DC Slavery Tours · Lafayette Square
A one-hour private walk from Lafayette Square past Decatur House and along the old canal line to the museum, led by a guide the listing calls an academic in African Studies. It is the only tour here built around slavery in the capital itself, and the cheapest way to get a private guide.
You meet your guide at the Andrew Jackson statue in Lafayette Square, across from the White House, and walk for an hour. Reviewers name Dr. Gibson and Dr. Koura; the listing describes the guide as an academic and expert in African Studies. The walk is private, so it is only your group, at $40 per person with lower rates for children and seniors.
The route is short and dense. On the north side of the square stands Decatur House, where the White House Historical Association has restored slave quarters used by enslaved people from the 1820s; Henry Clay brought enslaved workers there from Kentucky in 1827. From there you cross toward the Mall and the line of the old C&O Canal, marked today by the stone Lockkeeper's House at 17th Street and Constitution Avenue. The walk ends at the southeast corner of the museum at 15th Street.
Two things to know. The guide shows pictures of the people in the story on your phone, and one guest found "not much to see" between them. And two reviewers in 2024 waited at the statue for a guide who never came. The ratings since then are strong (4.7 from 37), but message the operator the day before. Entry to the museum is not part of the walk: get your own free timed pass for after it.
Meet at the Andrew Jackson statue, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.
The townhouse on the square and the enslaved people who lived and worked in its back building.
South past the White House grounds toward the Ellipse and the Mall.
Where the canal extension met the Washington City Canal, by the Lockkeeper's House.
The walk ends at 15th Street and Constitution Ave NW, outside the museum.
★★★★★What a wonderful tour! Dr. Gibson was very knowledgeable on the history of slavery in DC. Parts of Lafayette park was closed but we were still able to see important monuments in history.
★★★★★This was by far the best tour! Dr. Koura is knowledgeable & passionate about black history and Washington DC history. She is very personable and a great teacher.
★★★★★This is an excellent tour and one of the most informative and interesting experiences we have done in Washington DC. Bravo and we highly recommend the experience!
★★★★★The guide was a great storyteller! So glad that I did this tour (despite the heat)- to learn more about DC and its African American history!
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One hour on foot, from the Andrew Jackson statue in Lafayette Square to the southeast corner of the museum at 15th Street. It is private, so the pace is your group's.
No. The walk ends outside the museum. Entry is free, but you need a timed pass from the museum's own website, so reserve one for right after the walk.
The listing describes the guide as an academic and expert in African Studies, and reviewers name Dr. Gibson and Dr. Koura. Guests call the guide a great teacher and storyteller.
The listing has child (5 to 10), youth (11 to 15) and infant bands with lower prices, and strollers are fine. The content is serious, so judge it for your kids; an hour outdoors suits most ages.
Ready to book
One private hour on foot with a specialist guide, from Lafayette Square to the museum.
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