How to Capture Old Town Alexandria With Your Dog in Photos

Archie standing on the cobblestone surface of Prince Street in Old Town Alexandria with historic brick row houses and a tree-lined street in the background. — Prince Street's cobblestones and mature tree canopy create one of the most recognizable backdrops for photographing your dog in Old Town Alexandria.

The travel photos I treasure most have one thing in common.

I've held onto them for years, not necessarily because they're perfectly composed or beautifully lit, but because every time I come across one, it takes me right back to where we were.

That's the boardwalk where the Atlantic suddenly opened up in front of us at Butler Beach. That's the colorful street we wandered through in St. Augustine. That's the quiet brick sidewalk where we spent the morning exploring Old Town Alexandria.

The goal isn't simply to photograph your dog—it's to capture the experience of exploring Old Town together.

This isn't a guide to photography. It's a guide to choosing locations that capture the character of Old Town Alexandria.

A close-up of your dog can be a wonderful photo. But it could have been taken almost anywhere. When the brick sidewalks, colorful row houses, the historic tunnel, and the Potomac waterfront become part of the frame, the photo instantly feels like Old Town Alexandria.

Archie standing inside Wilkes Street Tunnel in Old Town Alexandria beside the yellow center line with historic stone walls and the tunnel entrance visible in the distance. — Wilkes Street Tunnel is one of Old Town Alexandria's most recognizable photo locations, with historic stone walls and a dramatic perspective that naturally draws your eye through the scene.

If you're visiting for the first time, you may also want to read my complete guide to visiting Old Town Alexandria with a dog before you begin this walk.

The photo walk that follows is designed to do exactly that.

This self-guided photo walk takes you through some of Old Town Alexandria's most recognizable streets, landmarks, and waterfront parks, with each stop offering a different opportunity to capture both your dog and the character of the neighborhood.

Start on King Street

Historic buildings, brick sidewalks, and pedestrians along King Street in Old Town Alexandria on a sunny day. — King Street blends historic architecture, brick sidewalks, and local shops, making it one of the most recognizable places to photograph your dog in Old Town Alexandria.

No walk through Old Town Alexandria feels complete without King Street. It's where most visitors begin, and within just a few blocks you'll find many of the details that define Old Town—red brick sidewalks, historic storefronts, colorful row houses, outdoor cafés, and the lively energy that makes the neighborhood so welcoming.

It's the perfect place to begin telling the story of your day.

Step back and include more than just your dog. The red brick sidewalks, historic storefronts, and café-lined streets are what transform a great photo of your dog into a photo that could only have been taken in Old Town Alexandria.

You don't need to search for a landmark or wait for the perfect pose. Sometimes it's your dog walking beside you on the brick sidewalks, waiting outside a coffee shop, or pausing in front of one of the historic storefronts that becomes the photograph you remember.

If you're planning to stop for coffee along the way, you'll find several of my favorites in Coffee to Pup Cups: 6 Stops in Old Town Alexandria With Dogs.

As you continue east, turn onto Prince Street. The atmosphere changes almost immediately.

Wander Along Prince Street

Cobblestone Prince Street in Old Town Alexandria lined with historic brick row houses, mature trees, and original cobblestones. — Prince Street's original cobblestones, mature tree canopy, and historic row houses make it one of the most photogenic streets in Old Town Alexandria.

Prince Street is one of my favorite places to photograph my dogs because it captures so much of Old Town's character.

Lined with beautifully preserved historic homes and a canopy of mature trees, it feels quieter, cozier, and more tucked away than nearby King Street.

For even more peaceful places to explore, take a look at quiet streets and brick paths in Old Town Alexandria.

tan dog at gate — Some of Old Town Alexandria's best photo spots aren't landmarks at all. Sometimes it's a beautiful gate, a brick sidewalk, and a quiet side street that capture the neighborhood just as well.

As you wander, look beyond the houses themselves. Wrought-iron gates and railings, brick garden walls, tree-lined sidewalks, and quiet residential corners are some of the details that give Prince Street its unmistakable character. Including those elements in your photos helps tell the story of where you explored.

Don't worry if your dog won't hold still. Prince Street is one of those places where movement often makes the photograph feel more natural. A dog strolling along the brick sidewalks, pausing beside a wrought-iron gate, or stopping to investigate a doorway often captures the feeling of exploring Old Town better than a perfectly posed sit.

Stop at the Spite House

One of Old Town's most recognizable landmarks is also one of its smallest.

The Spite House is most recognizable when it's photographed in context. Including the neighboring homes reveals just how incredibly narrow it is and creates a photo that instantly says "Old Town Alexandria."

If your dog will sit for a quick photo, great. The stillness gives the unusual proportions of the Spite House a chance to stand out. But if your dog would rather keep walking, that's perfectly okay. A casual photo as you pass by often captures the feeling of discovering one of Old Town's most unique landmarks.

Walk Through the Wilkes Street Tunnel

Saydie stands in the foreground inside the Wilkes Street Tunnel in Old Town Alexandria while Archie walks farther ahead toward the bright tunnel entrance. The historic stone walls, arched ceiling, and center yellow line create a dramatic perspective. — The Wilkes Street Tunnel is one of Old Town Alexandria's most recognizable places to photograph your dog.

The Wilkes Street Tunnel almost seems designed for photographs. The weathered stone arches, textured stone walls, and soft natural light naturally frame your dog, making it one of the easiest places in Old Town to create a memorable photo.

As you photograph your dog, be sure to capture the tunnel's sweeping stone arches, strong perspective, and the light at the far end. Those details are what make the Wilkes Street Tunnel instantly recognizable as Old Town Alexandria.

It's one of those photos you'll recognize instantly years from now.

End at the Potomac Waterfront

Archie sniffs the grass at Windmill Hill Park in Old Town Alexandria, with open green space, mature trees, and views of the Potomac River in the background. — Windmill Hill Park offers wide open lawns, mature trees, and river views—making it one of the easiest places in Old Town Alexandria to capture relaxed photos with your dog.

Just a few minutes' walk from the Wilkes Street Tunnel, you'll arrive at Windmill Hill Park, where Old Town opens onto the Potomac River and the atmosphere changes once again.

From here, a nearly two-mile waterfront promenade connects several of Old Town's most beautiful parks, including Windmill Hill Park, Waterfront Park, Founders Park, and Oronoco Bay Park. Along the way, brick streets give way to marinas, sailboats, docks, rocky shoreline, and wide views across the Potomac, creating a completely different backdrop for your photos.

If you'd rather spend your visit along the river, my Old Town Alexandria waterfront walk follows the promenade from end to end.

Or continue all the way to Jones Point Park, one of my favorite quieter waterfront destinations.

Saydie stands on a grassy shoreline overlooking sailboats and docks at a marina along the Old Town Alexandria waterfront during sunset. — The marinas along Old Town Alexandria's waterfront offer peaceful river views and a different perspective for photographing your dog.

This is where I usually slow down and let my dogs explore. Their curiosity often determines the photos we take. They stop to watch ducks and geese along the shoreline, become fascinated by pigeons gathering nearby, or simply stand quietly looking out across the river.

Rather than asking your dog to pose, let their curiosity guide the moment. The river, boats, shoreline, and open views naturally become part of the photograph, creating images that capture the quieter ending to your walk through Old Town.

Archie stands on shoreline rocks watching ducks on the Potomac River beside a dock along the Old Town Alexandria waterfront. — The quieter sections of Old Town Alexandria's waterfront are perfect for photographing your dog with the Potomac River, docks, and passing waterfowl in the background.

Some of my favorite waterfront photos aren't of my dogs looking at me—they're of them looking out across the Potomac. Those quiet moments often become the photographs that bring me right back to our time exploring Old Town Alexandria.

If you're still feeling adventurous, continue south to Tide Lock Park or all the way to Jones Point Park. They offer an even quieter ending to the walk, and I cover that extended route in my Old Town Alexandria Waterfront Walk if you'd like to keep exploring.Continue to Tide Lock Park

Archie walks along the paved waterfront path at Tide Lock Park in Old Town Alexandria, with the Potomac River and leafy trees lining the shoreline. — The quiet waterfront path at Tide Lock Park offers river views, mature trees, and a peaceful setting for photographing your dog away from the busiest parts of Old Town.

Just beyond the busiest part of the waterfront, Tide Lock Park offers something completely different.

The historic canal lock, weathered stonework, and quieter atmosphere makes it feel like a hidden corner of Old Town and provides unique backdrop. It's a wonderful place to slow down before continuing south.

Before You Put Your Camera Away

The best photos from this walk have one thing in common: they capture both your dog and the place.

As you explore Old Town Alexandria, remember to:

Include more than just your dog. The brick sidewalks, waterfront, and historic streets are what tell the story of where you were.
Look for the details that define each location. Wrought-iron gates, the Wilkes Street Tunnel, the Spite House, and the Potomac waterfront are what make these photos unmistakably Old Town.
Don't worry about perfect poses. Some of the most memorable photos happen while your dog is naturally exploring.
Let your dog's curiosity guide the moment. Watching birds, exploring the shoreline, or simply taking in the view often creates more meaningful photographs than looking at the camera.
Photograph the place as much as your dog. Those are the photos that will bring you back to your day in Old Town years from now.

I hope you'll leave Old Town with more than beautiful photographs of your dog.

I hope you'll leave with photographs that instantly bring you back to the places you explored together.

Years from now, you'll come across one of them, smile, and think,

"Oh yes... that was Old Town Alexandria."