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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 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 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 tours have included:

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

Resources

Meet your Study Leaders

All upcoming Study Tours

Programs 1 to 5 of 14
Stories of the First Ladies
Saturday, ​October 12, 2024 - ​10:00 a.m. ​to 12:00 p.m. ET​
In-Person Tour
Register

From Martha Washington to Jill Biden, each woman who has served in the role of first lady of the United States has a story. During a walking tour of the area around the White House, A Tour of Her Own staff members share a few of these sagas.

Stories of the First Ladies
Sunday, ​October 13, 2024 - ​2:00 p.m. ​to 4:00 p.m. ET​
In-Person Tour
Register

From Martha Washington to Jill Biden, each woman who has served in the role of first lady of the United States has a story. During a walking tour of the area around the White House, A Tour of Her Own staff members share a few of these sagas.

Staunton, Shakespeare, and Steam: Fall in the Shenandoah Valley
Saturday, ​October 19, ​2024 - 7:30 a.m., ​to Sunday, ​October 20, ​2024 - 7:30 p.m. ET​
In-Person Overnight Tour
Register

Nestled in the heart of scenic Shenandoah Valley, Staunton, Virginia, is alive with history, culture—and a little steam. Join Washington, D.C., area guide Lynn O’Connell for a weekend getaway that offers a sampling of Staunton’s sights plus a train excursion.

Outdoor Adventures in Shenandoah National Park: Big Meadows
Sunday, ​October 20, ​2024 - 11:00 a.m., ​to Monday, ​October 21, ​2024 - 4:00 p.m. ET​
In-Person Overnight Tour
Register

In a two-day active getaway designed for outdoor lovers, explore Virginia’s Blue Ridge trails at the height of their fall beauty. Naturalist and study leader Keith Tomlinson leads two moderate-level hikes in the park and presents an engaging evening program that offers insights into the area’s history, geography, geology, wildlife, and forest environment. Stay at the historic Big Meadows Lodge on Skyline Drive, which offers magnificent panoramic views of the mountain landscapes.

Autumn Splendor in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve
Friday, ​October 25, 2024 - ​8:00 a.m. ​to 7:30 p.m. ET​
In-Person Tour
Register

Spend an autumn day exploring the scenic 93,000-acre Agricultural Reserve in Maryland’s Montgomery County, designed as a means to preserve farmland and rural space. Melanie Choukas-Bradley, a longtime resident of the reserve, serves as guide and introduces some of her favorite places in this close-in slice of paradise at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain.