George Washington Birthplace National Monument
George Washington Birthplace National Monument is located in the Northern Neck of Virginia. It encompasses 551 acres of land where seven generations of the Washington family lived and where George Washington was born in 1732. The park was also central to one of the earliest efforts to memorialize George Washington during the celebration of his bicentennial birth anniversary in 1932.
About 1 hours from Washington, 1.5 hours from Richmond and 2 hours from Baltimore by car.
Alerts
- InformationThe Picnic Area, Burial Ground, and Potomac River Beach are open Wednesday through Sunday
The Picnic Area, Washington Family Burial Ground, and Potomac River Beach are open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
- InformationThe Visitor Center is open Wednesday - Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Visitor Center is open Wednesday - Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
There is no entrance fee to enter George Washington Birthplace National Monument.
Hours
| Main | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Visitor CenterPassport stamp
The Visitor Center is open Wednesday - Sunday from 9:30 - 4:00. On Mondays and Tuesdays, there are no park staff to assist visitors.
Explore
Things to do
- Birding at the Birthplace
Discover the different species of birds that have called the birthplace home.
Opens on the Park Service site - Attend a George Washington Birthplace Ranger Program45-60 Minutes
Join a park ranger at the visitor center for a short half mile walking tour to explore the stories of this land from Colonial to Colonial Revival.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visiting with Pets
Discover where you can go with your pet on a visit to George Washington Birthplace National Monument.
Opens on the Park Service site - Fishing at the Birthplace30-120 Minutes
George Washington Birthplace National Monument allows fishing as a means of providing for public enjoyment, and customary and traditional use, and regulates fishing to ensure that it is managed in a manner that avoids unacceptable impacts to park…
Opens on the Park Service site - Picnicking at the Birthplace10-90 Minutes
Spending the day at the park? Bring a lunch and enjoy the scenery of the Picnic Area.
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore by bicycle from Westmoreland State Park1 Day
With Westmoreland State Park as a base, ride a loop connected with the Northern Neck Heritage Trail to explore Stratford Hall, the birthplace of George Washington, Colonial Beach, wineries, historic sites and the Potomac River shoreline.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 9Hide
- Bicycle the Northern Neck Heritage Trail1-2 Days
Bicycling between George Washington Birthplace National Monument/Westmoreland State Park and Reedville, Virginia.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hiking the Nature Trail30-50 Minutes
Enjoy a walk along the nature trail at George Washington Birthplace National Monument and experience different habitats that are home to different plants and animals.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hiking the Dancing Marsh Loop Trail30-45 Minutes
Enjoy a walk along the Dancing Marsh Loop Trail at George Washington Birthplace National Monument and experience different habitats that are home to different plants and animals.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Step into the Memorial House Museum10/1410:00 AM · runs through Dec 31 · free
- Archeology Day in the Park10/1710:00 AM · freeStart your archeology experience at the Visitor Center and then walk into the Memorial Area of the park.
- Taken to the Grave10/2406:30 PM · free
- Welcoming Winter: Rekindling Colonial Traditions12/1910:00 AM · freeMemorial Area at George Washington Birthplace National Monument
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthRed Fox 2× · Bald Eagle 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 150 birds, 23 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican kestrel · Cooper's hawk · bald eagle · barn owl · barred owl · black vulture · eastern screech-owl · great horned owl · northern harrier · osprey · red-shouldered hawk · red-tailed hawk · sharp-shinned hawk · turkey vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican black duck · American coot · American wigeon · Canada goose · bufflehead · common goldeneye · common loon · common merganser · double-breasted cormorant · great blue heron · great egret · greater scaup · green heron · green-winged teal · hooded merganser · horned grebe · lesser scaup · mute swan · northern pintail · pied-billed grebe · red-breasted merganser · red-necked grebe · red-throated loon · ring-necked duck · ruddy duck · snow goose · tundra swan · wood duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsCaspian tern · Forster's tern · great black-backed gull · herring gull · killdeer · ring-billed gull · spotted sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesmourning dove · northern bobwhite · rock dove · wild turkey
Woodpeckersdowny woodpecker · hairy woodpecker · northern flicker · pileated woodpecker · red-bellied woodpecker · red-headed woodpecker · yellow-bellied sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftschimney swift · ruby-throated hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian flycatcher · American crow · American goldfinch · American pipit · American redstart · American robin · Cape May warbler · Carolina chickadee · Carolina wren · European starling · Lapland longspur · Sitta canadensis · Swainson's thrush · Tennessee warbler · barn swallow · bay-breasted warbler · belted kingfisher · black-and-white warbler · black-throated blue warbler · black-throated grenn warbler · blue grosbeak · blue jay · blue-gray gnatcatcher · brown creeper · brown thrasher · brown-headed cowbird · canvasback · cedar waxwing · chestnut-sided warbler · chipping sparrow · common grackle · common yellowthroat · dark-eyed junco · eastern bluebird · eastern kingbird · eastern meadowlark · eastern phoebe · eastern towhee · eastern wood-pewee · field sparrow · fish crow · gadwall · golden-crowned kinglet · grasshopper sparrow · gray catbird · great crested flycatcher · hermit thrush · hooded warbler · horned lark · house finch · house sparrow · indigo bunting · magnolia warbler · mallard · northern cardinal · northern mockingbird · northern parula · northern rough-winged swallow · orchard oriole · ovenbird · pine warbler · prairie warbler · purple martin · red crossbill · red-eyed vireo · red-winged blackbird · redhead · rose-breasted grosbeak · ruby-crowned kinglet · savannah sparrow · scarlet tanager · song sparrow · summer tanager · surf scoter · swamp sparrow · tree swallow · tufted titmouse · white-breasted nuthatch · white-crowned sparrow · white-eyed vireo · white-throated sparrow · winter wren · wood thrush · yellow-billed cuckoo · yellow-breasted chat · yellow-rumped warbler · yellow-throated vireo · yellow-throated warbler
Small mammalsBeaver · Eastern Cottontail · Eastern Mole · Gray Squirrel · House Mouse · Marsh Rice Rat · Meadow Vole · Muskrat · Northern Short-tailed Shrew · Norway Rat · Pine Vole · Southern Flying Squirrel · White-footed Mouse
PredatorsGray Fox · Mink · Raccoon · Striped Skunk · red fox · river otter
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
BatsSilver-haired Bat
Also on the checklistVirginia Opossum · Woodchuck
Activities
Activity guides for this park Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 13 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
George Washington Birthplace can be very warm and humid in the summer months while cold and dry in the winter. Spring and fall are the best seasons to visit.
Questions people ask
Does George Washington Birthplace charge an entrance fee?
No. George Washington Birthplace is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at George Washington Birthplace?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at George Washington Birthplace right now?
2 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: The Picnic Area, Burial Ground, and Potomac River Beach are open Wednesday through Sunday; The Visitor Center is open Wednesday - Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Source: Alerts
How busy is George Washington Birthplace?
72,072 recreation visits in 2025, number 242 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at George Washington Birthplace?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 4G LTE. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was George Washington Birthplace established?
1930. It covers about 1.0 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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