What we're about
Our tours take place in Washington, D.C.--Lafayette Square, Capitol Hill, Georgetown, et al.--Alexandria, Virginia, and other historic sites such as Civil War battlefields in Antietam, Maryland. The tours last about 2 hours, and typically cost $15 per person.
Washington, D.C. and nearby towns like Alexandria, Virginia drip with history and political intrigue--from colonial times to the present day. This is a group aimed at those eager to explore the often-violent and scandalous past of the nation's capital and its surroundings--its wars, espionage rings, assassination attempts, mayhem and misbehaviors, as well as more uplifting events--against its backdrop of architectural splendor and breathtaking vistas.
Detailed itineraries!:
Lafayette Square--White House, Andrew Jackson statue, Stephen Decatur House, slave annex, Dolley Madison House, St. John's Church, Frederick Douglass bank, Lafayette statue, Blair-Lee House, Renwick Gallery, Treasury Dept., Eisenhower Executive Office Building...Learn about: The assassination attempt on a President-one block from the White House!…The war-hero congressman who murdered his wife’s lover…The tragic suicide of the wife of America’s most esteemed author…The brutal stabbing of a Secretary of State…The ruthless spy who lost the U.S. Army a major battle…The scandal that caused the entire presidential Cabinet to resign!..And much more! And it all happened in Lafayette Square, across from the White House in Washington, D.C.
This tour starts and ends at the Andrew Jackson statue.
Old Town Alexandria, Virginia--the Torpedo Factory, the John Carlisle mansion, the Stabler-Ledbetter pharmacy museum, Lawrence Washington's House, George Washington's town house, Founder's Park, the City Hall, the John Wise tavern, Gadsby's Museum and restaurant, Christ Church, Robert E. Lee's boyhood home, the Lee-Fendall House, the old cotton mill, the Presbyterian Meeting House.
This tour typically starts at the Torpedo Factory and ends at Christ Church.
Capitol Hill--the Supreme Court, the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Library of Congress, the 9/11 memorial, the Anne Frank memorial, the Peace Memorial, the President Garfield statue, the Inauguration steps, the Ulysses S. Grant memorial, the Frederick Law Olmstead grotto, the Sullivan Brothers memorial, the hidden cornerstone of the Capitol.
This tour starts at the Supreme Court Building and ends at the Ulysses S. Grant memorial.
What We Do--"Walking history seminars": walking group tours of the most historic venues in Washington, D.C., Alexandria, Virginia, and other towns.
Where We Go--We tour historic, atmospheric neighborhoods and sites such as Lafayette Square, the Capitol Building grounds, Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria, the Navy Yard area, and the Antietam Civil War battlefield.
Upcoming events (5+)
General Andrew Jackson Statue
Lafayette Square Tour of Scandal, Assassination, and Spies! Friday, May 24, 6 pm! Start the holiday weekend off in an exciting way by taking a unique tour of the White House neighborhood's wild, hidden history! When: Friday, May 24, 6 - 8 pm. Where: Meet at the Gen. Jackson statue in the center of the Square. Fee: $15, paid at the start of the tour. RSVP: You must RSVP to attend—here, or to [masked] Who: Your host is a former writer for Jay Leno’s “The Tonight Show”, the author of such books as America from A to Z & The Two-Term Jinx, & a former presidential speechwriter. https://www.amazon.com/Two-Term-Jinx-Presidents-Washington-Theodore-Roosevelt/dp/1530790514 What: Perhaps because of its proximity to great power and wealth, Lafayette Square has been witness to two centuries of mayhem and mischief. We visit many actual sites of espionage and bloodletting, including: • The assassins who attacked the President near the White House • The cunning spy who caused the deaths of hundreds of U.S. soldiers • The enslaved woman sparked a Civil Rights revolution • The Congressman who murdered a famous American • Lafayette’s tumultuous life • The sex scandal that wiped out an entire Cabinet • The tragic end of a noted female artist • The secret symbols within the Square’s architecture • John Wilkes Booth’s vast conspiracy • The curse of the President’s valiant guard • Duels to the death in the Old Republic And more!! Think history is boring? Join us, and think again! We’re the highest rated DC travel event on TripAdvisor!: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.html Airbnb Experiences features us too!: https://www.airbnb.com/experience-hosting/listings?from_nav=1 We’re on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LafayetteSquareTourOfScandalAssassinationIntrigue RSVP: You must RSVP to attend—here, or to [masked] Our forthcoming book: https://www.amazon.com/White-Houses-Unruly-Neighborhood-Lafayette/dp/1476674868/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=white+house%27s+unruly+neighborhood&qid=1555118270&s=books&sr=1-1-catcorr
- Ed
- Melinda
- Mike M.
- 5 attendees
Memorial Day Military History Tour of Old Town, Alexandria, Monday, May 27! A walk around Alexandria’s historic core drips with an astonishingly dense array of noteworthy sites in American military history. Including a munitions factory turned arthouse, a Civil War skirmish, the site where the French and Indian War was planned, a Tomb of an Unknown Soldier, the locale of a Navy tragedy, the place of a War of 1812 face-off, and the homes of many colonels in Gen. Washington's army. The rich and wild army and navy history of Alexandria, Virginia, home to Generals George Washington, Light Horse Harry Lee, Robert E. Lee, and Admiral William Halsey. When: Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 11 am! Where: Meet at on the riverfront of Alexandria’s brand-new Waterfront Park (Fitzgerald Square). Alexandria, VA 22314. Price: $15. $10 for military veterans. Payable in cash at the start of the tour. Duration: About 2 hours in length. Plenty of excellent restaurants in the area for afterwards. You must RSVP to attend. Your host will be author & professional guide Ed Moser, a former “Tonight Show” writer. We’re now an Airbnb Experience: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/404081 Our forthcoming book on our tours: https://www.amazon.com/White-Houses-Unruly-Neighborhood-Lafayette/dp/1476674868 https://www.amazon.com/Patriots-America-Thigngs-American-Should/dp/1596525495/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517173322&sr=8-1&keywords=america+a+z+moser Alexandria: Block for block, America’s most historic city.
- Ed
- Peggy
- 2 attendees
Hamilton! The Tour!!, Sunday, June 2, 4 pm! Due to overwhelming demand. With the play Hamilton! having had historic stands at the Kennedy Center & Broadway, what better time to look at the actual life of Alexander Hamilton, and the real backstory of him and other chief characters in the smash play?! Why pay hundreds of dollars for tickets and stand in line for hours when you can experience the real Hamilton for little money without waiting at all?! This unique tour of the White House & Treasury area of the Capital City he helped found will highlight some of the important episodes in his eventful life! You must RSVP to attend. The tour's characters: • Alexander Hamilton, war hero, tragic figure, founding Treasury Secretary • Aaron Burr, Vice President, war hero, and killer of Hamilton • Elizabeth Schuyler, Hamilton’s wife and mother of his children • Thomas Jefferson, President, Hamilton’s rival, and founding Secretary of State • Maria Reynolds, Hamilton’s mistress and blackmailer • Marquis de Lafayette, valiant French hero and with Hamilton a member of Washington’s staff • Maria Cosway, Jefferson’s love • Hercules Mulligan (father of James W. Mulligan), spy for the American Revolution, & Hamilton friend • James Madison, co-author of Federalist Papers with Hamilton, husband of Dolley Madison, and co-founder with Jefferson of the political party system. • Baron von Steuben, friend of James Mulligan and Washington’s drill master Meet in the historic lobby of the Willard Hotel, 1401 Penn Ave. N.W., DC. Fee: $20. Tour length--about 2 hours. Payable in cash at the tour’s start. Perhaps head to the Hamilton afterwards for drinks & supper. You must RSVP to attend. Our tours are being made into a book!: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1131103788?ean=9781476674865 All our reviews: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.html We’re on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LafayetteSquareTourOfScandalAssassinationIntrigue/ All our tours: https://www.meetup.com/Washarea-Discovery-Hikes/
- Ed
- Liz P.
- Brenda
- 6 attendees
Murray-Dick-Fawcett House
George Washington & the American Revolution! Alexandria, VA, Monday, June 10, 6 pm What we’ll do: We'll take a tour of historic Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, the hometown away from Mt. Vernon of George Washington, and a center of the American Revolution. We'll visit a church from 1776 that contains the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution. The home of the mentor of Patrick Henry ("Give me liberty or give me death!") We'll discuss the enslaved woman who irked Martha Washington, and why George decided to free his slaves. We'll see the home of Washington's doctor, where we'll discuss the ill-fated remedies used to treat GW. Also, the market place where Washington lost a fist fight! And the place of GW's mysterious lady friend. As well as the meeting hall where George Mason composed the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. The townhouse of GW's older brother Lawrence. The mansion where GW helped plan the French and Indian War. The tavern where he held his inaugural ball. His townhouse. In addition, we'll visit the church where he worshipped, and the school that Martha Washington founded. And more! All explained by a former White House speechwriter and "Tonight Show writer". Where: MEET at 517 Prince St., corner of St. Asaph St. When: Monday, June 10, 6 pm. Length c. 2 hours. Fee: $15 What else you should know: Old Town can reached from the King St. metro station. From it, take the free trolley bus down King St. (https://www.visitalexandriava.com/plan/maps-and-transportation/king-street-trolley/). RSVP: You must RSVP to attend. Our forthcoming book, based on our tours: https://www.amazon.com/White-Houses-Unruly-Neighborhood-Lafayette/dp/1476674868/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=white+house%27s+unruly+neighborhood&qid=1555118270&s=books&sr=1-1-catcorr Our reviews: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.html Airbnb is listing us as a special travel Experience: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/404081?location=Alexandria%2C%20VA%2C%20USA¤tTab=experience_tab&federatedSearchId=f5034600-3e19-4111-963b-b122ec20310a&searchId=d3bacc6c-e0ff-4936-9103-e504011bfff1§ionId=37972a2b-4540-4a6d-b0e2-3a736ab7516f&source=p2
- Ed
- Alan
- 2 attendees
Past events (85)
General Andrew Jackson Statue
- Ed
- Melinda
- Mike M.
- 4 attendees
