Market Square, Alexandria, VA — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Market Square in Old Town Alexandria is home to the oldest farmers' market in the United States that has been held continuously at the same site. That record stretches back over 260 years, and one of its earliest vendors was a certain George Washington, who sent his produce from Mount Vernon to be sold here. The square was established just a few years after Alexandria was founded in 1749, centrally located in the colonial settlement. In its earliest days, it was little more than a rough field where housewares, meat, animals, and farm produce were sold to locals. By the late 18th century, permanent structures went up, and the square became a prime location for shops, taverns, and warehouses. By the start of the Civil War, buildings framed the entire block, and the marketplace had been reduced to an interior courtyard accessed by small alleys. The current City Hall was built between 1871 and 1874, with colonial-style additions facing the plaza added in the 1960s. Today, the Old Town Farmers' Market still runs every Saturday morning, year-round, carrying on a tradition that predates the United States itself. King Street, which leads from the square to the waterfront, has been recognised as one of America's great streets for its blend of 18th-century colonial history and 21st-century commerce. If you're exploring Alexandria on a Questo quest, Market Square is a natural starting point. The layers of history here, from colonial marketplace to Civil War to the present, make every corner worth a closer look.