Event · Cooking

Discovery Station: The Great Cake De-Constructed — Mount Vernon

When

Through Jan 6 · 10:00 AM–12:00 PMDaily November 18, 2026 – January 6, 2027, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.; not offered December 25.

Where

Donald W. Reynolds Museum & Education Center, George Washington's Mount Vernon3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, VA 22121Open in Google Maps ↗

Ages

All ages welcome

Cost

Included with admission: Adults (12+) $30, Youth (6-11) $16, Children (0-5) free; free for members

Organizer

George Washington's Mount Vernon (Mount Vernon Ladies' Association)

During the holiday season Mount Vernon runs a daily morning discovery station about the Great Cake, a rich holiday cake the Washington family served around Christmas and Twelfth Night. At the station in the Donald W. Reynolds Museum & Education Center, families look at where the cake's ingredients came from, some local and some from around the world, and hear about Doll, an enslaved woman who cooked in Mount Vernon's kitchens for many years. Staff also explain how the recipe survived: Martha Washington's granddaughter Martha Parke Custis wrote it down and passed it through her family. Everyone takes home a copy of the recipe to try at home. The station is a drop-in activity during regular daytime admission, open to all ages, and pairs well with a morning visit to the Mansion and grounds.