About this experience
Discover the United States’ turbulent history through works preserved in the National Archives before exploring the faces behind the history. This Exclusive, 5 to 5.5-hour Exclusive guided combo tour, is best way to understand the who and the what of the United States! Your guide will show you the documents and the people that have defined this country. This tour has the heroes and villains of history, culture, progress, and art of the USA.
Highlights often include (but are not limited to):
-The original Declaration of Independence
-The Constitution
-The Bill of Rights
-1297 Magna Carta
-Presidential Portraits
-20th Century American
-Obama Portraits
-Pocahontas Portrait
-Conservation Labs
-Works by Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, and Norman Rockwell
At a glance
- Duration: 5 hr 30 min
- Private experience
Plan your experience
Set aside 5 hr 30 min for the experience itself, with additional time to reach your meeting or pickup point.
Compare the available options before choosing: their itinerary, inclusions and pickup arrangements can differ. Check the price for your date and whole group.
Before you go
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Notes: National Archives and other attractions or museums may be subjected to occasional closures without previous warning from the museum management. When this occurs, we will provide guests with an appropriate alternative if the museum opening time is delayed more than 1h from the tour starting time. In these cases we are unable to provide refunds or discounts. Appropriate dress is required for entry into some sites on this tour. No large bags or suitcases are allowed inside the museum, only handbags or small thin bag packs are allowed through security. Due to increased security measures at many attractions some lines may form on tours with 'Skip the Line' or 'No Wait' access. Some specific rooms inside the museum are subjected to a very quiet or restricted right to speak inside, in this cases your guide will provide the information about this places before entering the specific rooms where this rule applies. Some collections may vary along the year.
Local guides to help you plan
National Portrait Gallery Washington DC Guide
Know when to visit, what to see, and which hidden highlights make the National Portrait Gallery Washington DC worth lingering over.
National Archives Washington DC Guide
Timed tickets, entry tips, and what to see at the National Archives in Washington, DC—there’s one thing most visitors miss before the Rotunda.
What is included
- Tour Guide Exclusively For You (Does NOT apply if you choose "SAVE! BOOK SEMI-PRIVATE" option)
- Guided Walking Tour & Museum Tour
- Private Transportation Included Between Tour Locations If Necessary
- Duration 5.5 Hours (Including Lunch Break)
- Tour Will Run, Rain Or Shine
- Skip The Line Entry to National Archives
Not included
- Tour price does NOT include hotel pickup or drop-off (we recommend UBER or Taxi)
- Tour price does NOT include gratuities (optional)
Itinerary and highlights
After a break to ponder the complexity of history (and grab a bite) your guide will lead you to the dual exhibition space of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Inside the local Washingtonians favorite Smithsonian space you’ll wander hallways that seamlessly flow between the two collections surrounding one of the most relaxing spaces in downtown Washington DC, the Kogard Courtyard. Your guide will take you to see the famous Presidential Portrait Gallery and you’ll hear stories of other famous Americans as you view their portraits in painting, sculpture, and video form. Make your way over to the Luce Center of the American Art portion and get a chance to peek inside the labs of the Lunder Conservation Center! Some of the most iconic figures in Art and History pop up in the most unexpected places in this criminally overlooked Smithsonian!
The best way to understand the who and the what of the United States of America! Skip-the-line at the National Archives and start with the original handwritten “Charters of Freedom” housed in their spectacular Rotunda. Your guide will narrate the extraordinary circumstances that brought this nation into existence. Surrounded by documents and paintings giving depth and nuance to the founding period, no trip to the US Capital city is complete without a visit to the National Archives. But at Babylon we take it a step farther. In the Rubenstein Gallery, go even further to the philosophical foundations by viewing a 1297 copy of the Magna Carta. You will be guided around the room as the concept of citizenship, what it means and who is included evolves from the declaration that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”.
Meeting and pickup information
- Meet your guide on the corner of 9th Street NW and Constitution Ave.
Languages and tickets
- English — Guide
- Mobile Only
Tour operator
- Babylon Tours DC
Meeting points and locations
Accessibility and practical details
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- It is imperative that you provide us with guests MOBILE PHONE NUMBER (including country code)
- Notes: National Archives and other attractions or museums may be subjected to occasional closures without previous warning from the museum management. When this occurs, we will provide guests with an appropriate alternative if the museum opening time is delayed more than 1h from the tour starting time. In these cases we are unable to provide refunds or discounts. Appropriate dress is required for entry into some sites on this tour. No large bags or suitcases are allowed inside the museum, only handbags or small thin bag packs are allowed through security. Due to increased security measures at many attractions some lines may form on tours with 'Skip the Line' or 'No Wait' access. Some specific rooms inside the museum are subjected to a very quiet or restricted right to speak inside, in this cases your guide will provide the information about this places before entering the specific rooms where this rule applies. Some collections may vary along the year.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Questions about this experience
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What accessibility information is provided?
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
What is the cancellation policy?
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