Originally part of the 100-square-mile area surveyed in 1791 and 1792 for the nation’s capital, Arlington County is a tapestry of history woven from colonial farmsteads, Civil War fortifications, African American villages, and the people who have defined the county for more than two centuries. Travel journalist Barbara Noe Kennedy leads a day-long exploration of sites that reveal how Arlington evolved from a rural Virginia community into a modern urban county transformed by war, migration, segregation, and redevelopment.

Cemeteries are more than places of burial: They are landscapes of memory that reveal how cities grow, communities endure, and histories are preserved. Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours, leads an exploration of Oak Hill Cemetery, Mount Zion Cemetery and the adjacent Female Union Band Society Cemetery, Rock Creek Cemetery, and Glenwood Cemetery as she traces their stories across the years.

In the late 18th century, Philadelphia was a thriving center of commerce and culture, and many of its wealthiest citizens built elegant country retreats along the banks of the Schuylkill River to escape the bustle of city life. Six mansions known as the “Charms” are among the few remaining from the dozens of villas that once lined what is now Fairmount Park. Join historian Tom Keels to explore the architectural, social, and cultural history of this remarkable landscape. Experience the enchanting appeal of three “Charms,” transformed with period-inspired holiday decorations, on this tour.

Explore the evolution of modern and contemporary art on a weekend in New York City led by modern art historian Nancy Hirshbein. From groundbreaking American artists to the international masters who transformed the visual language of the 20th century, discover how modern art challenged tradition as you visit the Whitney Museum of American Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and MoMA. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)