washington dc black history tour

National Museum of African American History & Culture

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Plan Your Visit

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is open daily to the public. Free timed-entry passes are required for entry.

Monday          12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Tuesday          10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Wednesday    10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Thursday        10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Friday              10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Saturday         10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Sunday            10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

Our museum opens at 10:00 a.m. on Mondays observed as Federal Holidays and is closed on December 25. Last entry for all visitors, including groups, is 4:00 p.m.

Free Timed-Entry Passes

Reserve Passes

• All visitors, regardless of age, must have a timed-entry pass to enter the museum.
• A limited number of timed-entry passes are available. 
• Visitors can reserve timed-entry passes up to 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. 
• Advanced timed-entry passes are released daily beginning at 8:00 a.m. EST.  
• Same-day timed-entry passes are released online only at 8:15 a.m. EST daily.
• Timed-entry passes may not be sold or transferred and are for personal use only.
• Individuals can reserve up to nine free timed-entry passes for their visit. For groups of 10 or more, please  reserve group passes . 
• We are honored to welcome veterans, active-duty personnel, and first responders with one guest to the museum. Upon arrival, please show a military or work ID badge, and register for entry using a QR code.

Please note: museum entry is subject to building capacity; weekends and holidays are peak visitation times. If the museum is at or near capacity, all visitors standing in line will be asked to wait until the museum has room to accommodate them. 

Additional Information  

• All children (under the age of 18) must be accompanied by an adult chaperone. When accompanying children, one (1) adult can chaperone up to a maximum of ten (10) children.   
• Timed-entry passes are valid only for the issued date. Passes are void if altered. 
• Visitors can print timed-entry passes at home or present them on a mobile device. All passes will be scanned prior to entering the museum on Madison Drive or Constitution Ave.
• If you cannot visit the museum on your scheduled date, please email [email protected] to return or exchange your passes.

Safety Measures

The following safety measures are in place to protect the health of our visitors, staff and volunteers based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local governments. We ask that all visitors, including those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, follow these safety measures to protect everyone’s health. Visitors are not required* to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. 

Please note that we may adjust our safety guidelines based on changing CDC COVID-19 Community Levels. We encourage visitors to regularly check our  website  before their visit for the latest guidelines. During this time, we are implementing the following safety measures: 

If Sick, Stay Home    We are asking all visitors who are sick or feel unwell to please stay home. Visitors are encouraged to wash and sanitize hands frequently during their visit. Hand-sanitizing stations will be available throughout our facilities.

Face Coverings As of March 11, 2022, face coverings are not required to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture. While it will not be required, all visitors who feel more comfortable wearing a face mask during their visit are encouraged to do so.

We encourage visitors to maintain a safe social distance of six feet or more between households and groups when possible, but our museum becomes crowded, especially during peak visitation times. Visitors who wish to avoid crowds are encouraged to plan their visit during weekdays.

* Special events  and some after-hours programming may require guests to provide proof of vaccination.

Touring the Museum

Please be aware that touring the History Galleries in their entirety will take approximately 2 hours, and will require about 1 mile of walking.

Our highest visitation is from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday. During this timeframe, there may be long lines to access the History Galleries.

We encourage visitors to eat and hydrate before entering the History Galleries, especially if they have special healthcare needs. 

Museum Maps 

Visitor Pathways

Are you looking for ways to experience and learn history throughout our museum with your group or loved ones? We have done the planning for you!    

Whether it’s your first or tenth visit, NMAAHC has planned special experiences designed for families, friend groups and couples visiting our museum.

Follow a special pathway through our exhibitions and gallery spaces.

 Visitor Pathways 

Entering & Exiting the Museum

• Please do not arrive before the entry time on your timed-entry pass.
• Timed-entry passes will be scanned at the visitor entrances on Madison Drive or Constitution Avenue, NW.
• Visitors with timed-entry passes will be able to enter the museum from the time on their pass until 4:00 p.m. For group passholders, there is a 2-hour grace period from the entry time on the pass. After this timeframe, entrance is not guaranteed and is based on capacity.
• For everyone’s safety, all visitors are required to pass through screening at the entrance to the museum. Please see a  list of prohibited items  in the museum before planning your visit.
• Limiting the items you bring will increase your speed through security checkpoints, helping us all maintain a safe social distance. 
• Visitors are required to exit on Constitution Avenue, NW.

Dining & Shopping

The museum store is open daily, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, with the exception of Mondays (12:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m.). Hand sanitizer stations are available for use upon entry and exit of the museum store.

The Sweet Home Café is open daily, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with a limited menu, with the exception of Mondays (12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.).

NMAAHC offers a limited number of Dine and Shop passes to access only the Museum Store and Sweet Home Café between 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. during regular operating hours. Passes are released 7 days in advance at 8:00 a.m. EST on a rolling basis. Visitors can reserve up to 4 Dine and Shop passes per day.

Dine and Shop Passes 

Review our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about planning your visit and what to expect when you arrive at the museum.

Tours & Programs

Please check our upcoming events for specific dates and details. 

Download Our Mobile App

Connect to our free WiFi network, "SI-Visitor" and download our mobile app as a complement to your museum visit and as a way to more easily discover the many additional stories in our collection.  

Download the Mobile App

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• Family Reunions

Daily African American Heritage Tour of Washington, D.C.

• All Reviews

This tour will be 4 Hours.

Starts at: 9:30 AM .

Availability

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Students , Corporate Team Building , Work From Home Learning , Family Reunions .

Where We'll Stop:

Drive-by locations:, what to bring:, where to meet:.

• Open location in Google Maps

Additional Information:

Related tours:, live virtual tour of martin luther king memorial, washington, d.c. family reunion tour, v.i.p. washington, d.c. private bus tours, african american history night tour, walking african american tour of historic neighborhood of shaw.

• or Call (202) 355-5579

COVID-19 Precautions

Socially-distanced and masked tour guide.

Free Cancellations

Cancellations prior to 48 hours receive a full refund.

In-Person Live Tour Guide

This is a live, guided tour by a local historian.

Daytime Tour

This tour takes place during the morning and afternoon.

• Tour Policies & Guidelines
• Frequently Asked Questions

Customer Reviews:

Our dedication to providing the best and most comprehensive tours possible has enabled our privately owned company to receive the highest praise from our clients. Over the years, countless groups have enjoyed our tours and have raved about their satisfaction with the services we supply. We hope you feel the same way after we welcome you on one of our African American history tours of D.C.

• 2312 Thornknoll Drive, Ft. Washington, MD 20744
• (202) 355-5579
• [email protected]

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• Washington DC
• Tour Guides

African American History and Culture Bus Tour

Often at the epicenter of the activism surrounding civil and black rights in America, the country’s capital holds the key to some of history’s most captivating moments. From the most famous to lesser-known but equally significant sites, your tour guide will paint a picture of the city from the African American perspective. You’ll be picked up at the U.S. Navy Memorial with stops at momentous monuments such as the Emancipation Statue, Howard Theatre, and vibrant black communities.

Feel the weight of the world on your shoulders as you stand where Martin Luther King did when he roused audiences with his legendary ‘I have a dream,’ address. One of the most comprehensive African American history tours in Washington DC, you’ll also get tickets included to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Here, the tour ends so that you can explore the absorbing artifacts and exhibits at your leisure.

Dre is so knowledgeable and makes this tour so interesting! Curtis navigate DC streets like the expert he is! - neet50

Loved it from start to finish. The tour guide and the driver were both very knowledgeable. The weather was a plus also. - Ronald T.

My favorite part of this trip was how much knowledge the tour guide had. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Dre did an excellent job! - Monique C

Google Reviews

Originally scheduled the daytime tour with the riverboat cruise. Had to change due to flight delays and a mix up with rental cars. They were very accommodating and allowed us to switch the tour last minute to the night tour. Our tour guide, Nick was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Thanks so much for the memories!

Great tour that I would highly recommend. Curtis was our driver and nick was our tour guide. Very knowledgeable and had plenty of time at all the stops. They had just taken down the fences at the capitol so we were able to go on the lawn. We did the night tour and they picked us up at our hotel which was perfect since I had just had some foot surgery and walking was difficult. Would recommend this tour to everyone and Great price.

Initially I signed up for the AA tour because I couldn't get tickets to the NMAAHC. The tour guide made this one of the highlights of my trip. Well worth it. His knowledge was amazing. You can tell he loves the history of DC. I can't remember his name, he is in one of the pics below. Highly recommend.

Why type of buses does USA Guided Tours use?

Our luxury tour buses provide a comfortable and climate-controlled environment for an enjoyable touring experience, while also offering protection from the elements. We cater to various group sizes with a diverse fleet of vehicles, from SUVs to premium motor-coaches, ensuring that our private tours can be customized for couples or large groups alike. To maintain a more intimate atmosphere on our public tours, we intentionally limit the capacity of our tour buses to keep the average group size small. We do our best to keep large, same-party groups together on the same bus, but please remember that the seating is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Once you claim your seats – they’re reserved only for you for the duration of the tour.

What is USA Guided Tours cancelation policy?

Free Cancellation up to 24 Hours in Advance > if you cancel your booking 24 hours in advance of your tour departure time – a full refund will be issued

Free Cancellation up to 1 Hour in Advance With Tour Booking Insurance > if you purchase Tour Booking Insurance at $5.99 per person, booking cancellations may be made up to 1 hour in advance of your tour departure time for a full refund

Are we allowed to bring luggage on the tour?

Unfortunately, our shuttles are not wheelchair accessible, nor is there storage for baby strollers. If you have a wheelchair, please call us to make special vehicle arrangements for your tour. Some of our tours involve longer walks so if you like, you may stay on board the shuttle, near the landmark, without exiting the shuttle bus every time.

What are the blackout dates for tours?

Jan 1 New Year’s Day – All Tours Closed Jan 20 March for Life – Day Tours Closed Mar 18 Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon – Day Tours Closed Apr 2 Cherry Blossom Ten Miler – Day Tours Closed

Apr 15 National Cherry Blossom Parade® – Day Tours Closed May 7 National Women’s Half Marathon – Day Tours Closed

May 28 AMVETS’ “Rolling to Remember” – Day Tours Closed May 29 Memorial Day – All Tours Closed July 4 Independence Day – All Tours Closed Aug 28 The Commitment March – Day Tours Closed Oct 8 Army Ten Miler – Day Tours Closed Oct 29 Marine Corps Marathon – Day Tours Closed Oct 31 Halloween – Night Tours Closed Nov 23 Thanksgiving Day – All Tours Closed Dec 24 Christmas Eve – Night Tours Closed Dec 25 Christmas Day – All Tours Closed Dec 31 New Year’s Eve – All Tours Closed

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Tour Reviews

DC Black History Night Tour

Didn’t know you were a black history tour guide. I think the idea of the tour is a good idea … I’m still annoyed that you do this crashing live TV thing…. Just saying.

The dip holding the sign on CNN makes me think you want hate from being a nuisance. What a jerky thing to do!!! If your company was being interviewed it would be stupid for someone else to crash the interview with a sign. We have precious time on this earth and you want to be a butt pain that’s an annoyance to others with your sign? Wow waisted life! Why would anyone want to hire you?

Call Toll-Free : 888.796.8763

Call Toll-Free 888.796.8763

Email: [email protected]

African American Heritage Tour – 1 Day with Tickets

Washington DC Tours » African American Heritage Tours Washington DC » African American Heritage Tour – 1 Day with Tickets

African American Heritage Tour

Groups of 25 or more can receive motor coach transportation in a newer model, fully-equipped bus for a full day. This includes a three to four hour tour with an African American Tour Specialist as well as tickets to the NMAAHC (African American Museum in Washington DC. Some of the tour stops and drive by locations are listed below on this page.

Now Save 30% Click for Brochure

TYPICAL ITINERARY

• Motor Coach will Pick Up Your Group at Your Hotel
• Washington DC Tour with Guide Specialist
• Take Group to NMAAHC after Tour. Tickets May be Provided (if available)
• Motor Coach Meets group at NMAAHC at End of Day 
• Return Transportation to Group Hotel

Your Group will Enjoy Use of a Fully-Equipped Motor Coach for up to 9 hours. You will also have an African American Heritage Tour Guide for around four hours plus Free Tickets into the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Availability for Buses, Guides and Museum Tickets are limited. Please call for information at your earliest convenience.

See Our Family Reunion Tour Video on YouTube or Watch it Below on this Page.

We Do Not Share Your Personal Information

Black History Tour 

Explore the past 200+ years of African American Heritage in the Washington DC . Your group will visit important monuments, historical sites,  and more as you explore Washington DC for approximately four hours. Your group will visit the MLK Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, see the Frederick Douglass Home, the Capitol Building, and the African American Civil War Memorial. You will also see several other important historical sites. Afterwards, your group will receive tickets for the National Museum of African American History and Culture (based on availability from the NMAAHC). Below you will find a list of all of the places you will visit on this amazing and informative tour.

Rest Easy – We Are Accredited and Insured

Our years of experience in Washington DC (and in other locations) enables us to create tours which meet the needs of groups like yours every year. We know that Washington DC is a very special place for all types of groups so we take special care in arranging tours which help to enhance the experience of every group.

With great sites and attractions like the MLK Memorial, Frederick Douglass Home, The African American Civil War Memorial (and Museum) as well as the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC, your group is sure to enjoy an amazing tour. Complete the form on this page or call our toll-free number to receive more information (888) 796.8763

Black Heritage Tour Highlights - Call 888.796.8763 for Availability

Stops on the Tour

• MLK Memorial
• Lincoln Memorial
• Capitol Hill
• Frederick Douglass House
• White House
• African American Civil War Memorial

Drive-by Locations

• Howard University
• Howard Theatre
• Lincoln Theatre
• Carter G Woodson House
• Mary Bethune McLeod Council House
• And Many More…

Heritage Tour Sites and Attractions

While on Tour, your Group will see these Sites and Attractions as well as Many Others! Tickets to the National Museum of African American History and Culture are given to those who participate in our tours. These tickets are based on NMAAHC Ticket Availability.

Call Toll-Free    888.796.8763

Email:  [email protected], african american history tour sites.

Washington, D.C. is a city rich in African American history and culture . There are many sites throughout the city that commemorate the contributions of African Americans to the United States. These sites offer a unique opportunity to learn about the history and culture of this important group of people.

These are just a few of the many heritage sites in D.C. These sites offer a unique opportunity to learn about the history and culture of this important group of people. If you are interested in learning more about African American history and culture, visit these amazing sites and attraction for a better understanding abou thtis very importat subject.

Here are some additional reasons why you should visit African American heritage sites in Washington, D.C. :

Other important african american tour links.

Family Reunion – Washington DC

Family Reunion Tour – Washington DC

African American Educational Tour

Black History Tour Washington DC – Half Day

Black History Tour Washington DC – Full Day

African American D.C.

Black History in Lafayette Park

Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.

Available for private and group tour bookings - please email [email protected] for more information.

Available for private bookings. Please email [email protected] for more information.

Carnegie Library and Mount Vernon Square

Available for private and group tour bookings. Please email [email protected] for more information.

Columbia Heights

D.C. Emancipation Day

Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.

This walk has been canceled, but we'll be back in 2025!

Also available to book privately. Contact us at [email protected] for details.

Duke Ellington's D.C.

Available for private bookings. Please email [email protected] for more information.

Historic Southwest Waterfront

Available for private tour bookings.  Contact us for details.

Logan Circle

Available for private tour bookings. Please email [email protected] for more information.

The March on Washington

Available to book privately.  Please contact us at [email protected] for details.

U Street: D.C.'s Black Broadway

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Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.

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Women Who Changed America

Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.

Browse our tours by category

Black History & Culture in Washington, DC

Whether you want to discover local Black entrepreneurs and businesses or follow that go-go beat, DC is where Black culture and life thrive.

Celebrate the cultural significance of African Americans to DC, the nation and beyond.

The connection between African Americans and DC has always existed – from Benjamin Banneker, the son of a freed enslaved man, placing the District’s boundary stones to the "Godfather of Go-Go" Chuck Brown inventing a new form of funk music. Recount the days of “Black Broadway” on a U Street walking tour, pay homage to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by visiting his memorial and attending the March on Washington's 60th edition , reflect on the challenges and triumphs of African Americans at the National Mall’s newest Smithsonian museum and experience the city’s cultural diversity no matter where you are.

Free Things to Do: African American History & Culture

Black-owned businesses to support in washington, dc, keep on groovin’: an intro to go-go music in washington, dc, black chefs and black-owned restaurants & bars, guide to the smithsonian national museum of african american history & culture, visit the martin luther king, jr. memorial, the unique history of dc's u street neighborhood, ways to honor influential black women in washington, dc, guide to black lives matter plaza, turning back the clock with virginia ali of ben's chili bowl, ways to celebrate african american history & culture in washington, dc, guide to summer, featured places to stay, book a memorable night at dc hotels.

Boutique hotels, family-friendly hotels, budget-friendly hotels - whatever you're looking for, you'll find it. Explore the hotel options waiting for your arrival.

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Perfect Private 3 Hour Black History Tour Washington DC

• Bottled water
• Entry/Admission - National Museum of African American History and Culture
• We also pick up from vacation homes (airbnb and others).
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Stroller accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Near public transportation
• Infant seats available
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
• This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
• All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.
• National Museum of African American History and Culture
• U.S. Capitol
• African American Civil War Memorial Museum
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
• Howard Theatre

Similar experiences

• You'll get picked up See departure details
• 1 Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 2 Lincoln Memorial Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 3 Lincoln Park Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 4 African American Civil War Memorial Museum Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 5 Howard University Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 6 U.S. Capitol Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 7 Howard Theatre Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 8 Ben's Chili Bowl Mural Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 9 National Museum of African American History and Culture Stop: 15 minutes - Admission included See details
• You'll return to the starting point

• S5369QRsandym 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A winning tour Christopher was a gracious and extremely informative guide for the evening. We had as much time at each memorial as we wanted. He made sure we saw the Vietnam Women’s Memorial since we just finished reading The Women by Kristin Hannah. Christopher has lived in DC all this life. He knows the city and history. I would definitely recommend this tour. I like the intimate small group format. It’s not a bus load of people and memorial drive by. Read more Written April 21, 2024
• stephaniedO315ZA 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Night tour Christopher was not only friendly but also highly knowledgeable. He personally made sure our family got the most out of our excursion. His tour packed a punch - we made it to numerous monuments in less than 3 hours. And his conversation was informative and personable. This was one of our trip highlights! Read more Written April 13, 2024
• Lozano310 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Do this tour We took this tour during our 4 days in DC. We took our two kids (6 and 8) and rode around with Nick. I highly recommend this tour if you are trying to hit as many spots as possible with a short amount of time. We got to all the major monuments and Nick had so many facts/knowledge about every thing we went to. He knew all the buildings and back stories of everything. I'm not exaggerating! This guy knew his history and made it fun and easy to understand for the kids. It was just us in the SUV so we did not have to deal with annoying people in a tour and Nick knew all the backstreets, shortcuts, and parking spots to get in-and-out avoiding the lines and traffic. This tour is worth the money and the customer service we recieved from Nick and Chris (owner) were above and beyond. Read more Written April 1, 2024
• GoPlaces26169 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A Must-Do for your D.C. Visit What a wonderful evening seeing the sights of D.C. at night! Christopher is an amazing guide, and my husband, 10 yr old daughter, and I all had a great time. Seeing the monuments with a knowledgable, fun, and engaging personal guide is a tough experience to beat. This truly is the PERFECT private night tour, and it is an absolute MUST DO for your visit to our nation's capital. Read more Written March 25, 2024
• C9355SGwaynek 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Monument tour Great night. Christopher did a great job. Very knowledgeable and entertaining. Best money we spent seeing monuments in DC. Read more Written March 12, 2024
• Kacie B 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Perfect way for family to see the sights! Christopher was amazing! I can’t believe how much we saw and learned in 1 night! Our boys are 9 & 11 and they said to give him 10 stars! The monuments at night are truly spectacular. He did a great job giving us a lot of information, moving along so we never felt bored or rushed, answering silly questions from my little one, all while entertaining my history-buff husband. Should win an award for all the roles he played! Read more Written March 5, 2024
• jonathanfN6822TC 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Perfect for a family Amazing tour customized and well narrated…this is the way to see DC at night….all the best monuments and memorials could not ask for more Read more Written February 26, 2024
• Cathy W B 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Lives up to its name! We took a night tour with our guide, Christopher. We had two of our grandchildren with us. We accidentally left our booster seat. When I contacted Christopher, he went out of his way to make sure my grandchild had what he needed. This guide was amazing! His knowledge of DC was incredible. He took us to everything we wanted to see and gave us some tips on what to do during the rest of our vacation. Some guides take you to a spot and drop you off to walk on your own. Christopher made sure our steps were well lit, and he walked with us at every stop, pointing our amazing facts. My grandchildren had a wonderful time. Everything was perfect and I highly recommend this tour. Read more Written February 22, 2024
• 838susanq 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Washington DC monument night tour Great tour. Christopher was , knowledgeable, professional and fun. Touring the monuments at night is just beautiful and not having to wait for others on the bus tour is great. Read more Written February 16, 2024
• mayfieldhalls 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fun, Affordable, & Educational Chris was awesome. At one point I asked him a random question just to see if he knew the answer. He did. He didn't rush us (even my extra minutes for some time lapse photography). Do this tour. It was fun, affordable and educational. Chris even helped us with our plans for the next day. Read more Written February 11, 2024
• miriammQ7802SW 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Amazing night tour, amazing tour guide My friends and I had the best time on our tour tonight. DC has a different vibe at night, and it's hauntingly beautiful. Our ride was quite comfortable, the monuments and other sights were incomparable, and Christopher was professional, knowledgeable, personable, and very kind. We learned cool facts and shared laughter and great conversation. I recommend his tours without hesitation. Read more Written February 8, 2024
• Dream800876 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Astonishing! Astonishing and educational. So glad we arranged this tour for our family. Christopher told us inside historical stories of the people and places that really brought it to life! Read more Written February 3, 2024
• Curiosity18091978378 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A++ DC Tour This was such a wonderful trip. Christopher has so much knowledge, a great personality, and politeness. He's fab! Read more Written January 12, 2024
• 274loriw 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great Tour! We are a family of four. We had plenty of room in the large SUV on this private tour! Christopher was very knowledgeable. He passed on lots of information in a very entertaining way. We all really enjoyed the tour with him! So glad we booked with him! Read more Written December 30, 2023
• Navigator280905 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Perfect Indeed! We had a perfect tour of Washington at night for sure! Our guide, Christopher, was an encyclopedia of DC history. He was so attentive and engaging, and answered all of our questions. As we got out to visit each monument, he escorted us to the monument, told us about it, answered our questions and then waited for us to browse around on our own. Never once did he rush us. As we drove from one monument to another he was constantly narrating and pointing out different buildings and sites along the way. Which was perfect since we took his tour the first night in DC. All of his information gave us lots of ideas about things we wanted to see and do later in our trip. I highly recommend a DC tour with Christopher at Perfect Private Tours. You definitely get your money's worth! Read more Written December 19, 2023

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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Perfect Private 3 Hour Black History Tour Washington DC provided by Perfect Private Tours and Transportation

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African-American Heritage Trail

African americans have lived, worked, and worshipped in georgetown since its founding—making up 30% to 40% of the residential population at one time..

Discriminatory public housing policies such as The Alley Dwelling Elimination Act and The Old Georgetown Act, as well as gentrification—before the latter had a name—largely pushed out much of the community from the 1930s to 1950s, but their history remains.

Follow Cultural Tourism DC’s African American Heritage Trail (below) to see the institutions and homes of Herring Hill, a 15-block area of eastern-most Georgetown that was a home for families migrating to Washington after the Civil War. Other points of interest include the site of formerly enslaved Georgetown resident Yarrow Mamout’s home, the Mount Zion / Female Union Band Society Cemetery, and the Rose Park tennis courts—dedicated to the star Peters sisters.

*All points of interest copy from Cultural Tourism DC

Alfred Pope and Hannah Cole Pope Residence, 2900 O St

Alfred Pope (1821-1906) and Hannah Cole Pope (1828-1910) were a prominent Georgetown couple, active in public affairs and real estate.

Hannah was born in the home of Thomas Peter and Martha Custis Peter (now Tudor Place), where she and her mother were enslaved. In 1845 Hannah was sold to South Carolina Congressman John Carter, in whose household she met Alfred Pope. The two married in 1847. In 1848 Alfred Pope joined the unsuccessful attempt by 77 enslaved men and women to escape Washington on the schooner Pearl. He was returned to servitude in Carter’s household. Both Alfred and Hannah were freed upon Carter’s death in 1850. They remained in Georgetown, where Alfred parlayed savings from a job as the town scavenger into businesses in real estate and building materials. Alfred testified before Congress in 1870 during the debate over merging Georgetown with Washington City. He also served as a trustee of the public DC Colored Schools. In 1875, as a trustee of Mount Zion United Methodist Church, he sold to the church the land on which its church building was constructed at 1334 29th Street, NW.

Eventually Alfred owned five single-family houses and five tenements in Georgetown north of Reservoir Road.

• Tudor Place

Emma V. Brown Residence, 3044 P St

Emma V. Brown (1840-1902), a native Washingtonian, was the first African American teacher to be employed by the DC Public Schools.

Educated at Myrtilla Miner’s school on N Street, NW, and at Oberlin College, she opened a private school for neighborhood children here in her home. During the summers she traveled to rural communities across the South, where she trained teachers.

When the DC Government authorized public funds to educate black children in 1864, Brown began teaching her first public school class at the Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal Church (now Ebenezer United Methodist Church) on Capitol Hill. She would later serve as principal of the John F. Cook School and then Sumner School. Brown was also an accomplished poet.

First Baptist Church, 2624 Dumbarton St

The First Baptist Church, Georgetown was the first Baptist church established in Georgetown. It was founded in 1862 by the Reverend Sandy Alexander (1818-1902), a former slave who moved to Georgetown in 1852 with the express goal of organizing a Baptist church. Although not many Baptists lived in the community, the church soon drew converts, as well as many former members of the Shiloh Church of Fredericksburg (Virginia) who migrated to Washington.

At first the congregation met in a small frame structure they called the Ark on land at 29th and O streets donated by Collins Williams. Williams was a licensed preacher originally from Fredericksburg, who with his wife Betsey had led religious meetings in private homes around Georgetown before Alexander founded First Baptist. In 1882 First Baptist’s growing congregation laid the cornerstone for the current building, financing it in part with the proceeds of a speaking tour undertaken by Rev. Alexander through the northern states.

First Baptist seeded a black Baptist tradition in Georgetown, as former members of the congregation started the nearby Alexander Memorial Baptist Church and the Jerusalem Baptist Church. Rev. Alexander retired as First Baptist’s pastor in 1889.

Herring Hill, 29th St to Rock Creek

Herring Hill was the nucleus of the black community in Georgetown, although African American families could be found on nearly every street well into the 1930s.

Tradition has it that the name came from the fish that neighborhood families caught in nearby Rock Creek. According to historian Mary Mitchell, by 1860 Herring Hill was a self-sustaining, even village-like community with a population of 951. Interspersed among the residences by the 1920s were candy stores, “mom and pop groceries,” coal and ice sellers, barbershops and beauty shops, cleaners, movers, feed stores, and everything else necessary to life. Most were black-owned businesses. Laborers lived alongside physicians, lawyers, and other professionals.

Herring Hill’s simple frame dwellings survived the gentrification of the 1930s to become prized, well-located townhouses in the 1960s and beyond.

The hills spans a 15-block area south of P Street between Rock Creek and 29th Street.

Holy Rood Cemetery, 2126 Wisconsin Ave

The remains of as many as 1,000 free and enslaved African Americans are buried in the Holy Rood Cemetery, now owned by Georgetown University. The cemetery was established in 1832, when members of Holy Trinity Church ran out of room in the graveyard near the Georgetown church, and additional land was purchased here in 1853. Both whites and African Americans are buried there. Most of the burials took place from the mid-19th century through the early 20th century. Holy Trinity Church, and therefore the cemetery, drew from all over Georgetown and other nearby areas. Many prominent African American families are listed among those interred.

The cemetery is no longer in operation. Its official records are available to researchers at Georgetown University’s Lauinger Library.

John H. Fleet Residence, 1208 30th St

John H. Fleet was an educator, violinist, and abolitionist. The year of his birth is unknown. He attended Georgetown’s Lancasterian School (an interracial school), the Smothers School, and John Prout’s School. Trained as a physician, he chose teaching over practicing medicine and established his first school in 1836. In 1843, the same year he bought this house, the school was burned by white arsonists; he reopened three years later. Fleet also participated in the local abolitionist movement, organizing “sitting parties” to raise money for individuals seeking freedom. He devoted the last ten years of his life to playing and teaching music, a passion he shared with his wife Hermione. Fleet died in 1861.

• Peabody Room

Mount Zion United Methodist Church & Female Union Band Cemetery

Mount Zion United Methodist Church (formerly Mount Zion Methodist Episcopal Church) is the oldest black congregation in the District of Columbia. It was formed in 1816 when congregants from the Montgomery Street Methodist Church (now the Dumbarton Avenue United Methodist Church) in Georgetown decided not to accept racist treatment by their white fellow church-goers. The present church was completed in 1884. The cemetery comprises the Old Methodist Burying Ground, founded in 1809, and the Female Union Band Cemetery, founded in 1849. The Heritage House is the city’s only remaining Old English style cottage. It houses the records of the church and offers changing exhibits.

By the late 18th century, the Methodist Church had circumscribed the ability of blacks to participate as fully as whites in the practice of Methodism. In response, seven members of Montgomery Street Church persuaded 125 others to leave and form their own church. Shadrack Nugent is considered the founder of the church. The group purchased land on 27th Street near P Street from Henry Foxall, a white Methodist and Georgetown resident. In 1823 Mount Zion opened a Sabbath School in order to teach reading, writing, and Christianity to children and adults.

A cemetery for Mount Zion members dates back to 1809 when the Montgomery Street Church purchased the lot for its burials. At that time blacks were approximately half of the congregation. One of the vaults located in the cemetery is believed to have been an important hiding place or stop on the Underground Railroad. In 1879 the Female Union Band Society, a mutual aid association of free black women formed in 1842, bought land in the adjacent lot, and the cemeteries were later merged.

The current church stands on land purchased from member and trustee Alfred Pope in 1875.

Patrick Francis Healy Hall, Georgetown University

Patrick Francis Healy (1834-1910) was born into slavery in Georgia. His mother Eliza was also enslaved and his father Michael Healy, a white Irish slave owner, legally owned his mother and their children. According to the Healy family biographer, Eliza and Michael lived “faithfully as a married couple” until her death in 1850. In Georgia it was illegal for blacks and whites to marry.

Laws that decreed that a child’s race was inherited from the mother and laws that made people “black” and “white” heavily affected the Healy family. To lessen their impact, Patrick’s parents sent him to school in New York where Patrick sought refuge in Catholicism and the adoption of a white identity. He graduated from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts, and worked toward his goal of becoming a Jesuit priest. He traveled abroad and became fluent in Latin, French, Italian, and German.

Healy entered the Jesuit order in 1850. In 1866, as part of his Jesuit duties, he was sent to Georgetown College to teach philosophy. He became acting president in 1873. Within a year, he became president of Georgetown, the largest Catholic institution in the country and Washington, DC’s first college, founded in 1789. Healy transformed Georgetown into a modern university and retired in 1881. According to historian James O’Toole, it was not until the 1960s that Patrick Healy’s racial history was revealed. Since then he has been declared the first African American Jesuit and the first African American president of a predominantly white university.

Healy is buried in the Jesuit cemetery on the Georgetown University campus. Healy Hall, designed in the High Victorian style by Smithmeyer and Pelz, was listed on the DC Inventory of Historic Sites in 1964 and on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

*The Georgetown University website describes Healy as “the son of Michael Morris Healy, an Irish immigrant, and his wife, Mary Eliza, a former slave.” This description contradicts the research cited above.

Rose Park Recreation Center, 2609 Dumbarton St

Rose Park Playground was originally established in 1918 by the Ancient Order of the Sons and Daughters of Moses to serve African American children. It was known variously as Patterson’s Park, Jacob’s Park, or Winship’s Lot. The city acquired it in 1922 and designated it a “colored” facility.

However, Rose Park was the main recreation center for Georgetown, and people ignored the segregation rules. Here children and adults (though not necessarily together) played basketball, volleyball, tennis, and dodgeball. They held folk dances, and learned crafts such as sewing and basketry as well as fine arts and music.

In the late 1930s the playground was remodeled by the DC Department of Recreation. When the Recreation Department placed a sign reading “For Coloreds Only” on the gate, the Rock Creek Civic Association protested and the sign was removed. In 1949 Rose Park became part of an official, successful experiment in non-segregation organized by the American Friends Service Committee.

When the Department of Recreation began formally to “gradually” end the official segregation of the city’s playgrounds, it acknowledged that Rose Park had always been one of the few integrated facilities.

Rose Park was the home court for Margaret and Roumania Peters, two tennis stars of the late 1930s who lived at 2710 O Street, NW. The sisters were recruited to play tennis at Tuskegee Institute where they consistently won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Roumania Peters Walker returned to teach tennis at Dunbar High School and Rose Park summer camps.

Yarrow Mamout Residence Site, 3324 Dent Place

Yarrow Mamout (ca. 1736-1823) was a member of Georgetown’s pre-Emancipation free black community and a lifelong Muslim. Yarrow (Mamout was his first name) was born and educated in Guinea, West Africa. At about age 14 he was captured by slave traders and shipped to the United States, where Samuel Beall of Maryland purchased him. Beall bequeathed Yarrow to his son, Brooke Beall, who had Yarrow make bricks for a house he was building in Georgetown. After Brooke Beall’s death his widow freed Yarrow in 1796. Yarrow saved the money he earned as a laborer and after four years was able to purchase a house and other property in Georgetown. He also invested in the Columbia Bank, one of Georgetown’s first banks.

Yarrow, who followed the Muslim faith at a time when few Americans did, was immortalized by two white artists near the end of his life. Charles Willson Peale painted Yarrow’s portrait in 1819 and recorded information about Yarrow in his diary. That portrait is held by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. A second portrait, by Georgetown resident James Alexander Simpson (1822), is owned by the DC Public Library.

Recent research shows that Yarrow probably was of Fulani heritage (in which the name Yaro still is used) and was literate in Arabic.

Yarrow was buried in his yard; research is ongoing into whether his remains are still there and whether any part of the house at 3324 could have been Yarrow’s.

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