A Deep Dive Into America’s Past and Present – 3 Days

Upon your arrival in D.C., you’ll meet your Tour Manager and begin your trip in our nation’s capital! First, you’ll visit the Museum of American History where you’ll explore the richness and complexity of this nation’s past. The Museum collects and preserves more than three million artifacts—all true national treasures. You’ll be able to view everything from the original Star-Spangled Banner and Abraham Lincoln’s top hat to Dizzy Gillespie’s angled trumpet. The collections form a fascinating mosaic of American life and comprise the greatest single collection of American history.

Next, you’ll have free time to explore the Museum of Natural History, the most visited natural history museum in the world. The museum’s collections total over 126 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, and human cultural artifacts.

After lunch, you’ll stop by one of the most recognizable houses in the whole world. The White House is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States, first occupied by John Adams in 1800. You will have a chance to see the North Front of the White House from Lafayette Park where you can take photos and enjoy the view.

In the afternoon, you’ll head to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a place of meaning, of memory, of reflection, of laughter, and of hope with its artifacts and archival documents.

After dinner, you’ll take a guided evening tour of the Memorials including visits to the FDR Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

After breakfast, you’ll visit The United States Capitol, a monument, a working office building, and one of the most recognizable symbols of representative democracy in the world. Your tour will begin with a short introductory film and include stops at the Rotunda and National Statuary Hall.

Next, you’ll enter one of the most magnificent buildings in Washington as you visit the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill. You’ll have some time to admire the architecture and peek into the main reading room.

You’ll also visit the Supreme Court. If time permits and lectures are available, you may see a 25 minute docent lecture in the courtroom about the judicial branch of our government and the role of the Supreme Court.

You’ll have lunch at Union Station. In its heyday the Union Station was the main transportation hub of Washington, servicing more than 100,000 passengers on a single day. The station even had a Presidential Suite, first used by President Taft in 1909. The last of the 17 presidents using the suite was President Eisenhower.

This afternoon you’ll visit the National Archives and see the rotunda where some of our most important documents are stored. You will see an original copy of the U.S. Constitution and an original copy of the Declaration of Independence as well as many other important documents.

Next is the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC. The Museum has thousands of objects on display, including the 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, and a lunar rock you can touch.

After dinner this evening, you’ll take a guided tour of the Memorials including visits to the World War II Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial.

After breakfast this morning you’ll visit Arlington National Cemetery. Here you’ll take a tour and see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Changing of the Guard Ceremony, the Challenger Memorial and the Kennedy Gravesites.

You’ll end the trip with a visit to Mt. Vernon, the home of our first president. You will have a chance to see the film at the visitors center and then tour the home and grounds of the estate.

After lunch your trip comes to an end as you depart for your trip home.