Booking choice: The small-group driving tour, from $90 per person. Check dates Tour details
Cedar Hill is the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, run by the National Park Service in Anacostia, east of the Anacostia River.
Facts below come from the Park Service. Stop lengths come from the Viator listings.
The quick answer
Both driving tours list a short stop, 15 to 20 minutes, at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W Street SE. You can only enter the house on a National Park Service ranger-guided tour, Tuesday to Saturday, about 30 minutes long; reserve on recreation.gov at least a day ahead ($1 a ticket). A typical visit lasts about 1.5 hours.
Who was Frederick Douglass?
Born enslaved in Talbot County, Maryland, in February 1818, he escaped and became, in the Park Service's words, the most important leader of the movement for African American civil rights in the 19th century.
According to the Park Service, he wrote three autobiographies, starting with the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave in 1845, supported women's suffrage and held several public offices. He died at Cedar Hill on February 20, 1895.
What is Cedar Hill?
Douglass's home in Anacostia from 1877 until his death in 1895, now the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site.
The house sits on top of a 50-foot hill, on eight acres of the original estate. It is restored to its 1895 appearance and furnished with original objects that belonged to Douglass and his household.
Do the history tours go inside the house?
No: the tours stop at the site for 15 to 20 minutes, and the house interior is only open on ranger-guided tours.
Guests value the stop: one wrote that they enjoyed seeing the house where Douglass lived. Another said the stop was skipped on their small-group day in favour of the Bethune Council House, so ask your guide which stops are planned.
Want Cedar Hill on a half-day route? Check dates for the small-group drive.
Check dates for the small-group driving tourHow do you tour the house itself?
Join a ranger-guided tour, Tuesday to Saturday: reserve on recreation.gov or by phone at least a day ahead, at $1 a ticket.
Rangers lead the tours at 9 a.m., 12:15, 1:15, 3 and 3:30 p.m., plus 4 p.m. from April to October, according to the Park Service. Each lasts about 30 minutes and covers the first and second floors. Unreserved tickets are free and go first come, first served if any are left; groups of 11 to 60 book by phone at least a week ahead. A whole visit, with exhibits, the film and the grounds, takes about 1.5 hours, and a virtual tour is online.
How do you combine Cedar Hill with a history tour?
Take a history tour for the overview, then come back on another day for a ranger tour of the house.
The tours spend less time at the site than a house tour takes, so the two do not fit in one stop. A morning tour followed by a ranger tour on a later day gives you both the city-wide story and the house.
Prefer your own guide for the overview? The private tour lists Cedar Hill among eight stops.
Explore the private history tour Tour detailsWhere is Cedar Hill?
At 1411 W Street SE in Anacostia, east of the Anacostia River.
The tours drive there from the Mall. On your own, check the Park Service's directions page for transit and parking before you go.
What else on the tours tells the same story?
The African American Civil War Memorial and the museum's slavery and freedom galleries carry the same history forward.
See the sites on the routes and how to get museum passes.
Ready to plan the day? Check dates for the small-group drive.
Check dates for the small-group driving tourFrequently asked questions
How long does a visit to Cedar Hill take?
About 1.5 hours, according to the National Park Service, including the house tour, exhibits, the film and the grounds.
Is Cedar Hill on the private tour?
Yes. The private tour lists a 15-minute stop at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site.
Do I need a reservation for Cedar Hill?
Reservations are strongly encouraged even for individuals, and required for groups of more than ten. Book on recreation.gov at least a day ahead; each reserved ticket costs $1.
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Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD; check whether each is per person or per group.
Black History Driving Tour with Museum Tickets
- Small-group tour, maximum 21 travelers, air-conditioned vehicle
- Listed stops: Capitol, White House, Lincoln and MLK Memorials, Frederick Douglass NHS, Civil War Memorial Museum, Bethune Council House
- Drive-bys listed: LeDroit Park, Howard Theatre, Howard University, Carter G. Woodson Home
Private African American History Tour & Museum Entry
- Private tour for your group only, by SUV or van (two booking options)
- Listed stops: African American Civil War Memorial Museum (outside), Frederick Douglass NHS, Ben's Chili Bowl mural, U.S. Capitol, MLK and Lincoln Memorials
- Complimentary museum timed-entry reservation after the tour (the operator says it is not guaranteed)
