Mercy Street Alexandria Virginia – Free Walking Tour

Do you watch the PBS show Mery Street? Well, I love the show and watch it regularly when I am home. It’s about Alexandria VA, during the Civil War. Mercy Street is the story of an occupied city, the refugees (black slaves that ran away from slavery in the southern states ) and the southern families that lived under occupation in Virginia.

When I went to Alexandria my goal was to make a special trip to look for Mercy Street. The t.v show, one of my favorites, has actual real locations in Alexandria, VA. My goal was to find the real historical sites and locations that the show memorializes.

Here is my story about my adventure searching for the locations and what to see when you are in Alexandria, VA. My ideas from this post create a Free Self-Paced Walking Tour so you can see the real Mercy Street Alexandria Virginia – for Free.

The Real Locations, ‘PBS’ Mercy Street Alexandria Virginia

At the Tourism office, I looked into going on a Full tour and they provided the information and map below that I used. The information was confusing at the tourist office. There are a lot of Mercy Street tour options. So, I decide, like I usually do when I am confused, I did nothing. Taking the map my feet followed the path as the hunt began. It turns out it’s super easy and a fun walk.

So check this out. This is a self-guided tour and it hits all the main spots featured on the show. You don’t have to pay anything and you go at your own pace. The map showed me where to go, so I started the scavenger hunt. You can learn more about the Mercy Street Self-Guided Tour.

Source Alexandria Tourism

Mercy Street Addresses

• Carlye House – 121 N. Fairfax  St, Alexandria, VA 22314
• Stabler – Leadbeater Apothecary – 105 N. Fairfax  St, Alexandria, VA 22314
• Green Furniture Factory – where free blacks and whites worked – 201 N. Fairfax St, Alexandria, VA 22314
• Lyceum Mansion – 201 S. Washington Street St, Alexandria, VA 22314
• Franklin and Armfield Slave Officer Marker (cover photo)- 1315 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
• Contraband and Freeman Cemetery – 1001 S. Washington Street (at the corner of Church Street) Alexandria, VA 22314

The Scope on the Mercy Street Tours

The day I did the walking tour it was sweltering hot, but I enjoyed it. If you want to go on a narrated tour, these both look good. The Alexandria Colonial Tours the Mercy Walk or The Military Mercy Street Tour.  The military tour focuses on the war history of the Civil War. My dad used to take Civil War tours. He would have loved it. Now I understand why. The historical tour tells a story about the past. The stories focus on the why, what and how behind the city of Alexandria. National Parks tours are worth the time to take because they teach you the implication behind the events.

The Mercy Street Tours Are the Real Historical Locations

Other Mercy Street Tours also may explain the Civil War story behind the show, so if you want to learn more about the history of the PBS t.v. show and see the real locations, try any of these Mercy Street Tours.

• For an overview visit the Alexandria’s Mercy Street Listings
• If you want to take a tour then check out Mercy Street Tour Page
• Next, for information about colonial Alexandria to try Alexandria Colonial Tours story oriented
• Last, but certainly, not least try the DC Military Tours: www.dcmilitarytour.com

A shout out to the flower shop, my favorite florist in the neighborhood florist.

The Enchanted Florist, in Old Town Alexandria

They helped me find the locations of some of the buildings on the Mercy Street walking tour and the little scavenger hunt.

The Locations

Carlye House

Stabler – Leadbeater Apothecary

Green Furniture Factory

Green Furniture Factory

The factory’s current neighborhood

Lyceum Mansion

The original Alexandria lighthouse lantern

Contraband and Freeman Cemetery

Cover Photo Plaque