from 30 $
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The "Madams of DC" Guided Walking Tour

1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA
Duration

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Tour Type

Daily Tour

Group Size

15 people

Languages

English

Overview

Discover a side of Washington DC’s past that most history books leave out’and hear the city’s most salacious and sordid stories’on this immersive walking tour. Pick between afternoon and evening start times, and set out on foot. As you stroll along major arteries like Pennsylvania Avenue, learn about the area’s past as a red-light district, hear stories about the madams who shaped the city, and glimpse a number of highlight landmarks.

  • This history tour unveils a little-known side of the capital’s past
  • Exploring on foot makes it easy to immerse yourself in the city’s ambiance
  • Learn the stories behind the sights from your guide’s commentary
  • Hear about the city’s former madams, brothels, and red-light districts

What To Expect

Expand All

Freedom Plaza



Where Freedom Plaza is now once used to be the notorious neighborhood known as Murder Bay. As we walk through this spacious open area currently used for festivals and music events, you’ll hear all about the taverns, gambling houses, and brothels popular with Northern Arm soldiers that used to stand there.

• Admission Ticket Included

Waldorf Astoria Washington DC



On the block where the Trump International Hotel, formerly the Old Postal Office building, currently stands, was the 11th Street strip, a subsection of the Red Light district on Pennsylvania Avenue where the Military Provost Guard harassed and arrested some of the raucous Madams in the neighborhood.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The National Archives Museum



Continuing in our journey through time, you’ll learn about the lives of prostitutes in Civil War DC and the part they played in society, as we pass by the former site of the largest central urban Market in DC.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

IOOF Temple Building



We’ll stop for a drink at Hill Country BBQ (*cost of beverage not included), across the street from the International Order of Odd Fellows Temple. The IOOF supported the arts, and the art of having a good time. It was common to see the higher class working girls walking into a grand party hosted by the Odd Fellows, on the arm of an Army Officer. Scandalous!

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

National Gallery of Art



The former site of Marble Alley, where two of DC’s highest paid Madams had a vicious rivalry.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

National Museum of the American Indian



An archeological dig discovered the remains of DC most notorious, and yet charitable, Madams. The tour ends at this, the most glamorous of DC’s Civil War-era pleasure houses.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Highlights

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
  • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Guests must be able to be on their feet for at least 2 hours.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Included/Excluded

  • Two hours of fascinating information by an experienced guide. No entry fees necessary.
  • Refreshments at Hill Country BBQ half-way stop.

Durations

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Tour's Location

1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA
from 30 $

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