From hidden alleyways to green spaces to architectural gems, you’ll discover more about Capitol Hill on one of our four October walking tours.

The volunteer-led tours resume October 4-5. September tours sold out, so grab a spot while you can! Buy tickets on Eventbrite.

Here are our offerings:

October 4 at 10 a.m. Capitol Hill Architecture: Learn about the changing tastes and practical decisions that informed builders’ choices. This is one of our oldest walking tours. 

October 4 at 1 p.m. SE Alleys: Capitol Hill has many hidden alleys and charming one-block streets. Take a trip back in time to explore the workaday world of past residential and industrial uses and some of our most diverse populations. Another of our oldest walking tours.

October 5 at 1 p.m. Between Marion and Providence Parks: When Pierre L’Enfant developed his 1791 plan for the City of Washington, he established a network of public spaces and squares, linked by broad avenues. The residential neighborhood around the blocks that turned into Marion and Providence Parks (popularly referred to as Turtle and X Parks) has evolved into a rich tapestry of houses, schools, churches and buildings old and new, which we will explore on this tour. This incorporates some of our parks and infrastructure tour.

October 5 at 1 p.m. NE Alleys: The lifestyles, occupations, and shenanigans of the inhabitants; early industrial uses; and efforts both to eliminate and to preserve alley dwellings.