stabler-leadbeater apothecary museum

S8889ABjosephm

Great museum in the heart of Old-Town. This apothecary served the likes of George & Martha Washington, Robert E. Lee, and everyone in between. The tour guides are very well versed in the history of the Apothecary, as well as the function of the herbs & extracts,The guided tour is $4 and takes about 30-40 minutes. The guides encourage asking questions as there's far too-much history in this building to simply just rattle it all off. Lots of great photo ops in here!Come earlier when the tours are less crowded-- you'll get more information and better pictures!

PetePope1

Still has the chair that George Washington used to sit in while the pharmacist was making his pills and potions on his day trips from Mt. Vernon.. Interesting display of period tinctures and remedies.

GidgitTravels5

Visited with my mother- what a hidden treasure! Preserved from the turn of the 20th century, the architectural features are gorgeous. You can see the ledger of transactions from notable customers like Robert E Lee and George Washington. Upstairs where the paint was mixed is a mini Harry Potter-like potions room. The tour was in depth and very interesting. Though we went on a weekend, they weren't too busy. A must visit in Old Towne

ShellyWDesigns

Great staff, lots to learn, and overall great experience. We went as a homeschool field trip with several other families. We were treated to interactive hands on lessons on how minerals, plants and compounds are/were used and combined to make medicine and tinctures. Our guide even explained how certain teas, liquids and oils were/are used for medicinal purposes. One of my favorite parts was getting to view the antique glass bottles, etc. Make your trip early in the day Mon-Wed to avoid the rush. Remember to treat your docents/guides with respect and courtesy. A small donation goes a long way upon arrival.

cracklinob

Who would have thought that a pharmacy would make a good museum? Well, this sure does. The Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum was somehow preserved through time and offers modern visitors a gilmpse into the past. I would recommend this attraction to anyone, but especially to history buffs and anyone interested in medical/pharmacy topics.I visited with my wife and child. There's a great gift shop and many different areas within the museum. I live in the city and will be back!

RBucz

I had heard of this museum for years and finally went when family was visiting for the 5th time and we were running out of monument and memorials to visit. It's a small museum but totally worth the time if you're already near Old Town Alexandria. The tour guide was very knowledgeable, easily fielding questions from adults and some pre-teen boys who were fascinated by some of the gorier aspects of early medicine. The gift shop is cute and has some old-fashioned cookbooks and other novelty items. It was a very interesting slice of Alexandria's history!

ndm685

the tour guide was very well versed in old pharmacy and drug terms. Very well preserved building. We loved the original storage bins.

29Ice

This was a cool museum to walk through. Most of what you see is original, and this place is very old for a U.S. building.

annacat

small cost for tour guide, but spent about an hour chatting to her, museum saved as it would have been in its opening days. Original jars and bottles with some original contents. Upstairs in the store room, they had mandrake root and dragons blood and have Harry Potter talks on Harrys birthday, we were the only ones taking the tour so it was very easy to ask questions.

sldrd

Loved looking at the old drug store with all the original furnishings, got to go upstairs & see when they made the medicines & see everything. If you love history & seeing things in their original previous state don't miss this museum.

MikeD56

Definitely worth a visit. See life as it was and learn about how much medicine and health has changed in the past couple hundred years. Fascinating experience. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable and was open to questions.

TryppAdams

This museum is worth a stop and adds a nice diversion to the shops of Alexandria. Our energetic and entertaining host brought us through the museum and told several stories, drawing connections to the recession, harry potter and modern day Alexandria. The tour runs $5 and is on the half hour. The gift shop also offers a plethora of Apothecary items. Even if you don't take a tour, I suggest you poke your head in and see how life used to be. These people had one up on Martha Stewart when it came to organization.

Galaxy775

This little museum is just awesome. All you need is an hour but it is a very well spent hour listening about the history of the shop and browsing through all medicinal bottles and curious things.

TravelerSusan59

This small apothecary shop in Old Town Alexandria is an interesting glimpse into the past. On a short tour, you are shown what a drugstore looked like hundreds of years ago. Many of the original bottles are still on the shelves, giving visitors an excellent idea of what types of "medicines" people used to take to (hopefully) cure their maladies. This place is definitely worth a visit!

Satchmoocat

Wow...what a great little slice of history! We really enjoyed the museum and the tour was very informative. The cost is only $5 and there is an ecoupon on their website for $1 off.If you're visiting Old Town Alexandria, this is a quick must-see attraction!