Mount Vernon has a fantastic museum and education center. After we thoroughly explored the grounds, we headed to the museum. Unfortunately we were getting short on time and went through it a little faster than we all would have liked. There are 23 galleries focusing on different aspects of George Washington’s life and the lives of the estate’s slaves.
In the “Discovering the Real George Washington” exhibit, you can follow Washington’s life from youth to colonial officer to Revolutionary War commander to President. There are lots of great artifacts, including Washington’s famous dentures (and no, they are not made of wood!). We enjoyed walking through the exhibits and even took time to stop and take the Presidential Oath of Office!
But my oldest had a one-track mind while we were in the museum. He had read online about an interactive exhibit called “Be Washington” and he could not wait to get there. In this immersive experience, you are presented with 1 of 4 scenarios that Washington faced as president and asked to make a presidential decision to resolve the issue.
- Battle of Second Trenton – “Your daring plan of crossing the Delaware River paid off with great military victories. As Commander in Chief, are you willing to do it again and risk your men’s lives?”
- Newburgh Conspiracy – “Crippling debt and despair has brought the soldiers of your Continental Army to the brink of mutiny. As their Commander in Chief, how will you satisfy their legitimate demands?”
- The Genet Affair – “As President of the United States, will you risk the new republic by joining a world war in support of foreign allies?”
- The Whiskey Rebellion – “An unpopular tax has your new citizens rioting and taking up arms. As President, how will you quell the rebellion while respecting their rights?”
Each scenario takes about 20 minutes. The room has a large video screen and the audience sit at desks with touchscreen computers. The historical situation is explained on screen and the decision laid out. Each participant can then use their touchscreen to consult with several of Washington’s real-life advisers. After gathering all the data and weighing all the opinions, you must make a decision. After all participants vote, you find out what Washington did in real life and see if you would have led like Washington did. We caught the tail end of one scenario and then participated in the Whiskey Rebellion scenario. RB absolutely loved it and would have done all 4 if we had the time.
We thought the museum was really well done. The museum opened in 2006 and still felt brand new. The exhibits were interesting and informative. The hands-on experiences were engaging. We left knowing a lot more about Washington personally, professionally, and politically. As impressive as the grounds are, it is worth setting aside ample time on your visit to Mount Vernon for the museum as well.