Washington school tour

Washington was purpose-built as the capital, and as such, its buildings, parks and monuments are perfectly manicured and presented. An obvious favourite with Politics groups, itineraries can include visits to the US Capitol Building and even the White House, although the latter must be booked well in advance.

Capitol Hill and the other imposing edifices of government are complemented by an impressive selection of museums, many offering free admission. The majority of the famous sites can be visited on foot or using the Metro-Rail rapid transit system, although many of our groups also take the opportunity to visit one of the local outlet shopping malls which can only be reached by coach.

Cross Curriculum Excursions

The White House

Everyone knows who lives and works at the White House; it is world famous as the official residency of the First Family of the United States and has been ever since President John Adams was inaugurated in 1797 as the second President of the U.S. It was built between the years of 1792 and 1800 and with its 132 rooms is hardly inconsiderable in size. The East Wing is reserved for the First Lady and her staff, whilst the West Wing is used by the President and the Executive team. The First Family lives on the second and third floors, which allows them some privacy away from the spotlight that is on them the rest of the time. Fortunately for you, it is the only head of state's private home that is open to the public. Please book in advance in order to benefit from a fantastic tour of this, the world's most recognised administrative centre.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, featuring the names of over 58,000 Americans who died in military service for their country during the Vietnam War, is a poignant reminder of the tragedy of battle. A black wall, designed by a Yale University student, Maya Ying Lin, is inscribed with the names of the casualties. The vast wall of glossy black granite is striking in terms of its size and beauty, as well as in the way that it fits in so seamlessly with its natural surroundings. The reflective material that the wall is made with, reminds visitors of how the people who died were just like us.

Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial celebrates the life of the U.S.A.'s most famous President, Abraham Lincoln, who won the Civil War of Independence and abolished slavery throughout the United States. Lincoln's story is one that mirrors the American philosophy entirely; despite coming from a poor family on the Western frontier, he was self-educated and managed to become the country's most powerful and revered man. Owing to his huge success, unsurprisingly the American people wanted to find an appropriate way to immortalise his memory. In the style of one of the most prosperous civilisations, the Lincoln Memorial was built to reflect Greek architecture, with Doric columns and a clean white marble finish. Ever since its completion in 1920, the Lincoln Memorial has been an important site for many political speeches including Martin Luther King's, 'I Have a Dream.' Within the memorial building there is an impressive statue of the man himself along with inscriptions of two well-known speeches delivered by Lincoln, 'The Gettysburg Address,' and his Second Inaugural Address.

The Washington Monument

The Washington Monument commemorates the life of the first President of the United States, who triumphantly declared the country Independent after he won the war in what was the American Revolution. Despite his success, it took a surprising amount of time for a monument in his name to be erected. This was due to a variety of reasons, including political funding, funding and, at one stage the fragile state of the American Union. There were several proposals for the Washington monument, including that of an equestrian statue. However, ultimately it was decided that an Egyptian-like obelisk stretching 555 feet into the sky would be built and this is what visitors see today. Go to the top and enjoy the fabulous views of Washington D.C. through the pyramidion windows.

The US Capitol Building

The most impressive of the U.S. government sites, is undoubtedly the Capitol Building, which houses the meeting chambers for the House of Senate, the House of Representatives and the U.S. Supreme Court. Together these three political wings are more powerful than the President and his administrative power at the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The building itself covers 4 acres, but the total floor area reaches a remarkable 16.5 acres, with 540 rooms, 648 windows (108 of which are in its crowning dome) and 850 doorways. It is partially open to the public as an art gallery, so don't be put off by its prestige - you can go in, but reservations must be made in advance.

Other important landmarks & visits

The Jefferson Memorial - Thomas Jefferson's speeches helped to shape the America we know today and so the Jefferson Memorial exists to remind us of the man and his words. Much of what he said and wrote is inscribed on the memorial walls, and, like the Lincoln memorial Thomas Jefferson was considered so great that a Greek style acropolis was built in his name.

The Supreme Court - Despite the importance of the Supreme Court in the American political system, it was not granted its own building until 1935. Now you can go and visit it; along with visits to the White House and Capitol Hill, you and your groups will have had a great overview of the American political institutions and where they carry out their important work. 

National WWII Memorial - The World War II Memorial is in honour of the 16 million troops who served in war, the 400,000 of those who died and all those who supported the war effort during the devastating World War II. It symbolises the defining event of the C.20th and is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice and commitment of the American people. Furthermore, it the only C.20th event immortalised on the National Mall's central axis.

Arlington Cemetery - On the Arlington Cemetery website they describe the vision of the memorial as, 'A National Shrine - A Living History of Freedom - Where dignity and honour rest in solemn repose.' No-one who visits the cemetery can remain unmoved by the rows upon rows of graves that commemorate the lives of people who died to serve the American people.

The Pentagon - The Pentagon is the Headquarters of the U.S. defence and is one of the largest office buildings in the world, with a total floor-space that is three times the size of that in the Empire State building in New York. The National Capitol would fit into any one of the 5 wedge shaped portions that makes up the whole building. Each tour includes the mission of the Department and each of its branches of service; you will see numerous displays that highlight and depict significant moments in U.S. military history.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation - More widely known as the FBI, a tour round one of the world's most cinematically represented institutions is bound to excite your students. However, unsurprisingly the FBI is not always open for tours, so please check in advance if you hope to do this as part of your tour to Washington D.C.

History Excursions

The National Air and Space Museum

The Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum houses the largest collection of historic aeroplanes and spacecraft in the world. It is also an important centre for research into the history, science and technology of aviation and space flight, along with study of space. Go and see the original Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 Command module and a lunar rock sample that visitors are permitted to touch! The official website for the museum provides some excellent resources for teachers as well as information about the specific tours that could be available to you and your groups.

http://www.nasm.si.edu/education/inmuseum.cfm

The National Museum of American History

Another stalwart of the Smithsonian Institute is its National Museum of American History, which tells the political and social history of the United States. It has collected and preserved more than 3 million artefacts, which are all national treasures including Abraham Lincoln's top hat and Dorothy's Ruby Slippers as seen in the Wizard of Oz. The collections form a fascinating mosaic of American life and comprise the greatest single collection of American history. The Museum has recently undergone and $85 dollar restoration, improving the building's architectural appeal and renewing the presentation of its extensive collections.

Other Museums

The United States Holocaust Museum - This is the United States' own memorial to the holocaust that aims to remind people of the fragility of freedom and the myth of progress. It concerns itself with preserving the memory of what took place in order to prevent it from ever happening again. Around 4 million guests pass through its doors each year and every day visitors are represented by an average of 100 nationalities.

The National Museum of Natural History - With over 18 football fields worth of space (1.5 million square feet), the National Museum of Natural History has so much for you and your groups to see; from 30 million insects and 4.5million plant specimens, 7 million fish and 2.5 million cultural artefacts, you are sure not to run out of interesting things to look at. 

National Museum of the American Indian - The National Museum of the American Indian is the 18th museum to become part of the Smithsonian Institute. The museum works alongside native cultures to preserve, study and protect their cultures by reaffirming their traditions and beliefs and by encouraging their artistic aspirations. 

The National Archives - Go to the National Archives to see America's most important political documents including The Constitution, The Bill of Rights and the Declaration of American Independence.

International Spy Museum - The International Spy Museum was opened in 2002 and is the only museum in the world dedicated to a profession that by its very nature must remain secret. It features the largest collection of espionage artefacts, many of which are being seen for the first time by members of the general public. Read stories about the men and women behind some of the most secret spy missions in the history of the world. Altogether, the museum will not disappoint anyone with the slightest inkling towards adventure!

Art Excursions

The National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art was created for the American public in 1937 and displays works from the 13th Century to the modern day. The gallery was made possible by a generous Mr Andrew Mellon, who began collecting with the intention of creating a gallery for the public, as an individual. On his death bed he donated all that he had collected, and it became the property of the United States. Funds for the construction of the West Building, where the collection is housed, were provided by Mr Mellon's charitable and educational trust. It was President Franklin D. Roosevelt who accepted the donation on behalf of the American people.

 

Back to top