HISTORIC GEORGETOWN NEIGHBORHOOD TOURS (1½ - 6 hours) top

One hundred years older than the city of Washington, Georgetown is a neighborhood, filled with fine old homes, was a busy shipping port city throughout the 18^th century. The waterfront supported gun factories, tobacco warehouses, and flour mills. The construction of the C & O Canal in the 19^th century reinforced the commercial character of the city. Laborers and merchants, as well as diplomats, congressmen, and the wealthy society matrons have called this historic city their home. In 1790, the city of Georgetown was ceded by Maryland to become a city within the District of Columbia. Today, Georgetown is a vibrant, historic neighborhood, known for its famous residents, shops, restaurants, wonderful row houses, and Georgetown University. Appointments can be made to tour one or more of the historic sites.

CAPITOL HILL NEIGHBORHOOD TOURS (1½ - 6 hours)  top

The first residential neighborhood to be established in Washington after Congress arrived in 1800 was on Capitol Hill. “The Maples” is the oldest Capitol Hill house; it is now surrounded by a heterogeneous collection of charming and architecturally distinct row houses, churches, and small shops. Among the earliest residents wealthy members of congress who chose to live near the new Capitol building. By the mid-19^th century, behind the grand town homes, tiny alley dwellings were built for some of the city’s poorest laborers. Several generations of Navy Yard workers, beginning in the 1790s, have lived on “The Hill,” and in the early 20^th century, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, the House and Senate Office buildings, and the Folger Shakespeare Library added new dignity to the neighborhood’s architecture. The oldest surviving farmers market still serves as the heart of Capitol Hill, attracting locals who shop for fresh produce on Saturday and little treasures from the flea market on Sunday. Appointments can be made to tour one or more of the historic sites.

LAFAYETTE SQUARE TOURS (1½ - 6 hours)  top

Lafayette Square’s proximity to the president and the White House attracted the powerful and the power-seekers to the neighborhood. Since 1800, the Lafayette Square neighborhood has served as the nation’s gathering place. Stories of love, scandal, diplomacy, tragedy, and success fill every corner of the Square. St. John’s Church was erected there in 1816, and soon after, many lovely brick and stucco homes were constructed for the wealthy and influential citizens of Washington. During the Civil War, the area was used as a military encampment; after the war, it became the most prestigious address for private clubs, and for government and private offices that moved into the residences or replaced them with monumental office buildings. Many of the old homes survive, however, like Decatur House, Blair House, Ashburton House, the Dolley Madison House, and the Renwick Gallery, thanks to the efforts of Jacqueline Kennedy. Appointments can be made to tour one or more of the historic sites.

DUPONT CIRCLE TOURS (1½ - 6 hours)  top

Centered around a lovely circular park and fountain dedicated to Admiral Samuel Francis Dupont, the Dupont Circle neighborhood developed more than 100 years ago, as millionaires built their mansions on the five intersecting streets and avenues that radiate from the circle. The area is a reminder of Washington’s elegant past. Though many of the area’s great homes have been converted in to embassies, apartment buildings, private clubs, or offices, each still has an amazing story to tell. Today the neighborhood flaunts a cosmopolitan atmosphere, with fine restaurants, shops, bookstores, and cafes, while the side streets are lined with delightful, large brick and stone row houses sandwiched between the grand mansions. The Anderson House, the Cosmos Club, and the Phillips Collection are all located in the neighborhood. Appointments can be made to tour one or more of the historic sites.

ADAMS-MORGAN / COLUMBIA HEIGHTS TOURS (1½ - 6 hours)  top

The Adams-Morgan community has a motto of which it is quite proud: “Unity in diversity.” Once a premiere community for the very wealthy, the area has evolved into a cultural collage. During the 1930s and 1940s, the character of the neighborhood changed socially but not architecturally as the war workers moved into the large residences that were being converted, by necessity, into rooming houses. By the 1950s and 1960s a wave of Hispanic immigrants settled in the area as the earlier residents were moving out to the suburbs. Today, the ethnic diversity includes immigrants from Africa and Asia as well. Gentrification has come to part of the area in Adams Morgan and is reaching into the sister neighborhood Columbia Heights. The gracious old apartment buildings and townhouses now support lively antique shops, ethnic restaurants and nightclubs.

FOGGY BOTTOM TOURS (1½ - 6 hours)  top

The Foggy Bottom neighborhood is an continually evolving area. During the early 19^th century, this area was desolate and marshy, filled with wharves, brickyards, a glass factory, and served as home to the blue-collar laborers. The first Naval Observatory was established on a bluff near the Potomac River. Military troops were encamped there during the Civil War. Later, gas works and breweries in Foggy Bottom supported a workforce of German emigrants, while wealthy citizens built many fine houses on the high ground nearby. In the early 20^th century, George Washington University moved into the area, and today many government and non-government office buildings have replaced the old row houses on many of Foggy Bottom’s blocks. The Kennedy Center replaced one of the old breweries. Today, the neighborhood is filled with surprises from the pst hidden among the monumental development of the present.

OTHER SAMPLE WALKING TOURS (1½ - 6 hours) top

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA – THE OLD TOWN

ARLINGTON CEMETERY

ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE NATIONAL CATHEDRAL

CHINATOWN NEIGHBORHOOD

CLEVELAND PARK / WOODLEY PARK NEIGHBORHOODS

CONGRESSIONAL CEMETERY

CONSTITUTION AVENUE, NW - THE FEDERAL BUILDINGS

EMBASSY ROW / MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, NW

FEDERAL TRIANGLE / PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW

FOREST GLEN, MARYLAND

GLEN EHCO, MARYLAND

GREENBELT, MARYLAND

INDEPENDENCE AVENUE, SW – THE FEDERAL BUILDINGS

JUDICIARY SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD

KALORAMA NEIGHBORHOOD

MT. PLEASANT NEIGHBORHOOD

OAK HILL CEMETERY

ROCK CREEK CHURCH CEMETERY

SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT NEIGHBORHOOD