The National Mall Tour for Kids

Discover American History with a family-friendly expert guide
From US$381 privately
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Tour Details
Duration
2 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
  • Smithsonian Castle
  • Washington Monument
  • Lincoln Memorial
Photos & Highlights
  • An engaging National Mall tour for kids
  • Led by an expert who will make history come to life for your family
Select a date
Tour Description
From the Capitol building to the Potomac River, the National Mall stretches over two miles in length, covers over 300 acres and serves as the nation's front yard. On your Washington DC tour for kids, you'll learn how a canal originally ran along the Mall to help transport building materials into the city. We'll discover how the grass changed from a pasture for sheep, to a wooded park and now a field for concerts, demonstrations, and frisbee tournaments. We'll talk about why there are so many important buildings and what role they play in the city and the country as a whole, painting a picture of how Washington, DC has changed and evolved over hundreds of years.

Who, What, When.... and Why

Using the Mall and its natural and built environment as our visual textbook, we'll delve into the planning and building of the capitol, from its unique street plan to the lawmaking bodies and cultural institutions that dominate this central strip of land. We'll also learn about the major monuments and memorials along the Mall—what they stand for, why they were built, and what historical figures or events are associated with them. By the end of our time together, we'll come away with a good foundation on which to explore the rest of the nation's capital.

Our expert will make sure that the whole family feels involved and entertained during the tour. 

FAQ

Does this tour go inside of the Lincoln Memorial?
No, it doesn't usually go inside of the Lincoln Memorial because the site is so crowded.

Does this tour include the museums of the National Mall?
No, this tour doesn’t include the museums of the National Mall.


This tour isn’t showing available in the early afternoon in summer, can I book it for then?
In summer we recommend this tour either in the morning or later in the afternoon due to the heat and the crowds.



Experts
Kate Kate
Local Guide
Mary Jo Mary Jo
Historian
Kristen Kristen
Architect
Corin Corin
Architect & Local Guide
Michael Michael
Local Guide
Anne Anne
Anthropologist
Stephen Stephen
Local Guide
Ellen Ellen
Local Guide
Donald Donald
Local Guide
Gregory Gregory
Local Guide
Where You'll Start
(4.64) 26 Reviews

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We greatly enjoyed the tour of the National Mall. It's not easy to engage young children, but Kate did it fantastically well. Our daughters learned about the importance of the site, the monuments and the events that occurred there. She made the places come to life, especially the Vietnam War Memorial and the March on Washington. And she lets the kids learn at their own pace - great job!
Donald was wonderful! He kept our Grandchildren engaged as much as possible, and was a wealth of information on the Memorials of Washington DC. We really enjoyed our time with him and would not hesitate to book a future tour with Contex!
Michael was great! Very engaging and connected well with our kids.