D.C.’s Best Political Tours
From the governmental epicenter of the modern world to one-time Presidential retreats, these Washington D.C. tours are the closest the average citizen will get to the political process. Whether you’d prefer walking the Senate floor with your local representative or languishing on the grounds of Mount Vernon, these tours assure a full and rewarding experience of our nation’s capital.
Free Public Tours of the Capitol
These daily tours run on a first come-first served basis; interested participants must first visit the Mall’s ticketing kiosk to enroll. The basic tours cover the famous Rotunda, some meeting spaces, and old Senate chambers, and are fairly limited in scope. Anyone interested in a more in-depth experience should contact his or her local representative. Many Congress-people engage in the occasional guided tour, and they’ll get you into spaces that the interns can’t. It’s certainly worth the e-mails and phone calls to be able to witness the legislative process in action.
White House Tours
While spoof site whitehouse.org may lead you to believe that White House tours are sickeningly pricey ($250 a head) and adherent to a strict dress code of slogan tees, actual 1600 tours are free and fairly informal. Furthermore, they’re consistently the highest-rated of D.C.’s political tours. Visitors enjoy the Presidential art collection and the vigilant, 24/7 protesters in equal measure. While an encounter with the big cheese is unlikely, tour participants describe the White House experience as unforgettable.
Spy City Tour
This tour promises a few dozen stops at espionage’s most storied destinations. Sites include the nominally mundane, like office buildings, hotels, and restaurants, and guides assure that you’ll never look at a normal location in the same way again. What’s more exciting is the mission that every tour entails: participants obtain coded, classified information and must decipher an important message to deliver to headquarters before tour’s end. To truly hone your undercover skill set, visit the International Spy Museum, the tour’s parent organization.
Civil War Washington: Soldiers and Citizens
Cultural Tourism D.C., a nonprofit coalition focused on the city’s heritage and arts, offers this extensive bus tour to private groups. Participants follow the paths of infantry soldiers from downtown to Fort Stevens, pausing at the preserved Lincoln Cottage for a walk through the President’s seasonal digs. Other stops include the African American Civil War Memorial in the U Street district, and the time on the coach is entirely informative. Cultural Tourism’s website promises that you’ll learn “about Matthew Brady’s attempts to photograph the battlefield, Clara Barton’s tireless efforts on behalf of missing persons, and John Wilkes Booth’s assassination of President Lincoln.”
Mount Vernon Tour
If you’ve got any desire to get out of the city and explore the countryside, Tourmobile’s Mount Vernon jaunt is an efficient and informative means. A coach bus takes participants through Old Town Alexandria, one of metro D.C.’s most charming areas, and out into the Virginia countryside, to the grounds of George Washington’s fabled estate. Visitors are free to explore the mansion and its gardens and grounds, which include a museum and education center. More than just an escape into idyll, this tour is a must for history buffs.
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Categories: Things to Do
