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)

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.

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.

A two-day tour of the Bronx, the northernmost borough of New York City is led by arts journalist Richard Selden. Sites visited include the urban oasis of Wave Hill, 28 acres of gardens overlooking the Hudson River and the Palisades; the New York Botanical Garden, featuring the “Van Gogh: Painting with Flowers” exhibition; the 84-year-old Arthur Avenue Retail Market in the center of the Bronx’s Little Italy; and the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, the early 19th-century farmhouse where the writer spent the last years of his life.

Born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, around 1822, young Araminta Ross faced adversity from an early age. These hardships transformed “Minty” into Harriet Tubman, the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad, and her childhood knowledge of the geography of the Eastern Shore played a key role in her success in ferrying more than 70 people to freedom by 1860. Historian Anthony Cohen reveals the saga of Tubman’s life by exploring significant sites in the region where she was raised—and that shaped her dreams of freedom and equality.