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Study Tours

Study Tours

Smithsonian Associates Study Tours takes the educational intent of our fabulous programming outside the classroom and on the road!

About our tours

Each tour is led by one of our Study Leaders with expertise in the subject matter along with a Smithsonian Representative to handle all the logistics and comforts of the group. The study leader imparts knowledge both formally and informally throughout the tour, with methods that can include a background lecture, handout materials, narrating site visits, and stimulating social engagement with all participants during the course of the tour.

Tour types

Study tours include day bus trips, multi-day and overnight tours, and shorter neighborhood walks or visits to specific sites. We offer over 70 study tours each year, and we hope you will join us!

Select a tour type to learn more:

Day bus tours visit destinations as close as Capitol Hill and as far as New York City or Maryland's Eastern Shore. Topics for these tours are wide-ranging and cover subjects such as military history, art, architecture, railroading, horticulture, gastronomy, and literature.

Popular day bus tours have included:

  • Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater
  • John Wilkes Booth's Escape Route
  • Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
  • Sultana Cruise & Historic Chestertown
  • The Cloisters of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Overnight tours give Study Leaders the opportunity to take a group a greater distance from Washington, DC. Study Leaders spend more time with participants and explore the subject in greater detail. The majority of these tours depart from Washington, DC, however for some tours the group meets at the destination.

Popular overnight tours have included:

  • Best of Brooklyn, New York
  • Berkshires Summer Sampler
  • Exploring Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago
  • Corning Museum of Glass
  • West Virginia Railroad Spectacular

Walking and on-site tours last two to three hours. Participants meet directly at the tour destination and spend time with the Study Leader exploring that particular subject or neighborhood.

Popular walking and on-site tours have included:

  • Inside Smithsonian Libraries
  • Architecture on the National Mall
  • Dupont Circle and Embassy Row
  • Sunrise Hike at Great Falls
  • Roosevelt Island Walks

All upcoming Study Tours

Programs 1 to 5 of 26
Thursday, May 15, 2025 - 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET

For 115 years, Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, has stood as one of the world’s leading collections of plants, showcasing botanical splendor and state-of-the-art glasshouses. Spring, when the gardens come alive with blooms and birds, is the perfect time to experience its beauty. Karl Gercens, Longwood’s conservatory manager, leads a specially arranged curator’s tour of the outdoor gardens of this historic du Pont property, where azaleas, poppies, and a host of flowering shrubs greet the season.


Friday, May 16, 2025 - 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET

Soar into the fascinating world of North American shorebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds at the Bird House in the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. In three indoor walk-through aviaries, visitors are surrounded by migratory birds as they explore realistic re-creations of key habitats that support them during their annual cycle. Brian Evans, an ornithologist at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, and members of the Bird House’s animal-care team lead an exploration of the exhibitions and discuss the science that informs bird conservation.


Sunday, May 18, 2025 - 6:00 p.m., to Thursday, May 22, 2025 - 4:00 p.m. ET
In-Person Overnight Tour

Frank Lloyd Wright left an indelible signature on the American Midwest: a legacy of buildings that trace the arc of his career as one of world’s most significant and innovative architects. A 5-day tour led by Bill Keene, a lecturer in urban studies and architecture, offers a one-of-kind opportunity for a close-up look at a wide range of Wright’s designs in Illinois and Wisconsin, as well as visits to seminal works by other architects of the early and mid-20th century. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)


Friday, May 23, 2025 - 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET

Soar into the fascinating world of North American shorebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds at the Bird House in the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. In three indoor walk-through aviaries, visitors are surrounded by migratory birds as they explore realistic re-creations of key habitats that support them during their annual cycle. Brian Evans, an ornithologist at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, and members of the Bird House’s animal-care team lead an exploration of the exhibitions and discuss the science that informs bird conservation.


Friday, May 30, 2025 - 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET

Soar into the fascinating world of North American shorebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds at the Bird House in the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. In three indoor walk-through aviaries, visitors are surrounded by migratory birds as they explore realistic re-creations of key habitats that support them during their annual cycle. Brian Evans, an ornithologist at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, and members of the Bird House’s animal-care team lead an exploration of the exhibitions and discuss the science that informs bird conservation.