Art Galleries in Old Town Alexandria, VA

Art Galleries in Old Town Alexandria

Old Town's gallery scene is unusually compact: most of it fits inside one building, and the rest is strung along King Street within a twenty-minute walk. The Torpedo Factory Art Center sits at the foot of King Street on the waterfront, with three floors of working studios and ten galleries under one roof, most of them artist-run co-ops. A handful of independent galleries and a community theatre are spread along King Street and the side streets west of the water. This page covers the 17 arts venues in our directory — what each one actually shows, how the Torpedo Factory's galleries differ from one another, and how to see them in a single afternoon.

Start at the Torpedo Factory

The Torpedo Factory Art Center is at 105 N. Union St., where King Street meets the Potomac. It opened as an art center in 1974 and admission is free. The Navy broke ground on it just after World War I and it turned out torpedoes again through World War II; it was converted to studios in the seventies, and the layout still shows it — long open floors, high ceilings, and studio doors on three levels. What makes it different from a museum is that the artists are in the room. Studios are working spaces, not displays, and the people inside are usually happy to talk about what is on the bench. Individual artists keep their own hours, so the building feels fuller on weekend afternoons and quieter on weekday mornings; the center is generally open daily until 6 p.m., but it sometimes closes an hour early for private events, so check torpedofactory.org before a late visit. The Alexandria Archaeology Museum shares the third floor.

The Torpedo Factory galleries, medium by medium

Ten distinct galleries operate inside the building, and knowing which is which saves a lot of wandering. Scope Gallery is ceramics. Multiple Exposures Gallery is photography, run as a long-standing photographers' cooperative. Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery covers weaving, quilting and textile work. Printmakers Inc. and Discover Graphics Atelier both show printmaking, the latter also running printmaking classes and workshops in its printshop. Enamelists Gallery is vitreous enamel on metal, an unusual thing to find a whole gallery devoted to. Fire On Studio 22 is a small artist-run gallery of three-dimensional work — pottery and kiln-formed glass. Van Landingham Gallery shows a rotating mix from its member artists. Target Gallery is the center's own curated exhibition space, with juried shows that bring in work from outside the building. The Art League's gallery is in Studio 21 on the first floor, changes monthly, and has a school attached. The league was founded in 1954 and is, by its own account, among the nation's largest and oldest multi-service organizations for visual artists.

Galleries on King Street and the side streets

Three independent galleries sit outside the Torpedo Factory and are worth the extra blocks. Principle Gallery at 208 King St. has shown contemporary realism since 1994 — oil painting and bronze sculpture, and the most conventionally 'gallery' of the three. The Athenaeum at 201 Prince St. is a Greek Revival building at the top of the cobblestoned block, one street back from the water, home to the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association, with rotating exhibitions of DC, Maryland and Virginia artists and free admission on the days it is open — a short Thursday-through-Sunday window, so confirm before making the trip. Galactic Panther brings a contemporary and pop-leaning program to Old Town and doubles as a small live venue, which makes it the outlier in a neighborhood that otherwise skews traditional.

Live theatre: The Little Theatre of Alexandria

The Little Theatre of Alexandria at 600 Wolfe St. is a volunteer-run community theatre with a full season of plays and musicals in its own building, a few blocks southwest of the waterfront. Unlike everything else on this page it is ticketed and scheduled rather than drop-in, and popular runs sell out, so buy ahead rather than planning to walk up. It rounds out an arts evening well: galleries close in the late afternoon, curtain is later, and there is dinner in between within a couple of blocks.

A walkable gallery route

The whole circuit is roughly half a mile round trip. Start at the Torpedo Factory while studios are staffed and give it an hour — three floors takes longer than people expect. Walk out the front, turn up King Street to Principle Gallery at the 200 block, then cut one block south to Prince Street for the Athenaeum, which puts you on the cobblestone block that is worth seeing regardless of what is hanging inside. From there it is a short walk back down to the waterfront or further up King toward the restaurants. The free King Street Trolley runs between Market Square and the King Street–Old Town Metro — two blocks up from the Torpedo Factory — if you want to skip the uphill return; see our visitor guide for how it works.

Buying art, and getting it framed

Nearly everything in the Torpedo Factory studios and co-op galleries is for sale, usually by the person who made it, and the price range is genuinely wide — small prints and ceramics alongside major canvases. There is no admission and no expectation that you buy, but it is one of the few places in the region where you can meet an artist, see the work in progress and take a piece home the same day. If you end up with something that needs framing, two framing businesses in our directory serve Old Town: Alexandria Picture Framing Company at 110 S. Fayette St., artist-owned and doing archival custom work since 1984, and Framebridge's storefront at 1308 King St. Ask the artist about framing before you leave — many have a recommendation, and some sell work already framed.

When to go, and where to park

Weekday mornings are the quietest time in the Torpedo Factory but also the time when the fewest studios are staffed; weekend afternoons are the reverse. The Torpedo Factory currently runs a monthly late night called Second Friday, 7–10 p.m., during the warmer months — the night of the week has moved more than once over the years, so check the Torpedo Factory calendar or our events page for the current date rather than assuming. Parking is the usual Old Town question: the waterfront garages are closest to the Torpedo Factory, metered street parking runs along King and the cross streets, and the free trolley from the King Street-Old Town Metro means you can skip driving into the historic blocks entirely. Our parking guide covers the garages, the meter rules and the free options in detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Torpedo Factory Art Center free?

Yes. It opened as an art center in 1974 and admission is free, and that includes the working studios and the galleries inside — you only pay if you buy something or sign up for a class. The center is generally open daily until 6 p.m., but it sometimes closes an hour early for private events, so check torpedofactory.org before an evening visit.

How many art galleries are there in Old Town Alexandria?

Our directory lists 17 arts venues in and around Old Town: the Torpedo Factory Art Center itself plus the ten galleries inside it, three independent galleries, one community theatre, and two framing businesses. Most are clustered at the waterfront end, and the rest are strung along King Street within about a twenty-minute walk.

Can you watch the artists work and talk to them?

Yes, and it is the main thing that separates the Torpedo Factory from a museum. The studios are real working spaces open to the public, and artists set their own hours individually. Weekend afternoons have the most studios staffed; weekday mornings are calmer but you will find more closed doors.

Can you buy art at the Torpedo Factory?

Most work in the studios and the cooperative galleries is for sale directly from the artist who made it, across a wide range of prices and media — ceramics, photography, printmaking, fiber, glass, enamel, painting and sculpture. There is no admission charge and no obligation to buy.

Is there an art walk or gallery night in Old Town?

The Torpedo Factory runs a monthly late night called Second Friday, 7-10 p.m., during the warmer months, with open studios, music and activities. The night has moved more than once over the years, so check the Torpedo Factory's calendar and our events page for the current date instead of planning around a fixed weekday.

Where should you park to visit the galleries?

The Torpedo Factory sits at the very foot of King Street, so the waterfront garages are the closest paid option and metered street parking fills the surrounding blocks. The free King Street Trolley runs between the Metro station and Market Square, two blocks up from the Torpedo Factory, which lets you skip driving into the historic core altogether. Our parking guide has the garage locations, meter hours and free options.