To celebrate Capitol Hill’s rich and diverse history, we’ve arranged a self-guided walking tour of 46 sites, a small sampling of the hundreds of other cultural treasures available to enjoy.

Joanna Kendig presents Parks: Treasures of Capitol Hill, May 2021

From L’Enfant’s plans to the 21st century. When Pierre Charles L’Enfant developed his 1791 plan for the City of Washington, he established a network of public spaces, squares, linked by broad avenues. These squares were designated for variety of public functions, including serving as social centers of the neighborhoods. Marion Park is one such square. The residential neighborhood around it, and leading toward Garfield Park, evolved over centuries into a rich tapestry of buildings, old and new. On this walking tour we will share stories of the architecture, buildings, organizations and people in the area. Expect to walk about a mile. Tour will last between an hour and an hour and a half.

Tickets ($15) are available through EventBrite.
Tour Times:

Saturday, November 13, 10 am and 3 pm; Sunday, November 14, 10:30 am and 3 pm

Dent School, Now Capitol Hill Day

101 N. Carolina Ave. SE, Formerly the Home for Working Girls

The Resistance in Lincoln Park, May 2021

Visit the Capitol Hill institutions and residences, and hear the stories of a diverse set of people and groups who have stood up for political, social, and cultural change in the area of civil, women’s, and gay rights. Some names are well known, like Frederick Douglass and John Lewis. Others, including Belva Lockwood and John Paynter are less familiar. Plan on walking 2 miles.

Tickets ($15) are available through EventBrite.
Tour Times:
Saturday, November 13, 10 am and 3 pm; Sunday, November 14, 3 pm

Philip Reid: Enslaved Man Responsible for the Statue of Freedom Standing Today

Belva Lockwood, 1st Woman Lawyer Before the Supreme Court

“Horse walk” at 623 A St. NE

On Capitol Hill, a wide range of architectural styles and features are on display. Learn about the changing tastes and practical decisions that informed the builders’ choices. This tour was developed by CHRS President and Chair of the CHRS Historic Preservation Committee, Beth Purcell. Beth is an architectural historian with an MA in Historic Preservation from George Washington University.

Plan on walking about 2 miles in a little over an hour. Be prepared to walk in any weather; a raincoat or umbrella may be necessary. Comfortable shoes are a must.

Tickets ($15) are available through EventBrite.
This Tour is sold out but we hope to offer it again in the spring. In the meantime, you might consider the Parks tour, which has an architectural component.

Tour Times: Saturday, November 13, 1 pm and 3 pm

Queen Anne at 617 A St. NE

Capitol Hill has many hidden alleys and charming one-block streets with a past mix of residential and industrial uses and some of our most diverse populations.  Explore these unique communities, their houses and history, their ups and downs, who lived there in the past and who lives there now. Gessford Ct., Walter St., Kings Ct., Duvall Ct., Cluss Ct.

Take a virtual peek inside Undine & Carl Nash’s re-purposed-warehouse residence on Adolf Class Ct. SE.

Plan on walking about 2 miles in a little over an hour. Be prepared to walk in any weather; a raincoat or umbrella may be necessary. Comfortable shoes are a must.

Tickets ($15) are available through Eventbrite.
This tour is sold out but we hope to offer it again in the spring. There is still availability in the Parks and Resistance tours.
Tour Times: Sunday, November 14, 10:30 am and 1:30 pm

Modern alley dwellings on Duvall Ct. SE

Dessert and coffee party for CHRS members at Hill Center  – Wednesday, September 22, 6:30 pm. [photos]

The presentation by Paul DonVito of Architectural Window Corporation, originally scheduled for Wednesday, September 29, 2020, 6:30 pm – has been postponed.

We were pleased to offer two fan-favorites from the Mother’s Day Tour of Tours – plus two new tours, requested by attendees – on September 11 and 12, 2021.  Ticket sales through EventBrite ended September  8 at 3 pm. Additional tours are scheduled for November. Photos of September Tours