"Get Off the MalL
to explore the deep history of the Nation's Capital"
Featured June Tours
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Secrets of the National Mall - June 1st at 6:30pm
The National Mall is one of the most recognizable and visited attractions of Washington, DC, but there is more to it than meets the eye. On this tour you'll discover some of its hidden features, included a replica of the Washington Monument, a former brothel, a historic carousel and more.
Tour begins at the National Museum of the American Indian and ends at the WWII Memorial. Tour plus signed book price is $45. Tour Only price is $30. To get the tour-only discount use promo code SECRETTOUR at checkout.
National Day of Punk - June 4th at 11am
Did you know that there is a National Day of Punk?? It marks the day that the Sex Pistols played their first show at Manchester's Free Press Hall, which is the accepted start of the punk movement. While punk is often associated with London, New York, and LA, there was a substantial scene in DC that had anchors in downtown and elsewhere. The original 9:30 Club and other spaces were the venues where bands like Minor Threat and Bad Brains got started before going on to world renown. On this tour you'll discover what made the DC punk culture distinct from others, the major contributors to the scene, and its lasting impact on the local music scene today. Tour begins at Gallery Place and ends in front of the MLK Memorial Library.
Queer Black Broadway - June 17th at 3pm - -
In celebration of Pride Month, Off the Mall Tours is bringing back the Queer Black Broadway walking tour The U Street Corridor was known as "Black Broadway" in its heyday of the early 20th Century. From the Prohibition Era to the Civil Rights Movement, it was hosted an active Queer community that was associated with the Harlem Renaissance, the Pansy Craze, underground crime worlds, and the wide world of entertainment. This 1.5 hour walking tour begins at 2204 14th Street and ends at Howard Theater. A portion of proceeds go to Rainbow History Project, whose mission is to collect, preserve and promote the history and culture of the LGBTQ community in metropolitan Washington, D.C.
Spring/Summer Schedule 2023
JUNE
1st at 6:30pm: Secrets of the National Mall
2nd at 7pm: Madams of DC
4th at 11am - National Day of Punk
4th at 2pm: Wives Who Won the Cold War
8th at 7pm - Madams of DC
10th at 2pm: French Connections
11th at 2pm: Historic Alleyways
17th at 3pm - Queer Black Broadway
18th at 2pm - Harlem Renaissance in DC
25th at 2pm: History of Black Georgetown
30th at 6pm: District of Punk
JULY
2nd at 2pm: Wives Who Won the Cold War
7th at 7pm: Madams of DC
8th at 7pm: French Connection
9th at 2pm: Historic Alleyways
13th at 7pm - Madams of DC
14th - Bastille Day French Connections
16th - Harlem Renaissance of DC
23rd at 2pm: History of Black Georgetown
28th at 6pm: District of Punk
AUGUST
4th at 7pm: Madams of DC
6th at 2pm: Wives Who Won the Cold War
10th at 7pm: Madams of DC
12th at 2pm: French Connections
13th at 2pm: Historic Alleyways
20th at 2pm: Harlem Renaissance in DC
25th at 6pm: District of Punk
27th at 2pm: History of Black Georgetown
REgularly Scheduled Tour Descriptions
Tours are $25 per adult, $15 per child unless otherwise specified.
Madams of DC
Washington experienced an unprecedented rise in prostitution during and after the Civil War. During this period, Pennsylvania Avenue became DC's most notorious red light district, from the ramshackle "boarding houses" of Murder Bay to the glamorous pleasure houses of Marble Alley, all within sight of the Capitol. Also, a new profession for women was rising, that of the "female lobbyist." This tour will introduce you to some of the most notorious women of mid-19th Century DC.
Route starts at the Willard Intercontinental and travels down Pennsylvania Avenue, which was the main thoroughfare along which DC's red light district arose. There is a half-way stop at Hill Country BBQ for a bathroom break and refreshments. Tour ends at the National Museum of the American Indian. Tour runs approximately 2 - 2.5 hours. Tour runs 1st Friday of the Month and 2nd Thursday of the Month at 7pm.
Wives Who Won
the Cold War
An ill-fated artist, an Ambassador's wife, a Baroness, and the most powerful woman in journalism.....What do they all have in common? They were part of the most exclusive club of power-players in Cold War DC. These amazing women made their mark in a man's world using every tool at their disposal.
Tour runs approximately 2 - 2.5 hours. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for children. Tour is in the Georgetown neighborhood, begins at Thomas Sweet Shop at 3214 P Street NW DC, and ends at Oak Hill Cemetery at 3001 R Street NW. There is a half-way stop at the iconic Martin's Tavern for restroom break and optional refreshments (not included in ticket price). 1st Sunday of the Month at 2pm.
Harlem Renaissance
in DC
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ICome on a winding journey through an era in which the U Street neighborhood of Washington, DC was giving rise to a vibrant jazz scene and establishing the roots of a new movement in black intellectualism. Also known as "Black Broadway", the U Street corridor was a neighborhood where black businesses thrived, Langston Hughes and Jean Toomer were upcoming writers and poets, and Howard University professors were guiding a movement that would highlight black contributions to history.
Tour begins at the historic Howard Theater at 620 T Street NW and ends at the Georgia Douglas Johnson house at 1461 S Street NW. The tour also makes a halfway stop at the famous Ben's Chili Bowl for a bathroom break and optional refreshment. Tour runs Third Sunday of the month at 2pm.
History of Black GeorgetowN
Someone visiting Georgetown today may see it as another wealthy enclave in a continuously gentrifying Washington, DC. However, this charming area that boasts high-end shopping and gourmet restaurants has a diverse past. At one point African Americans counted for as much as 30% of the Georgetown population. Descendants of enslaved peoples and free black folk have lived in Georgetown for generations, but their contributions to its history do not often receive recognition. This tour will reveal the stories of the black citizens who made their mark on one of DC’s oldest neighborhoods.
The tour starts at 3206 O Street NW DC and ends at the Mt. Zion/Female Union Band Cemetery at 2501 Mill Rd. NW. There is a half-way stop at Thomas Sweet Shop for a bathroom break and refreshment.
Last Sunday of the Month at 2pm.
Historic
AlleywaYS
The alleyways of DC served a distinct purpose as a city planning feature, but they also provided a hidden safe space where escaped enslaved people and the economically disadvantaged could find inexpensive housing and live their lives away from prying eyes. While city officials condemned life in the alleyways as dangerous, dirty and diseased, they were in fact a place where communities sustained each other and provided security. This walking tour takes you through the Blagden Alley/Naylor Court Historic District, and reveals their secrets.
Tour starts at 909 M Street NW DC and ends in Blagden Alley. Guests will have a half-way stop at the La Colombe Coffee for a bathroom break and optional refreshments. Tour runs approximately 1.5 hours.
2nd Sunday of the Month at 2pm.
French
Connections
France and Washington, DC have a very special connection, and this tour will show you the many ways in which our Gallic friends have influenced the nation's capital. This 1.5 walk takes you around Lafayette Square and the surrounding neighborhood covering such topics as the Revolutionary War hero General Marquis de Lafayette, the city's heavily French-influenced architecture, African American DC residents who lived in France to escape segregation in America in the early 20th century, and the original planner of Washington, Pierre L'Enfant.
Tour begins at Lafayette Square's SE Corner (Lafayette's Statue) and ends approximately at 15th and H Street NW. 2nd Saturday of the Month 11am or 2pm (check date)
District of
PUNK
In the 1980s, the Reagan Administration was reinstating the Selective Service, hippies were turning in yuppies, and the punk scene rose as a reaction to what they saw as a conformist, soulless government. While punk is often associated with London, New York, and LA, there was a substantial scene in DC that had anchors in downtown and elsewhere. The original 9:30 Club and other spaces were the venues where bands like Minor Threat and Bad Brains got started before going on to world renown. On this tour you'll discover what made the DC punk culture distinct from others, the major contributors to the scene, and its lasting impact on the local music scene today.
Tour begins outside of the F and 7th Street Exit of Gallery Place Metro Station (red, green and yellow lines) and ends at the MLK Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street NW DC. Last Friday of the month at 6pm.
Booking by Date
(If on mobile version, click Book Now to be taken to schedule)
Tours by Private Request Only
If you're in Washington, DC and looking for a unique experience, we are available for private tour requests. Choose any of the tours described above or below, or with enough advance notice we can customize something special for you!
Write to offthemallwalkingtours@gmail.com and tell us your travel dates, available times, and interests, and we'll work with you to create an amazing tour. Minimum $200 for up to 8 people and then rates vary depending on time and number of people.
Queer Black Broadway
The U Street Corridor was known as "Black Broadway" in its heyday of the early 20th Century, and was also the center for social justice and fringe movements that fought to bring more opportunity for marginalized groups, including an active Queer community that was associated with the Harlem Renaissance, the Pansy Craze, underground crime worlds, and the wide world of entertainment. This 1.5 hour walking tour begins at 2204 14th Street and ends at Shaw Tavern.
Echoes of Navy Yard
The Navy Yard is DC’s oldest neighborhood, and was also one of the largest sources of employment for the city's citizens, the entry point into the capital, a destination of DC’s first mass transit system, and much more. This 2-hour walking tour will show you the hidden historic side of this amazing and rapidly changing neighborhood. Tour begins at the New Jersey exit of the Navy Yard - Ballpark metro station (green line), and ends at the Capital Waterfront.
Lesser Known Notables of Oak Hill Cemetery
The Oak Hill Cemetery in the Georgetown neighborhood
dates back to 1848, and contains the graves of many notable but lesser-known men and women. From confederate spies to union generals, educators to architects, Civil War to Cold War, this tour will take you around this beautiful cemetery and recount wild tales of those who use it as their final resting place. And yes, there is at least one ghost story. *Cemetery hours are only 9am - 4pm, so this tour is limited to those times only.
History of
Jewish Washington
OTM's partner guide Ami Greener leads this tour about notable Jewish contributions to DC history! It will also answer such questions as: Who was the first US president to visit a DC synagogue while in office, and why did he donate $10? Why did the first synagogue built in DC have wheels? Which historic synagogue was saved at the last minute from turning into a nightclub? And who were the first Jews to live in this new city on the Potomac? You'll get the answer to these questions and more on that fascinating and insightful tour.
OTM Celebrates Black history Month
In celebration of Black History Month, OTM is offering its acclaimed tours that focus specifically on the stories of DC's black citizens throughout February
See tour descriptions below. Use promo code BHM2023for 20% off!
February 12th at 2pm - Historic Alleyways
February 19th at 2pm - Harlem Renaissance in DC
February 25th at 3pm - Queer Black Broadway
February 26th at 2pm - History of Black Georgetown
about Off the Mall Tours
Off the Mall Tours is a unique walking tour company that brings a fresh perspective to the history of the nation's capital. Its mission is to introduce locals and tourists alike to the DC that awaits "Off the Mall" and into the neighborhoods of this fascinating, energetic city. After one of our tours, our guests are delighted with their newfound understanding of its multi-layered and multi-cultural heritage.
Meet Your GuidES
Katie Kirkpatrick is the founder of Off the Mall Tours. She is proud to call herself a DC resident since 2002. She moved to the capital after college for graduate school, and then worked in government for many years. However, history was always her first love. She started her touring career by giving historical ghost tour pub crawls, and discovered a passion for sharing the varied and layered history of the capital area. So, she started her own company, drawing upon her interests in unique stories, a flair for costuming, and her love of DC.
Daarel Burnette II is Off the Mall's new guide! He is an education journalist, but fell in love with historic guiding as a guest of Off the Mall Tours. He has worked as an education reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and the Louisville Courier-Journal. He also worked as a general assignment reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He received his undergraduate degree in print journalism from Hampton University and a master’s degree in politics and journalism from Columbia University. He guides theHarlem Renaissance in DC tour the last Saturday of the month.
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