LocktoberfestDC: Walking Tour #3 - The Alexandria Aqueduct
About this Event
LocktoberfestDC is a series of free guided walking and biking tours celebrating the three major canals that served 19th-century Washington D.C. Our walking and biking tours are followed by a pay-as-you-go Bavarian-style Oktoberfest celebration.
Our scenic and historic stroll begins at the north end of the parking lot of Teddy Roosevelt Island (note: parking access for Teddy Roosevelt Island is from the northbound right lane of the George Washington Parkway). At the start location, we review the three canals that served Washington D.C. in the 19th-century, with a focus on the Alexandria Canal. The Alexandria Canal was 7 miles long between the port of Alexandria (today's north Old Town) and today's Rosslyn, VA. The Alexandria Canal required only 4 lift locks (all located in the port city of Alexandria) and from there to Rosslyn it was flat, requiring no additional lift locks. The major challenge was building the Alexandria Aqueduct across the Potomac River. We begin our tour by learning about the Rosslyn Culvert, a roadway tunnel beneath the Alexandria Canal. From the start location we will walk underneath today's Key Bridge (wear sturdy shoes), which was built just to the south of the historic Alexandria Aqueduct. We will see the foundation of the Aqueduct's abutment and the last remaining historic pier in the Potomac River. We then retrace our steps and cross the Potomac River over today's Key Bridge. On the north side of Key Bridge, we take a circuitous route to the remains of the Alexandria Canal historic abutment in Georgetown. From there we walk along the C&O Canal to Locks 4 and 3, where we will see an operational lift lock and replica packet boat typical of the 1800s. From here participants are encouraged to join our LocktoberfestDC Celebration which runs 3:00PM-5:00PM
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