I have been to Mount Vernon before and it was fabulous! The place is rich with history. I unfortunately have to write about how disappointed I was this visit. I bought timed tickets for the tour. When we got there we had to wait on a pretty quick moving line. The line was quick moving because they were herding people through the house. When I had visited previously, you got a tour guide , stopped in every room and listened to some fascinating history. This time was very different. The docents were stationed in every room. And were talking as you entered each room but you were not allowed to actually stop and listen and you could not take a minute to even look around. Not only did they have docents in every room, but they had people stationed at every doorway to make sure the line kept moving. I paid for what I was told an hour tour, but we were done in 15 minutes. When I complained to a manager, I was told I could get on line and go through the house again. Of course, I could because no one actually took or looked at my timed tickets. I could not bring myself to give less the 3 stars, even though I feel like this visit was a waste of money. The grounds are beautiful, there is a lot to see & learn on your own and the history is interesting, but this visit was not the best.