Tour Details
- Duration
- 2 hours
- Product Type
- Tour
- Venues
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- Smithsonian Castle
- Washington Monument
- Lincoln Memorial
Photos & Highlights
- An engaging National Mall tour for kids
- Led by an expert who will make history come to life for your family
Select a date
Tour Description
From the Capitol building to the Potomac River, the National Mall stretches over two miles in length, covers over 300 acres and serves as the nation's front yard. On your Washington DC tour for kids, you'll learn how a canal originally ran along the Mall to help transport building materials into the city. We'll discover how the grass changed from a pasture for sheep, to a wooded park and now a field for concerts, demonstrations, and frisbee tournaments. We'll talk about why there are so many important buildings and what role they play in the city and the country as a whole, painting a picture of how Washington, DC has changed and evolved over hundreds of years.
Who, What, When.... and Why
Using the Mall and its natural and built environment as our visual textbook, we'll delve into the planning and building of the capitol, from its unique street plan to the lawmaking bodies and cultural institutions that dominate this central strip of land. We'll also learn about the major monuments and memorials along the Mall—what they stand for, why they were built, and what historical figures or events are associated with them. By the end of our time together, we'll come away with a good foundation on which to explore the rest of the nation's capital.
Our expert will make sure that the whole family feels involved and entertained during the tour.
FAQ
Does this tour go inside of the Lincoln Memorial?
No, it doesn't usually go inside of the Lincoln Memorial because the site is so crowded.
Does this tour include the museums of the National Mall?
No, this tour doesn’t include the museums of the National Mall.
This tour isn’t showing available in the early afternoon in summer, can I book it for then?
In summer we recommend this tour either in the morning or later in the afternoon due to the heat and the crowds.
In summer we recommend this tour either in the morning or later in the afternoon due to the heat and the crowds.
Where You'll Start
25 Reviews
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Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
Just great! Kristen was awesome! Our kids and we learned a ton and really enjoyed ourselves
Caroline
Sep. 5, 2021
Although I generally liked our guide, the kids aspect seemed to be an afterthought. He didn't seem to engage with them the same way our previous Context guides did in Paris. His knowledge of how to navigate the path closures (due to 4th of July events) seemed lacking as well, and several questions he was not able to answer. For example, why the FDR memorial water was not working...there was a PS sign indicating a flood had ruined out the system.
Alex
Jul. 5, 2019
Johnny definitely knows the history of his city. I was impressed with how careful he was to relay accurate information to us during the tour and how responsive he was to our questions and to our physical comfort as well.
I might suggest he learn just some basics of education, specifically about helping kids make their own meaning rather than downloading all he knows. He has a few great tools, and the girls lit up when he talked about their music and the toys they knew. Learning good questioning techniques and the concept of ‘wait time’ as it applies to educators might make those connections he intuitively establishes even stronger.
Thank you!
Kristy
Kristy
Jun. 21, 2019
