freedom house museum

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.

A part of our history that is not pretty, but certainly an inspiring story of triumph in spite of the hardships and cruelty. Anyone visiting the area should make it a point to stop here.

Easy to miss, as there is little signage, but this is a very enlightening way to spend an hour or so. You will be "buzzed in" the front door, greeted by an Urban League employee, and then you may proceed downstairs for the self guided tour. Relax and take time to experience the messages. The clothing, window bars, brick walls are authentic and give you a strong feel for what it was like in the slave pen. I went home and researched some of the individuals profiled here, as I never learned these stories in history class. Free admission...happy to make a donation.

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.

Located in the basement of what is touted to have been the largest slave traders' base, this beginning of a museum is worth the stop. If you read all the materials and watch the videos you might spend an hour here. Be sure to leave a donation (there is no entrance fee) to help the Urban League continue to preserve and grow this historic site. Two blocks off King Street, on Duke between Payne and West. (Narrow stairs to the basement, part of which was a holding area for people to be sold as slaves.)

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.

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.