October Walking Tours

Sep 9, 2025 | Walking Tours

From hidden alleyways to green spaces to architectural gems, our four October walking tours let attendees discover more about Capitol Hill.

Here’s what the tours covered:

Capitol Hill Architecture: The changing tastes and practical decisions that informed builders’ choices. This is one of our oldest walking tours. 

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.

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.

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