Several blog posts ago I mentioned that I did not complete everything there is to do in Alexandria. Recently, I returned to the Northern Virginia (NOVA) area to visit The George Washington Masonic National Memorial. This article serves a companion pieces to my Alexandria blog post. Keep reading till the end to watch my YouTube video about the Masonic Memorial.
The Masonic Memorial Tour
The guided tour goes through some of the rooms of the massive obelisk. The tour begins in the Grand Hall, a massive room with 40-foot columns, two massive murals of George Washington in patriotic scenes, and a giant statue of George Washington at the far end of the Hall. Our tour guide then directed visitors to the Replica Lodge Room, which replicates Alexandria’s original Masonic meeting room. Here I learned the origins of Freemasonry, which begin in the 1600s. The term originates from the mason guilds that would grant the honorary position of “free mason” to prominent men of the community.
The tour makes its way up the building, stopping at two exhibit rooms. The first room talks about all the different Freemason orders. It turns out that there are many different orders including the Shriners. The next room is a two-story room with one floor devoted to the life of George Washington and the other floor talking about the history of the building. Before reaching the observation deck, you stop at the Knight Templar Chapel, the only order of Freemasonry where you must be a Christian.
Then visitors are sent to the observation deck mentioned below. Finally, the tour goes all the way down to the first floor, where you are greeted with a gift shop. The gift shop lacked much of interest, but it’s funny that a secret organization has a gift shop. Besides the gift shop, one can glance inside a giant banquet room and look at a small exhibit about historic Masonic buildings.
The Observation Deck
The observation deck is 300 feet above the ground floor, as well as being on top of a hill. There are panoramic views of Alexandria and the surrounding areas. Unfortunately, the D.C. area is too far away to get great shots, and the modern office buildings completely swamp views of historic downtown Alexandria. Still, I highly recommend The George Washington Masonic Masonic Memorial just for the observation deck.
Interesting Facts About The Building
Here are some facts about the building. First the entire building stands 333 feet tall. President Calvin Coolidge (not a Freemason) laid the building’s cornerstone in 1923. However, construction took so long that the interiors were not completed until the 1970s.
The elevators that visitors go on to tour the building are worth a mention. As the building narrows as it gets to the top, the elevators go up in a 7.5-degree angle. The strangely shaped elevators are as a mix between a rounded square and a triangle and missing a corner. The tour guide revealed this was a purely ascetic choice, as the architect wanted to incorporate Art Deco into an otherwise Greco-Roman building.
How You Visit The Masonic Memorial
Here are some practical tips on visiting The George Washington Masonic National Memorial. The Memorial is open from Thursdays-Mondays, with guided tours at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:30, p.m., 2:00 p.m., & 3:30 p.m. that last about an hour. You may take pictures inside the building, but no use of flash photography. You cannot film inside the building, but they were fine with me filming on the observation deck provided I did not record anyone.
Conclusion
I did not know that the Masonic Memorial was open to the public as a museum until recently. I enjoyed learning about the Freemasons at the Masonic Memorial as it’s a world I know nothing about. The observation deck also makes the Masonic Memorial a unique must-see destination.
Here is my companion YouTube video about The George Washington Masonic National Memorial. This is the first time I’ve tried color grading one of my videos, so let me know if you like it or not.
Restaurants
The George Washington Masonic National Memorial is about 13 minutes away from Old Town Alexandria with its many attractions and restaurants; I recommend Mia’s Italian Kitchen on King Street. I also recommend Dolan Uyghur Restaurant for Uyghur cuisine (a mix of Chinese and Middle Eastern flavors); the closest location is 17 minutes away in Arlington. Read the restaurants recommendations linked above if you want more dining options that are further away.