The annual Capitol Hill House & Garden Tour will be held on Mother’s Day weekend, May 9-10. After focusing on the northeast side of the Hill last year, this year we are highlighting the southeast side, with its lovely parks and even older homes.
The 2026 tour will include eight homes, three semi-public buildings and a newly installed native plant garden. Some homes have been part of the tour before but now have had fresh and unique updates. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.
Refreshments from local DC vendors will be offered in the lobby of 507 8th Street SE on Barracks Row, which will also operate as tour headquarters. “The 507,” as it is known, serves as an event venue and also the offices of Taoti Creative. The building itself has been many things over the years — some more reputable than others, which we have lots of information about — and we are so pleased to be able to introduce this space to those who have not seen its new iteration.
Homes on the tour feature both historic and more modern layouts and interiors. A few of the homes are on lightly used streets. Some are homes you may have always wondered about due unusual exterior shapes or paint colors. We have standalones, corner lots, clapboards, and former boarding houses. We have an infamous alley, an infamous business and one with some curious collections.
We also are featuring stately and well-behaved stops, such as the Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church and the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, both of which have graciously offered their locations as rest stops and will also offer tours of their buildings. The church is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture with impressive stained glass windows, and the Hill Center has made a few changes to its outdoor garden.
The tour, as always, is pedestrian-friendly. This year’s map will take you through some of the beautiful parks south of Pennsylvania Avenue, and CHRS will provide information about them in the tour catalog.
Tickets are on sale via Eventbrite on April 1. CHRS members will receive a discount code to purchase tickets for $30 each. The regular advance non-member price is $40, and the price increases to $50 on the weekend of the tour. Interested in volunteering as a docent? No experience is necessary and training will be provided. All docents who sign up for a minimum of a two-hour shift will be given a free ticket to visit the other tour stops. Click here or contact the CHRS House Tour Committee at caphillhousetour@gmail.com for more information.