New Ford Orientation Center.
The new 30,200-SF Ford Orientation Center at George Washington’s Mount Vernon welcomes visitors to the historic estate. The center includes ticketing, information services, a small retail operation, visitor comfort facilities and two theatres with total seating for 450, as well as orientation and education exhibits including “Mount Vernon in Miniature,” a working model of the mansion. The theatres feature a 15-minute introductory film about the life of George Washington.
Materials were carefully chosen in order to be compatible with the estate setting, positioning the new Orientation Center behind a historic boundary wall prevalent throughout the estate, making it virtually invisible from the mansion.
The Center’s lobby features an elliptical floor-to-ceiling wall of glass that embraces a picturesque clearing with views to the pasture beyond. As visitors are introduced to the myriad of activities available on the estate and plan their tours, the light-filled space gives them a continuous visual connection to the site.
Upon exiting the orientation theatres, visitors are re-immersed in the environment as they embark on the “Woodland Walk.” The redesigned circulation paths enable visitors to experience the approach to the mansion in much the same way that Washington did hundreds of years ago.
Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center.
The new 41,000-SF Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center, a state-of-the-art complex, featuring multi-media exhibits, classrooms and distance learning facilities focused on providing innovative learning opportunities for school children, families and researchers.
The new Museum showcases objects relating to the life and times of George Washington. A 5,000-SF exhibit space features artifacts from Washington’s time. In addition, the education center also houses a 1,000-SF changing exhibit area. The facility’s Revolutionary War Theater offers a 12-minute multimedia presentation showcasing Washington’s role in three major battles – Boston, Trenton and Yorktown – and provides viewers the ultimate in theatrical entertainment: snow, rumble seats and fog.
Ensuring that this significant amount of new construction would not overwhelm or detract from the historic mansion was a critical driver in the design process. By tucking the majority of the large complex under the four-acre pasture just inside Mount Vernon’s main gate, the design guarantees that the new building has a quiet presence on the estate. The pastoral setting and viewsheds to and from the mansion are preserved and traditional Hogg Island sheep, like those Washington raised, graze in the pasture above.
The infusion of natural light into the lobby and main circulation corridors at all levels eases the transition to the lower level, and visitors often never realize they are underground.
The estate and gardens are open to the public 365 days a year, with varying hours throughout the summer, fall and winter.
