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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 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

Multi-day and overnight tours give Study Leaders the opportunity to take a group a greater distances 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 multi-day/overnight tours have included:

  • Best of Brooklyn, New York
  • Berkshires Summer Sampler
  • Exploring Frank Lloyd Wright
  • 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

Showing programs 1 to 5 of 12
December 9, 2023

Explore the way a simple trip to the store was, in fact, so much more for women in the mid-20th century. Stroll between Pennsylvania Avenue NW and Metro Center with your guide from A Tour of Her Own, stopping along the way to hear stories of the iconic buildings of yesteryear like those housing Hecht’s and Garfinkel’s and the stores’ role in advancing consumerism and civil rights.


December 10, 2023

Explore the way a simple trip to the store was, in fact, so much more for women in the mid-20th century. Stroll between Pennsylvania Avenue NW and Metro Center with your guide from A Tour of Her Own, stopping along the way to hear stories of the iconic buildings of yesteryear like those housing Hecht’s and Garfinkel’s and the stores’ role in advancing consumerism and civil rights.


December 13, 2023
In-Person
$325 - $375

There’s no more iconic holiday performance in New York than Radio City Music Hall’s famed Christmas Spectacular. And there’s no better way to see the precision dancing of the Rockettes than from prime orchestra seats in the fabulous Art Deco theater where the show has been a tradition since 1933. Before the theatrical magic begins at a matinee performance, get a special behind-the-scenes VIP tour of the Music Hall, covering the stunning 1930s interiors and art, the Great Stage, and Mighty Wurlitzer Organ—with an opportunity to meet a Rockette along the way.


Wednesday, December 13, 2023, to Thursday, December 14, 2023
In-Person
$665 - $945

For over 200 years, Cape May, New Jersey, has welcomed travelers to its beachfront. But Cape May isn’t just a summer destination: During the winter season, this shore town transforms into a storybook holiday town. A two-day tour offers the opportunity to experience historic Cape May during a magical time of year.


Sunday, January 14, 2024, to Monday, January 15, 2024
In-Person
$605 - $905

Art historian Ursula Rehn Wolfman leads an art-filled weekend escape to Manhattan that highlights early 20th-century Modernist artists and their works. You’ll have plenty of time to take in several of the most intriguing exhibitions at three cultural powerhouses—and a night on the town to enjoy as you like. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)