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 (4)
Congressional Cemetery
Halloween Tour of Spooky Congressional Cemetery, D.C., Sunday, Oct. 25, 3 pm! Congressional Cemetery, east of Capitol Hill and Nationals Stadium, is one of the most historic and fascinating graveyards in the nation. Among those who’ve been laid to rest there are famed musician John Philip Sousa, as well as J. Edgar Hoover and his rumored lover, and D.C. Mayor Marion Barry. And the bodies of Dolley Madison and John Quincy Adams, kept there in a public vault until their burials elsewhere. The graveyard, which dates from 1807, also contains the remains of civilians killed in a horrific munitions blowup, whose funeral President Lincoln attended, and those who died in the U.S. Navy’s worst accident. The place is linked to noted architects Benjamin Latrobe and William Thornton, the original designers of the Capitol Building and to America's first female journalist. For generations Congress itself maintained the cemetery, and today its upkeep is aided by its packs of mascot dogs, and herds of goats, as well as ghostly special events. What: A ghost-filled walking tour of D.C.’s most famed and politically charged graveyard Where: Meet at Potomac Ave SOUTHEAST and 18th St., Washington, DC 20003 Length. About 2 hours. PRE-REGISTER and pay via: Airbnb Experiences/Atlas Obscura: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/1504323 Or Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/halloween-tour-of-spooky-congressional-cemetery-dc-sunday-oct-25-tickets-124945422121 Questions? Contact: [masked]. Our packed and scary itinerary will draw from: • Two Presidents who died early in office, and conspiracy theories about their deaths • The gravesite of D.C.’s “Mayor for Life”, Marion Barry. • The astonishing memorial to D.C.’s most successful “lady of the evening” • The more recently deceased, such as FBI founder J. Edgar Hoover and House Speaker Tip O’Neill • The architect whose beguiling sister bewitched Thomas Jefferson • The Cabinet officers who were killed in the worst peace-time Navy accident in American history--and the wild funeral that ensued! • The local resident who composed the Marine Corps marches while hating recorded music • The mysterious vault that contained the remains of Dolley Madison and John Quincy Adams • The Choctaw Indian chief of the Battle of New Orleans, plus an Apache chief! • The Navy commander faced with the toughest decision imaginable • Intriguing funereal architecture • The man who taught politics the gerrymander • A memorial to Irish immigrants slain in one of the Civil War’s worst accidents • The locale’s famed canine corps • The great photographer of the War Between the States • The Lincoln assassination conspirator who hid among the graves, and the final resting place of another major Lincoln killer. • Where a presidential assassin was hanged, and where Nazi saboteurs were executed • The man who designed the Washington Monument, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Treasury Building, and his critics’ vicious attacks on his skill • The son of the man who saved the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution • Ghosts and goblins among the ruins And more! Your guide is a former writer for the “Tonight Show”, and ex-White House speechwriter, and author of: America A to Z: https://www.amazon.com/Patriots-America-Things-American-Should/dp/1596525495 Foundering Fathers: https://www.amazon.com/Foundering-Fathers-Jefferson-Franklin-Abigail-ebook/dp/B00FEZG8UW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= The White House’s Unruly Neighborhood: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-white-houses-unruly-neighborhood-edward-p-moser/1131103788?ean=9781476636931 Join us in Washington, D.C.: A Capitol place for scandal and intrigue! We’re on TripAdvisor!: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.html https://www.facebook.com/LafayetteSquareTourOfScandalAssassinationIntrigue
- Ed
- Rivon
- Shelia
- 9 attendees
Halloween GHOST Tour of Old Town, Alexandria VA, Friday, October 30, 5:30 pm! Old Town Alexandria--filled with scores of centuries-old houses and the scene of war, murders, and fatal accidents--is one of the most haunted places in America. Take a horrifying stroll to visit the city’s many terrifying real-world sites of the supernatural! When: Friday, Oct. 30, 5:30 pm Where: The old cannon at the waterfront park at the foot of Prince St. Pre-register and pay via: Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/halloween-ghost-tour-of-old-town-alexandria-va-friday-oct-30-530-pm-tickets-121076124949 Airbnb Experiences: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/404081/book?scheduled_id=32142896 Plenty of free parking nearby. Nearest metro is King St.: can take a free trolley from there. Length: About 2 hours. Questions? Contact: [masked]. Your host is an ex-Tonight Show writer, & former White House speechwriter. Our scary itinerary will select from: • The headless sailor of King Street • The unsolved antebellum murder, and the murdered man’s actual mysterious ghost! • Ghosts from a doomed Navy voyage • A shocking mortuary from olden days • The unknown tomb of the Unknown Soldier • The untimely death of the Mysterious Woman • Apparitions along the Underground Railroad • The loud ghost of the Black Cat • The mysteriously appearing house • The mysteriously disappearing spy • Confederate graves • The strange plan to revive George Washington from the dead! • A real-life pirate • The warriors who were skinned alive • The tragic bride who was killed on her wedding day • The warring ghosts of the War Between the States • High spirits: Old Town's hard-drinking Irish of yore • An ancient gallows And more, including a special look at Alexandria's hometown hero--George Washington! We’re published!: https://www.amazon.com/Patriots-America-Things-American-Should/dp/1596525495 https://www.amazon.com/White-Houses-Unruly-Neighborhood-Lafayette-ebook/dp/B082ZVDCD7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1555118270&sr=1-1-catcorr We’re on Facebook!: https://www.facebook.com/LafayetteSquareTourOfScandalAssassinationIntrigue/?hc_ref=ARRPb7yjgFmiCrTMAck0buw738TkS9JO1FRG80zbLtlQWcBsK30egP27Ar55PHOn2j4&fref=nf We’re on TripAdvisor!: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.html
- Ed
- Beth
- John S
- 12 attendees
Congressional Cemetery
Halloween Tour of Spooky Congressional Cemetery, D.C., Sunday, November 1, 3 pm! Congressional Cemetery, east of Capitol Hill and Nationals Stadium, is one of the most historic and fascinating graveyards in the nation. Among those who’ve been laid to rest there are famed musician John Philip Sousa, as well as J. Edgar Hoover and his rumored lover, and D.C. Mayor Marion Barry. And the bodies of Dolley Madison and John Quincy Adams, kept there in a public vault until their burials elsewhere. The graveyard, which dates from 1807, also contains the remains of civilians killed in a horrific munitions blowup, whose funeral President Lincoln attended, and those who died in the U.S. Navy’s worst accident. The place is linked to noted architects Benjamin Latrobe and William Thornton, the original designers of the Capitol Building and to America's first female journalist. For generations Congress itself maintained the cemetery, and today its upkeep is aided by its packs of mascot dogs, and herds of goats, as well as ghostly special events. When: Sunday, November 1, 3 pm! What: A ghost-filled walking tour of D.C.’s most famed and politically charged graveyard Where: Meet at Potomac Ave SOUTHEAST and 18th St., Washington, DC 20003 Length. About 2 hours. PRE-REGISTER and pay via: Airbnb Experiences/Atlas Obscura: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/1504323 Or Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/organizations/events Questions? Contact: [masked]. Our packed and scary itinerary will draw from: • Two Presidents who died early in office, and conspiracy theories about their deaths • The gravesite of D.C.’s “Mayor for Life”, Marion Barry. • The astonishing memorial to D.C.’s most successful “lady of the evening” • The more recently deceased, such as FBI founder J. Edgar Hoover and House Speaker Tip O’Neill • The architect whose beguiling sister bewitched Thomas Jefferson • The Cabinet officers who were killed in the worst peace-time Navy accident in American history--and the wild funeral that ensued! • The local resident who composed the Marine Corps marches while hating recorded music • The mysterious vault that contained the remains of Dolley Madison and John Quincy Adams • The Choctaw Indian chief of the Battle of New Orleans, plus an Apache chief! • The Navy commander faced with the toughest decision imaginable • Intriguing funereal architecture • The man who taught politics the gerrymander • A memorial to Irish immigrants slain in one of the Civil War’s worst accidents • The locale’s famed canine corps • The great photographer of the War Between the States • The Lincoln assassination conspirator who hid among the graves, and the final resting place of another major Lincoln killer. • Where a presidential assassin was hanged, and where Nazi saboteurs were executed • The man who designed the Washington Monument, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Treasury Building, and his critics’ vicious attacks on his skill • The son of the man who saved the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution • Ghosts and goblins among the ruins And more! Your guide is a former writer for the “Tonight Show”, and ex-White House speechwriter, and author of: America A to Z: https://www.amazon.com/Patriots-America-Things-American-Should/dp/1596525495 Foundering Fathers: https://www.amazon.com/Foundering-Fathers-Jefferson-Franklin-Abigail-ebook/dp/B00FEZG8UW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= The White House’s Unruly Neighborhood: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-white-houses-unruly-neighborhood-edward-p-moser/1131103788?ean=9781476636931 Join us in Washington, D.C.: A Capitol place for scandal and intrigue! We’re on TripAdvisor!: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.html https://www.facebook.com/LafayetteSquareTourOfScandalAssassinationIntrigue
- Ed
- Kathy
- Jennifer N.
- 11 attendees
A Halloween Horror Tour of the Capitol Building Area--Scandal, Assassination, & Spies! Sunday, Nov. 8, 2:30 pm: The Capitol Building is justly renowned for its stunning architecture and landscaping. Yet its interior and grounds have also held court to 220 years of misbehavior & mayhem--by powerful men, and some unscrupulous women! Making for a great Halloween tour: of restless ghosts, ghastly murders, assaults and bombings, and assorted and sordid acts of revenge! Sunday, Nov. 8, 2:30 pm: What: A horrific Halloween walking tour of the Capitol’s ground that covers two centuries of ghoulish misdeeds. Where: MEET at the Peace Monument, just below Pennsylvania Ave. and 1 First St NW, Washington, DC 20016, just below the west side of the Capitol Building. Price: $20. Guests pay in cash at the start of the tour. Pre-register and Pre-pay via— Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/organizations/events Or Airbnb Experiences: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/1504323 Length. About 2 hours. Experience the thrill, the shock. Of episodes drawn from this litany of horror: • Capitol Hill’s first hanging • The ghost of a bloodied horse that haunts the area • Bootlegged spirits by the legislators of Prohibition • The haunted, bloody steps of a Capitol shooting • The Capitol curse of its slain architect • The first assassination attempt on a President • The Curse of the Washington Woman • The near fatal beating of a Senator by a Congressman • The legislators’ ladies of the evening • The restless spirit of a hanged war criminal • A doomed, wounded President • The unusual demise of convicted spies • How fearless femmes saved the capital • The duel to the death—with rifles!--between two Congressmen • The shocking meetup of a hooded, ghost-like Klan • The ancient, bloody stain that marks a fight between legislator and journalist • The ghosts of a terror attack • The bombing of the Senate chamber, and the bomber’s awful demise And more! Your guide is a former writer for the “Tonight Show”, and ex-White House speechwriter, historian and professional tour guide, and author of such books as: The Two-Term Jinx: https://www.amazon.com/Two-Term-Jinx-Presidents-Washington-Theodore-Roosevelt/dp/1530790514/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469708458&sr=1-1&keywords=two-term+jinx The White House’s Unruly Neighborhood: swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=[masked]&sr=1-1-catcorr We’re on TripAdvisor!: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28970-d12791843-Reviews-Lafayette_Square_Tour_of_Scandal_Assassination_Intrigue-Washington_DC_District_of.html Think history’s boring? Think again!!
- Ed
- Luke N.
- 2 attendees
Past events (131)
The Oak Hill Cemetery
- Ed
- Bivek A.
- Dave R.
- 12 attendees
