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Madams of DC Walking Tour

68 Reviews5.00 out of 5 stars Based on 68 reviews collected by City Boat Tours and TripAdvisor |
Badge of Excellence |Badge of Excellence This experience is highly rated by travelers and has met our top quality standards.
Washington DC, USA

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2 hours 30 minutes (Approx.)
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Overview

This tour is offered the first and third Friday of the month. Check website for exact schedule. All tours available for private tours.

The Madams in DC walking tour gives you a totally unique side of DC's history that you won't hear anywhere else. The Civil War completely transformed the capital, and turned Pennsylvania Avenue into a red light district lined with bawdy houses, taverns, theaters, and commercial ventures. Hard to imagine, now that it's lined with monolithic government buildings! You'll learn about how the women who worked in these brothels made their way in life, and even had an impact on affairs of government.

What's Included

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

Meeting Location

Meeting point

1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA

Open in Google Maps

The meeting point is in front of the Willard Center, next to the Occidental on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Look for the guide wearing the costume!

End point

Jefferson Drive Southwest & 4th Street Southwest, Jefferson Dr SW & 4th St SW, Washington, DC 20004, USA

Tour ends at the National Museum of the American Indian, which used to be the site of a notorious brothel. Smithsonian and Federal Center Metro Stations (Orange/Blue/Silver lines) are both only two blocks away.

Start Time • 7:00 PM

What To Expect

Freedom Plaza (Pass By)

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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

National Gallery of Art

The former site of Marble Alley, where two of DC's highest paid Madams had a vicious rivalry.
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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.
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10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Show 4 more stops

Additional Info

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

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Activity code: C-268386P1

Reviews

5.00
68 reviews

Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 68 traveler reviews collected by City Boat Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

5 stars
68
4 stars
0
3 stars
0
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1 star
0

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