Solid Light Celebrates Opening of New Mount Vernon Exhibit
Solid Light celebrates the opening of a new Mount Vernon exhibit, “George Washington: A Revolutionary Life.” The firm partnered with George Washington’s Mount Vernon as the exhibition’s lead designer, fabricator, and installer. It is now open to the public in Virginia.
The 21,000-square-foot core exhibition is the centerpiece of Mount Vernon’s $20 million Education Center renovation. The estate presents the renovation as its gift to America for the country’s 250th anniversary. The new exhibit replaces the previous exhibition, which opened in 2006.
“We are incredibly honored to have partnered with Mount Vernon on this extraordinary project,” said Mike McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer at Solid Light. “This exhibit takes a powerful, broader look at America’s first president. We’re proud that our team helped create an environment that tells Washington’s fascinating story, all the way from the beginning.”
Inside the Mount Vernon Exhibit
The core exhibition combines complex media, hands-on learning, rare artifacts, tactile exhibits, and facilitated engagement. Together, these elements explore Washington’s life as a surveyor, farmer, citizen, military leader, and president.
Visitors move through four periods of his life in the Great Hall. Additional routes offer a closer look at his experiences and leadership.
Highlights include Washington’s Revolutionary War camp bed, objects from his presidential households, and an early ratification copy of the U.S. Constitution. The exhibition also includes archaeological discoveries and artifacts connected to enslaved people at Mount Vernon.
“By combining extraordinary artifacts, groundbreaking scholarship, immersive experiences, and the latest technology, visitors can explore Washington’s life in ways that simply were not possible before,” said Doug Bradburn. “Most importantly, the exhibition helps people understand not only who Washington was, but why his ideas, leadership, and example still matter today.”
A Collaborative Approach to History
Throughout the five-year project, the team worked alongside historians, educators, and descendant communities to develop the exhibition’s interpretation.
Collaboration with the League of the Descendants of the Enslaved at Mount Vernon helped inform depictions of enslaved individuals’ possible likenesses and stories. This process combined archival imagery, family records, lived memory, emerging AI technology, and digital painting.
Read more about Solid Light’s work on the Mount Vernon exhibit.