Photo courtesy of Mount Vernon Ladies Association
Greenhouse Slave Quarters at Mount Vernon
On Juneteenth, George Washington’s Mount Vernon will unveil a new permanent exhibit, Lives Bound Together: Slavery at Mount Vernon. This exhibit explores the lives of the 317 enslaved people who resided and worked at George Washington’s Five Farms, gristmill, and distillery. The exhibit is installed within the former quarters of the historic area at Mount Vernon.
There will be an invitation-only reception and exhibition ribbon-cutting event at 6 p.m. on June 18. Speakers will include Anne Neal Petri, regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association; Doug Bradburn, president and CEO of Mount Vernon; Sheila Coates, president and founder of Black Women United for Action and Dr. Julie Sumner, chair of the League of the Descendants of the Enslaved at Mount Vernon. Curators will provide a preview of the exhibition following the remarks.
Also in recognition of Juneteenth, Mount Vernon is hosting Freedom Before Emancipation: Family Day on June 19, 20, and 21, 2025.
“The important stories of the enslaved men, women, and children at Mount Vernon are part of the fabric of the estate’s history,” said Doug Bradburn, Mount Vernon president and chief executive officer. “Their innovation, resilience, skill, and humanity shaped Mount Vernon and are essential to understanding the full legacy of George Washington and our nation's founding. It is with great pride that we open the new Lives Bound Together exhibit so that we honor their legacy and educate our visitors about their important contributions at Mount Vernon.”
Launching on June 19, 2025, the new Lives Bound Together: Slavery at Mount Vernon exhibit is included in the price of admission to Mount Vernon. For 2025, visitors who purchase an admission ticket at full price now will have unlimited daytime visits to Mount Vernon for the remainder of the year.
Freedom Before Emancipation: Family Day for Juneteenth offers guests a multitude of experiences to discover how enslaved men and women at Mount Vernon defined their agency and learn about the legacies they left behind. Activities include:
- Enslaved People of Mount Vernon Specialty Tours and African American Burial Ground Commemoration Ceremonies
- Spinning, cooking & blacksmith demonstrations
- Exploration of Mount Vernon’s Archaeological Field School to learn about ongoing research on the enslaved people who lived at Mount Vernon
- Music & character performances
Learn more and read the full schedule.
The Lives Bound Together: Slavery at Mount Vernon permanent exhibit uncovers the voices of the enslaved men, women and children at Mount Vernon through artifacts and ancestral histories. At the exhibit, guests can:
- Examine recently excavated archaeological artifacts that highlight the humanity and work of the enslaved people at Mount Vernon.
- Explore a new mural showing the activities that once took place just outside the exhibit space. See how the north lane of the historic area once served as a communal hub for enslaved people, where daily chores, rare moments of recreation, and communal gatherings took place.
- Watch compelling videos of descendants sharing their ancestors’ stories.
- Get to know enslaved individuals like Priscilla, Frank Lee, and Davy Gray through the work they performed and the lives they built despite their enslavement.
- Learn about the legacy of Washington’s decision in his will to free those enslaved to him—the only Founding Father to do so—and the ongoing efforts by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association and its vital community partners to research and share the lives of people enslaved at Mount Vernon.
After visiting the exhibit, guests can also visit the men’s and women’s bunkrooms, the stove room, and the shoemaker’s shop, which provide an immersive experience into daily life at Mount Vernon for enslaved men, women, and children.
Please note that Mount Vernon has embarked upon a landmark Mansion Revitalization project. During visits, preservation teams are restoring the framing, masonry, drainage, and environmental controls of the Mansion, ensuring America’s first president’s home will be ready to receive millions of guests for generations to come. The Mansion will always remain open during this vital work, with individual rooms taken off display as work progresses. The Education Center exhibit on George Washington’s life will be off display for an extensive rebuild until Spring 2026. However, the expansive estate remains open to visitors, including the museum, more than a dozen historic buildings, the gardens and farm, and the Tomb.
Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the oldest national historic preservation organization in the United States. The estate is open to visitors and includes the Mansion, a museum and education center, gardens, tombs, a working farm, a functioning distillery, and a gristmill. It also includes the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon.
