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Study Tours

All upcoming Study Tours

Smithsonian Associates Study Tours takes the educational intent of our fabulous programming outside the classroom and on the road!

About our tours

Each tour is led by one of our Study Leaders with expertise in the subject matter along with a Smithsonian Representative to handle all the logistics and comforts of the group. The study leader imparts knowledge both formally and informally throughout the tour, with methods that can include a background lecture, handout materials, narrating site visits, and stimulating social engagement with all participants during the course of the tour.

Tour types

Study tours include day bus trips, multi-day and overnight tours, and shorter neighborhood walks or visits to specific sites. We offer over 70 study tours each year, and we hope you will join us!

Select a tour type to learn more:

Day bus tours visit destinations as close as Capitol Hill and as far as New York City or Maryland's Eastern Shore. Topics for these tours are wide-ranging and cover subjects such as military history, art, architecture, railroading, horticulture, gastronomy, and literature.

Popular day bus tours have included:

  • Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater
  • John Wilkes Booth's Escape Route
  • Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
  • Sultana Cruise & Historic Chestertown
  • The Cloisters of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Overnight tours give Study Leaders the opportunity to take a group a greater distance from Washington, DC. Study Leaders spend more time with participants and explore the subject in greater detail. The majority of these tours depart from Washington, DC, however for some tours the group meets at the destination.

Popular overnight tours have included:

  • Best of Brooklyn, New York
  • Berkshires Summer Sampler
  • Exploring Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago
  • Corning Museum of Glass
  • West Virginia Railroad Spectacular

Walking and on-site tours last two to three hours. Participants meet directly at the tour destination and spend time with the Study Leader exploring that particular subject or neighborhood.

Popular walking and on-site tours have included:

  • Inside Smithsonian Libraries
  • Architecture on the National Mall
  • Dupont Circle and Embassy Row
  • Sunrise Hike at Great Falls
  • Roosevelt Island Walks

All upcoming Study Tours

Showing programs 1 to 5 of 31
April 2, 2024

Discover the spring splendors of the Potomac Gorge, a 1,900-acre natural area spanning Maryland and Virginia that is one of the most botanically diverse places in North America. Hike north from Turkey Run Park along the Potomac Heritage Trail on a wilderness adventure inside the Beltway as you admire lush upland forests, floodplains brilliantly decorated by Virginia bluebells, and great blue herons in the Potomac River.


April 3, 2024

Discover the spring splendors of the Potomac Gorge, a 1,900-acre natural area spanning Maryland and Virginia that is one of the most botanically diverse places in North America. Hike north from Turkey Run Park along the Potomac Heritage Trail on a wilderness adventure inside the Beltway as you admire lush upland forests, floodplains brilliantly decorated by Virginia bluebells, and great blue herons in the Potomac River.


April 4, 2024

Discover the spring splendors of the Potomac Gorge, a 1,900-acre natural area spanning Maryland and Virginia that is one of the most botanically diverse places in North America. Hike north from Turkey Run Park along the Potomac Heritage Trail on a wilderness adventure inside the Beltway as you admire lush upland forests, floodplains brilliantly decorated by Virginia bluebells, and great blue herons in the Potomac River.


April 5, 2024

Soar into the fascinating world of North American shorebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds at the Bird House at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Built in 1928 and reopened in 2023 after a six-year renovation, the Bird House­ reflects a new era in which zoos function as key players in wildlife conservation. Brian Evans, an ornithologist at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, and members of the Bird House’s animal-care team lead a fascinating immersive exploration of the exhibitions and the science that informs bird conservation.


April 7 to April 8, 2024
In-Person
$675 - $965

Arts journalist Richard Selden leads a delightful exploration of New York City’s largest outer borough. Highlights include the site of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs; the Museum of the Moving Image; the Noguchi Museum; the Louis Armstrong House Museum; a sampling of the borough’s international cuisine; and an overnight stay at the TWA Hotel, which celebrates the Jet Age glamour of the 1960s.