Dupont Circle and Embassy Row

During the late 1800s, Washington’s movers and shakers strolled the streets of Dupont Circle, where Massachusetts Avenue was the city’s premier residential address. Heiresses, industrial magnates, newspaper tycoons, and political elites built opulent mansions along the avenue, in architectural styles including Neoclassical, Beaux Arts, and Queen Anne. Designed to entertain and impress, these homes were filled with the finest artwork and furnishings money could buy.

However, this lavish lifestyle collapsed during the Great Depression, after which many of these magnificent mansions were sold and converted into embassies, social clubs, and offices. Join local historian and guide Carolyn Muraskin for a walk through the neighborhood as she provides views of grand homes such as the Walsh-McLean House (now the Indonesian embassy), Townsend House (now the Cosmos Club), Woodrow Wilson House (now a museum), and Franklin Delano Roosevelt House (now the residence of the Ambassador of Mali).

Know Before You Go

• Tour participants meet by the Dupont Circle Fountain, 1 Dupont Circle, NW, Washington, DC, and conclude in front of the Phillips Collection at 1600 21st St., NW.

• Sturdy walking shoes bottled water, and comfortable clothes are recommended. The tour involves 1.5 to 2 miles of walking.

Additional Date Options for this Tour

• September 24
• September 29

General Information

• Registration for this tour will end by 2 p.m. ET on Friday, September 22, 2023.
• Smithsonian is a mask-friendly environment. Masks are strongly recommended to be worn on buses at all times and may also be required at various indoor sites.
• For additional tour information:
• Study Tour Policies
• Refund/Cancellation Policy