents the most important historic preservation project in America today, and it was made possible by extraordinary talent—architects, engineers, curators, preservationists, carpenters, masons, electricians, and so many other experts," said Bradburn. "We are proud to share their work with the nation. More than 100 million people have visited Mount Vernon, and we believe every American should experience it."