mary washington house tour

Marquis de Lafayette & Mary Washington Tour

April 6, 2024 @ 5:00PM — 7:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar

Mary Washington House: 1200 Charles St Fredericksburg, VA 22401 Get Directions

In the spring of 1781, Mary Washington received an unexpected visitor when the Marquis de Lafayette came to Fredericksburg

The relationship between George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette is well known, but Lafayette shared a special bond with other members of the Washington family. In the spring of 1781, Lafayette made an impromptu visit to Fredericksburg to meet Mary Washington and Betty Washington Lewis. This visit created a bond between the two that endured until Mary's death in 1789. Join Mary Washington House site manager, Michelle L. Hamilton on a special guided tour detailing the events surrounding Lafayette's visit in 1781.

Tickets are nonrefundable. Please arrive 5 minutes prior to your tour start time.

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Mary Washington House

1200 Charles St., Fredericksburg, Virginia

The historic home of George Washington’s mother gives visitors insight into the life and final 17 years of Mary Washington. Period-clad docents welcome you to the 18th-century Mary Washington House and invite you to take a mental step back in time as you explore the original kitchen, guest room where George Washington slept, and gardens.

Visitors to Mary Washington House can explore the house and gardens while learning about the home from docents along the way. The house is one of four Washington Heritage Museum sites located in downtown Fredericksburg, and you can pair a tour of this site with a visit to the Rising Sun Tavern and Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop. To add to the experience, learn about the town’s historic attractions on a horse and buggy tour of Fredericksburg.

The Mary Washington House is a must-see for history buffs.

You can buy colonial-era souvenirs as well as locally made crafts at the gift shop.

Purchase a Heritage Pass for access to all of the Washington Heritage Museum sites.

The Mary Washington House is not wheelchair accessible.

The Mary Washington House is set on Charles Street within walking distance of historic downtown Fredericksburg and the rest of the Washington Heritage Museums. The historic town of Fredericksburg, Va., is located midway between Washington DC and Richmond, Va., about 60 miles (95 kilometers) from each.

It's possible to visit the Mary Washington House year-round, but to see the house at its most lively, visit in summer when events such as Games in the Garden and other 18th century-style social gatherings are happening. Check out the museum’s website for dates and details.

The colonial-era town of Fredericksburg is filled with opportunities to dive into the history of America’s founders. Alongside the Washington Heritage Museum sites you can visit other nearby attractions such as the Old Stone Warehouse, Kenmore Plantation (home of Mary Washington’s daughter, Betty Washington Lewis), and Historic Fredericksburg Foundation.

Things To Do Available ( 2 )

Historical fredericksburg smartphone app self guided walking tour.

Duration: 50 to 60 minutes

Ghosts of Fredericksburg, Virginia: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

Duration: 1 to 2 hours

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See why Mary Wash is right for you!

Join us for an Open House and get an overview on student life, academic programs, and hear from the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, and College of Education and take a campus tour. We recommend these free programs for high school juniors and seniors and transfer students.

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Seniors who have applied to Mary Washington can sign-up for on-site admission during the Open House.

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Selfie stop tour.

While you’re exploring our beautiful campus, we have a challenge for you! Take selfies at several iconic Mary Washington locations and post to your story. Tag @MaryWash or @MaryWashAdmissions on Instagram!

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Fredericksburg

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Mary washington house.

George Washington bought this white-frame house in 1772 for his mother, Mary Ball Washington, so she would be near her daughter's home at Kenmore Plantation . Mary Washington was then 64 years old and had been living across the river at Ferry Farm since 1738. Legend says that Lafayette found Mrs. Washington in her garden when he visited during the Revolution to pay his respects (her sundial still keeps time). Her son came in 1789 to receive her blessing before going to New York for his inauguration as president. He never saw her again, for she died later that year. You must take a 30-minute guided tour (they depart continuously) to see the indoor exhibits, including a mirror she considered to be her "best dressing glass."

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Ex-stripper tells of her FBI agent 'angel'

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Robert Hanssen sent a note and $10 to the dressing room, telling the slender woman that he never dreamed he'd find such grace and beauty at a strip joint. It was the nicest compliment she'd ever heard, so Priscilla Sue Galey ran to catch Hanssen, who handed her his FBI business card and asked her to lunch. Soon, she offered her number.

"He said he already had my phone number and address," Galey said, recalling the summer of 1990, when she was a dancer at Joanna's 1819 Club in Washington, D.C. "He said he knew I had a clean record and he wanted to see if his instincts were right."

Over the next 18 months or so, Hanssen, who has been charged with spying for Moscow and spilling some of the nation's most guarded secrets for money and diamonds, befriended Galey and showered her with nearly $100,000 in fine jewelry, a sparkling silver Mercedes-Benz sedan, a trip to Hong Kong and cash, Galey said.

At one point, she said, he got her a passport in less than 24 hours, and at another, he led her on an exhaustive tour of the FBI training facility at Quantico, Va. Later, in the fall of 1991, Hanssen gave her a laptop computer that was protected by a secret code he all but dared her to break.

In interviews last week at her home in the rough-and-tumble Hilltop neighborhood of Columbus, Galey said Hanssen did not ask for anything in return, adding that the devoted family man never once wanted sex and tried repeatedly to bring her closer to God.

Hanssen's relationship with Galey shows what may have happened to a large portion of the money Hanssen is charged with taking from the Russians. Speaking publicly for the first time of her links to Hanssen, Galey fills in details and tells a remarkable tale of an FBI man's double life.

Crack addiction

Galey is now 43 and destitute. She is missing all her upper teeth and says she sells her body on the streets to support an addiction to crack cocaine.

Sitting in her house, which is pockmarked from drive-by shootings, where she stays with her mother, 3-year-old son and about eight other people, Galey said her naiveté in the early 1990s led her to believe Hanssen was an angel who was simply trying to help her. Now, Galey said, she thinks Hanssen was grooming her to help him, that the alleged double agent was testing her.

"He had to have wanted me for something," Galey said, adding that Hanssen wouldn't even allow her to hug him after giving her the extravagant gifts. "He wanted to see how I handled myself. He wanted to see if he could trust me. I trusted him completely, and if he had asked me to do anything, I would have."

But, she said, their relationship ended before that happened. Hanssen never said a word about spying and didn't say much about his duties at the FBI. He told her the money came from an inheritance.

Hanssen's attorney, Plato Cacheris, said he has "absolutely no comment" on Galey. "These allegations have absolutely no relationship to the case we are handling," he said.

FBI spokesman John Collingwood also declined comment.

Hanssen is charged with espionage, accused of selling out his country for $600,000 in cash and diamonds plus $800,000 in foreign bank accounts.

FBI sources and court documents say he betrayed two Russian double agents, leading to their executions, and compromised dozens of intelligence programs, including a secret tunnel beneath the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

The FBI says Hanssen began spying in 1985 and remained active until his arrest Feb. 18, when he was seen leaving a package of classified material in a Fairfax County, Va., park. But authorities are silent on his activities between fall 1991 and 1999.

Exact amounts unclear

Galey said it is difficult for her to keep track of how many hundred-dollar bills Hanssen handed her in 1990 and 1991, and there is no way she could estimate how much she charged to an American Express card Hanssen registered to "P.S. Galey" in late 1991.

She pawned the laptop and jewelry , which included a diamond and sapphire necklace, for a fraction of what they were worth to buy crack.

FBI agents, who tracked her for questioning, have interviewed Galey, trying in large part to determine what happened to Hanssen's money and showing concern for the contents of the laptop, which officials think was not owned by the FBI, but has not been recovered.

Law-enforcement sources confirmed that Galey gave them the same account and that they have substantiated much, though not all, of it. Officials are investigating whether Hanssen used his influence to obtain a passport for Galey in a matter of hours, without having her birth certificate or other identification.

Ohio stripper of the year

Galey, a high-school dropout, began stripping as a financially strapped teenager, following the breakup of a turbulent young marriage. She never thought of dancing as a burden. Rather, it was the start of a life that would someday take her away from The Hilltop. "I loved stripping. I really did," Galey said. "And I was really good at it."

In 1980, Galey got her ticket out. She earned an Ohio stripper of the year trophy and headed for Peabody, Mass., where she adopted the stage name Traci Starr at the Golden Banana, a popular strip joint outside Boston.

Galey headed for Washington, D.C., in 1984. In the late 1980s, Galey switched to Joanna's and took the afternoon shift, often walking in from M Street in full business attire, strutting directly to the stage and beginning her act.

"I'd take off my glasses, let down my hair, set down the briefcase and go to work," Galey said. "I think the guys all saw me as that secretary they worked with or that woman they saw walking down the street."

Galey said she was at the top of her game when Hanssen noticed her one summer afternoon in 1990, when - he told her later - he was meeting someone at the club "to get some information." He was dressed in a dark suit, "not a hair out of place, not a piece of lint, not a wrinkle," Galey said. "To be honest, I was a little scared of him."

Within days of their first lunch date, Hanssen dropped off an envelope for Galey with $2,000 in cash to help pay for fixing a bad tooth, she said. The third time she saw him, Hanssen gave her the glamorous necklace.

"He was just the nicest person on Earth," Galey said. "I thought he was my own personal angel."

Hanssen told Galey he liked her companionship and respected her intelligent conversation, making no effort to hide his "very happy and stable" family life. Most of their discussions centered on how Galey could better herself and leave exotic dancing - and how he wanted her to go to church.

A proselytizing devotee

The idea of Hanssen, now 56, proselytizing a stripper matches the portrait his friends and colleagues have painted in the months since his arrest. A Catholic who regularly attended services in Great Falls, Va., Hanssen believed the basis of morality was God's love.

A 25-year FBI veteran, Hanssen kept a crucifix on his desk and joined Opus Dei, an international organization of conservative Catholics. He and his wife, Bonnie, a part-time schoolteacher, put six children through private school and college - two of whom are still in high school - but otherwise appeared to live quietly in a Vienna, Va., home assessed at $290,000.

For her part, Galey saw a man trying to be helpful, someone who paid attention to her and listened to her troubles.

"He never criticized me," Galey said. At one point she drove to his church at his invitation, but said she couldn't bear to go inside when she spotted his family getting out of their minivan. "He always pulled at my heartstrings. He thought I could do much better with my life."

Galey said her meetings with Hanssen were incredible. He took her to private law enforcement eating clubs - where she learned he carried a gun when he had to check it at the door - and the fanciest restaurants, where she was impressed that the menus didn't include prices.

He escorted her to the National Gallery of Art to see oil paintings and took long walks with her near the White House, once making her exchange her white spiked heels for more sensible blue pumps - which he bought for her on the spot - so she "wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb," she said.

Whenever Galey needed money, it was there. If she was short on the rent or the electric bill, she could count on Hanssen.

When Galey's sister, Vanessa Bunch, visited from Columbus in August 1990 so they could go to an Aerosmith concert, Galey was already flush with money.

"She didn't have a care in the world," said Bunch, now 36. "If she came into a problem, all she had to do was pick up a phone and it was taken care of."

Surprise overseas trip

In April 1991, Hanssen surprised Galey with an offer to go to Hong Kong. He met her at Joanna's one afternoon and walked with her to a nearby travel agency, handing her the ticket. They flew separately and stayed in different rooms, meeting only for breakfast and dinner, Galey said.

Hanssen never allowed Galey to take a photo of him, and when he found out there was one shot from Hong Kong, he quickly took it from her and destroyed it. They always met alone. Several times, she wondered what he was up to.

"I got the courage to ask him what was going on a few times, and he'd always laugh and say, `I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you,' " Galey said.

Keys to a Mercedes 190E

Galey's best day came on Aug. 5, 1991 - a day she considers the happiest of a mostly sad life. Hanssen took her to Jaimalito's, a now-defunct Mexican restaurant at Washington Harbor in Georgetown, and slid her an envelope with a few $100 bills, the American Express card and keys to a 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190E sedan, her dream car.

She was so ecstatic that she couldn't touch her taco salad. FBI agents showed her a receipt for the car from a Virginia dealership that indicated Hanssen had paid $10,500 in cash for it.

"I drove 50 miles out of the way on the way home just to drive it," Galey said. "I spent two weeks peeking out of my apartment windows just to make sure it was there and it was real."

The dream ended in December 1991, when Galey drove back to Ohio for her birthday and the holidays. She expected to return to Washington, D.C., for a job Hanssen told her he would line up for her. Hanssen was planning to send her to France in the spring of 1992, but that trip never happened.

She started hanging around with her old neighborhood friends, who all were smoking crack, she said. Although she said she never used drugs when she lived in Maryland, she dropped thousands of dollars in a matter of days.

Her contact with Hanssen slowly faded. Galey said the relationship ended for good in 1992 when she "misused" the credit card to buy Easter dresses for her relatives. Hanssen had told her that the American Express card was only for expenses related to the car or emergencies.

So when Hanssen saw the bill with the dresses, he got so upset that he flew to Columbus to retrieve it, saying little more than a few words. When Galey was arrested in 1993 on drug charges, her mother, Linda Harris, called Hanssen on his direct line at the FBI to ask for help. He refused.

"He said that Priscilla had made her bed, and now she had to lay in it," Harris, 59, said. "He completely turned away, like she never existed."

Her existence now is just a small step from rock bottom. Galey's friends and family say she disappears, sometimes for days, going without sleep or shacking up in abandoned houses with the men who pay her for sexual favors. Her upper plate of fake teeth recently was chewed up by a street dog when she was on a bender.

"I rode in here on a thin pink cloud, and it just all fell apart," Galey said.

Galey said she thinks Hanssen rejected her because she disobeyed him. She thinks he was disappointed that she wasn't able to crack the code on the laptop - a gift he gave her hoping she would learn about computers.

"I believed he was everything he wasn't," Galey said. "He has taken away any faith I ever had."

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Event cancellations and updates will be announced via our Facebook page.

Pirates and Punch

Saturday, August 17 at 5:00 PM, 6:00 PM, & 7:00 PM

Join us at the Rising Sun Tavern Museum for an evening of swashbuckling tales, raucous music, and a taste of life on the high seas in the age of piracy. Enter our 18th century tavern to hear about the fascinating history of piracy in early Virginia - including piracy on the Rappahannock River! Sample historically based refreshments and snacks, such as our famous rum punch. Finish the evening with the Rappahannock Whalers for sea songs, as they would have been performed in the age of sail. This event is limited to guests ages 21+.

This event is limited to guests ages 21+

The Well-Appointed Garden with Phillip Watson

Tuesday, September 17 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Join us for an unforgettable morning on Tuesday, September 17th as Phillip Watson returns to Fredericksburg to inspire us with his unique style and personality. We are so fortunate to welcome Phillip back to Fredericksburg where he operated a rare plant nursery for many years. He will share his passion for gardening and design from years of experience and a wealth of plant knowledge. Tickets will go on sale at the beginning of August. All proceeds will benefit the renovation of the Mary Washington Monument and Caretaker’s Lodge.

Not only is Phillip Watson a world-renowned landscape designer and author, he also continues to share his plant expertise on the QVC network. Phillip is on the garden advisory panel for Stratford Hall and is a frequent judge at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Major exhibits include the Royal Chelsea Flower Show in London, The New England Flower Show, and The New York Flower Show. He currently lives and gardens in West Chester, PA.

Music by Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virginia Choir

Bourbon and Boxwood

Saturday, September 28 from 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Join us at the Mary Washington House under the stars for our signature fundraising event. Enjoy a great evening in and around the gardens with live music, wonderful people, bourbon tastings, delicious food and libations, and an exciting silent auction all while we raise funds for the maintenance, preservation, and educational programs of all five WHM properties. This event sells out each year and is one you don’t want to miss.

Food by Dori Farrell Catering

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Russian white house tours.

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Visit Russian White House

When you've spent a bit of time at this Moscow City Centre historic government building, why not make your way to Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral, and Bolshoi Theatre? They're near Russian White House and also a favorite with many travelers.

Popular places to visit

• Arbat Street

You can learn about the history of Moscow with a visit to Arbat Street. Take in the acclaimed theater scene in this culturally rich area.

See great and small creatures at Russia’s largest zoo, which can entertain both children and adults for many hours.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

You can find out about the history of Moscow when you stop by Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Experience the acclaimed theater scene and fascinating museums in this culturally rich area.

Cinema Museum

Rich with history, Cinema Museum is a cultural attraction worth visiting in Moscow. Experience the acclaimed theater scene and fascinating museums in this culturally rich area.

Embassy of the United States of America

After visiting Embassy of the United States of America, make a plan to see the other sights and activities in Moscow. Experience the area's acclaimed theater scene and fascinating museums.

Presnya Historical Memorial Museum

You can browse the exhibits at Presnya Historical Memorial Museum, a museum with a story of its own, during your travels to Moscow. Experience the fascinating museums and acclaimed theater scene in this culturally rich area.

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9 Things to See in Moscow's Red Square

 Sir Francis Canker/Getty Images

In most cases, you'll be entering Red Square from the north, passing landmarks such as the Bolshoi Theatre and Duma parliament building as you make your way southward. Although you don't necessarily have to pass through the Voskresensky (or Resurrection in English) Gates in order to gain access to the square these days, they definitely provide a sense of arrival, to say nothing of the way their left arch frame's St. Basil's Cathedral if you look from just the right angle.

An interesting fact is that while a gate of some kind has stood here since the mid-16th century, the one you currently see wasn't built until 1994, having been destroyed in 1931 so that tanks could enter and exit Red Square during military parades.

St. Basil's Cathedral

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson 

Few sights are as iconic not only of Moscow and Red Square but indeed of Russia than St. Basil's Cathedral, whose colorful, onion-shaped domes are a symbol of the country around the world. Officially known as the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, this church has stood since 1561, which is quite miraculous when you consider all the turbulent history that has transpired since then.

Among other things, religion was severely prohibited during the Soviet period , which led some to believe that this emblem of the Russian Orthodox church might not withstand the tenure of the USSR. 

An interesting fact is that St. Basil's is the so-called "Kilometer Zero" of Russia; all of Moscow's main roads (which can take you anywhere in Russia) begin at the exits to Red Square. In this way, St. Basil's iconic status also has an extremely tangible element.

The Kremlin

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson

When you think of The Kremlin, it's unlikely that positive images enter your mind. The fact that simply saying the word "Kremlin" is too vague a descriptor (most Russian cities have their own Kremlin complexes; you should say "Moscow Kremlin") notwithstanding, this misunderstood place is incredibly beautiful, even if you don't like the policy that comes out of it.

Senate Square

In spite of its name, which refers to the role the building that rises above the square played during Imperial Russia, Senate Square is actually home to Russia's presidential administration, currently helmed by Vladimir Putin. In order to see where Russia's legislature operates from, walk just outside Red Square to the Duma parliament building.

Dormition Cathedral

Dating back to the year 1479, the gold-domed Dormition Cathedral pays homage to an Orthodox religious feast that commemorates the death of the Virgin Mary . As is the case with St. Basil's, it is curious that such a conspicuously religious structure was able to survive through the Soviet period.

Armoury Chamber

Though it takes its name from the fact that it housed Russia's royal arsenal when it was built in the 16th century, the most notable resident of the Kremlin's Armoury Chamber today is the Russian Diamond Fund.

Notable Kremlin Towers

Robert Schrader

The interior of the Moscow Kremlin is more beautiful and inviting than you'd expect, but the walls and towers that rise around it better live up to the intimidation with which the complex is associated. 

Borovitskaya Tower

Named to commemorate the dense forest that once stood atop the mount where it's built, this tower is extremely picturesque. Built in the late 15th century, it's visible from most places in the square, and also as you walk along the Moskva River.

Nikolskaya Tower

Also built in the year 1491, this tower currently suffered destruction at the hands of Napoleon's army in the 19th century. What you see now is the result of an 1816 re-design and renovation, though artillery fire during the Russian Revolution also caused superficial damage to the tower, named to honor St. Nikolas of Mozhaysk , so it's difficult to know which elements of it are original.

Spasskaya Tower

Known in English as the "Savior's Tower," this iconic, star-topped tower is perhaps the best-known of all the Kremlin's towers. Built in 1491 like the other two towers on this list, it's certainly the most photographed. As a result of its proximity to St. Basil's, it often makes its way into tourists' pictures.

Mausoleum of Lenin

Just as it's strange to learn how many religious monuments survived through the Soviet period, it's a bit odd to think that Lenin's preserved body still sits in a mausoleum just beneath the walls of the Kremlin on Red Square, given the lack of consensus about the ultimate impact of his Revolution, even in Russia.

It's not guaranteed that you'll be able to see the body (which, believe it or not, seems to be improving with age ) when you go, and if you do you will likely have to wait in line, but even strolling past the outside of the Lenin Mausoleum, flanked by stone-faced guards that almost look like statues, illuminates the gravity of his body still being here.

GUM Shopping Center

You might cringe, at least initially, when you realize that one of the most iconic stops on a tour of Red Square is a department store—until you see said department store, that is. Built in 1893 and known during Soviet times as the State Department Store, GUM  ( Glávnyj Universáľnyj Magazín​ or Main Universal Store in English) hearkens back to the grandeur of the late 19th century, both seen from the outside (especially, when lit up at night) and the interior, which might have you feeling like you're further west in Europe.

A trip inside GUM is a particularly good idea during winter, when frigid temperatures outside will have you savoring the heat, the quality of souvenirs, confections and other goods sold inside notwithstanding. Also, make sure not to confuse GUM with CDM, which sits near the Bolshoi Theatre, even though both are stunning and iconic in their own right.

State Historical Museum

The Russian State Historical Museum is located near Voskresensky Gates, though you should wait until after you've seen the first few attractions of Red Square and the Kremlin to head back there and go inside. To be sure, as you pass by its facade (whose late-19th century grandeur somewhat obscures that fact that it's currently a museum accessible to the public) you might not even think to try and gain entry.

Once inside the museum, you can plan to spend at least a couple of hours, given that artifacts here date back to the very beginning of the Russian state in the ninth century. As is the case with GUM, this will be a particularly alluring prospect if you visit in winter, when Moscow is arguably at its most beautiful, but certainly at its least tolerable. 

Minin-Pozharsky Monument

It's somewhat easy to disregard this monument, which pays homage to the two Russian princes who ended the so-called "Time of Troubles" in the mid-16th century, during which Polish-Lithuanian forces occupied Russia, among other awful things including a famine. That's because the statue currently sits just at the base of St. Basil's Cathedral, which makes it very difficult to photograph or even see without being overwhelmed by that much more famous edifice.

Though the statue originally sat at the very center of Red Square, it came to be an obstacle to the movement of tanks during the Soviet period, much like the Voskresensky Gates. As a result, authorities moved it during that time, and it's stayed where you currently find it ever since.

Kazan Cathedral

Taken by itself, the smokey-pink Kazan Cathedral is an architectural marvel; originally built in the 17th century, the church you find here today, located just north of the GUM department store, dates back only to 1993.

Unfortunately, since it sits not only in the shadow of GUM, but also in the shadow St. Basil's and the Towers of the Kremlin, it's easy to miss entirely if you aren't looking. As a result, you might wait until you've seen just about everything else in Red Square before coming here to take photos, and to appreciate the understated beauty of this oft-overlooked cathedral.

Moskva River

As you head south from St. Basil's Cathedral to exit Red Square, make sure to walk onto Bolshoy Moskvoretskiy Bridge, which crosses the Moskva River. If you look due north, you can get an excellent shot of the church framed, on the left, by the towers of the Kremlin. Directing your gaze a bit to the west allows you to see the skyscrapers of Moscow City as they rise above the Kremlin's walls.

Walking westward along the riverbank is also a worthwhile excursion, for the views it provides of Red Square and the Kremlin, as well as the fact that doing so takes you to other iconic Moscow attractions, including Gorky Park and the Pushkin Museum. The views you enjoy from the river and the bridge are particularly stunning at night, though you should make sure you bring a tripod if you want to get a clear picture, given how strong winds over and near the river can be.

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