Join Councilmember Tommy Wells for WalkingTown, DC Spring Edition 2007 
 
Join Tommy for one of the Walking DC Tours! He'll be joining the "Alley Living in Capitol Hill" tour, Saturday, April 21st, 12:00 - 2:30 pm, but check out all the options and enjoy these special events.

Saturday, April 21, 2007 - Sunday, April 22, 2007
Location: All Across the City

Join Cultural Tourism DC for more than 60 free walking tours (and a few bike and boat tours) in 18 neighborhoods across Washington, DC. Check out the full calender, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 202-661-7581.

Before you get started, what you need to know:

• All tours are free.
  Reservations are not required, with the exception of the bike tours and a few others. Just show up!
  Consider taking Metrobus, Metrorail, or the Circulator. Most tours are readily available via public transportation.
  Tours are held rain or shine.
  Visit the City Guide at washingtonpost.com to check special features and post a review.
  Need more info or tips to plan your day? Click here!

Check out tours in and around Ward 6!

SATURDAY, APRIL 21

Anacostia by Bike: The River and the Ridge
Saturday 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Meet at the Harbor Police parking lot at the south end of Water Street, SW
Reservations required: 202-518-0524 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
This 26-mile ride combines a tour of the Anacostia River Walk Trail with the spine of the Potomac Ridge. See Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, historic Anacostia, the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, and the Anacostia Community Museum. Participants should expect rough pavement, hills, and traffic, which will be heavy in spots. Helmets are mandatory. Bring water, food, and ID. Led by volunteer Jon Fleming and presented by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.

Anacostia by Bike 
Saturday 9 am – 12 noon
Meet at the entrance to the Washington Fish and Seafood Market Place, 1100 Maine Avenue, SW
Reservations required: 202-661-7581 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Experience the Anacostia River by bicycle with Emeka Moneme, director of the District Department of Transportation. Ride the route of the future Anacostia River Walk Trail to see Anacostia Park and RFK Stadium. You’ll also learn about the many projects that will soon transform the Anacostia waterfront. Presented by the District Department of Transportation.

Explore Florida Market/Capital City Market
Saturday 9 – 11 am
Meet outside the north entrance of New York Avenue Metro station (exit to Florida Avenue)
The Florida Market is the city’s major wholesale food distribution center. Walkers will visit two Korean restaurants and vendors inside the DC Farmers Market building. The tour will also address development issues, such as increased demand for urban living. Led by Richard Layman and presented by Citizens Planning Coalition, Frozen Tropics weblog, and Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space weblog.

Capitol Hill
Saturday 10 am – 12 noon
Meet outside Eastern Market Metro station
Most people think of Capitol Hill as a place of business, law, and politics. But “the Hill” is much more. Find out who has called Capitol Hill home over the years and visit the “other” Lincoln memorial. Spot the contemporary row houses among the authentic Victorian ones, but plan to snack when we end at the ever-popular Eastern Market. Led by professional tour guide Sarah Fischer and presented by Washington Walks.
Note: This is a popular tour!

Capitol Hill: A Half-Century of Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, and Transgendered History
Saturday 10 – 11:30 am
Meet outside Mr. Henry’s at Sixth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
Capitol Hill's GLBT tour discusses the development of the club scene along Pennsylvania Avenue, the Metropolitan Community Church on Seventh Street, and the birth of women’s clubs. Highlights include the first gay “super” clubs, Lammas (the de-facto women’s center of its day), the Furies collective, and drag shows on Capitol Hill. Led by John Olinger, Ph.D. and presented by The Rainbow History Project.

Our National Mall: From Industrial Wasteland to Civic Stage
Saturday 10 am – 12 noon
Meet outside Smithsonian Metro (National Mall exit)
Tour the fascinating layers of history that have transformed our National Mall. The walk will focus on the historic, cultural, and political transformations of our nation’s preeminent green space and public park – from its inception as a public promenade to dynamic stage for civil rights and citizen engagement. Led by Judy Scott Feldman, Ph.D, and presented by National Coalition to Save Our Mall.

History of Our Waterways Cultural Cruise - THIS TOUR IS SOLD OUT!
Saturday 11:30 am – 2 pm
Meet at the gazebo outside the Gangplank Marina, 600 Water Street, SW
Reservations required: 202-547-1250 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Join the National Maritime Heritage Foundation for a fun and educational cruise on the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. Relax aboard our 65-foot schooner as we set sail and enjoy the sights from a new perspective and learn about the DC Waterfront. Led by Carl Cole and presented by the National Maritime Heritage Foundation.

Alley Living in Capitol Hill
Saturday 12 noon – 2:30 pm
Meet at the northeast corner of Third Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (next to the SunTrust Bank), three blocks from the Capitol South Metro station
In the 1800s and early 1900s alleys were used for stabling horses, industry, and housing the poor. Housing reform, zoning regulations, and urban renewal made most of these uses illegal. This tour will visit one of the city’s only remaining hitching posts as well as Capitol Hill alleys, including the cobblestone alley near St. Marks Church and Frederick Douglass Alley. Led by Richard Layman and presented by Alley Residents of Washington, Citizens Planning Coalition, and Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space weblog.

African Americans at the Top of the Hill
Saturday 1 – 3 pm
Meet in front of Union Station next to the Freedom Bell
Visit notable African American sites such as the first Washington home of Frederick Douglass, the statue of Mary McLeod Bethune, and the Emancipation Monument. Tour highlights also include the Supreme Court where Justice Thurgood Marshall made landmark decisions and the capital rotunda where Rosa Parks was honored. Led by Noel Paige and presented by Urban Communications (UC) Tours.

Reel Washington:  Bikes, Camera, Action!
Saturday 1 – 4:30 pm
Meet at the rear plaza of the Old Post Office Pavilion, 12th Street between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, NW
Reservations required: 202-842-BIKE or www.bikethesites.com
You’ve seen the Exorcist, All the President's Men, No Way Out, Broadcast News, and others filmed in Washington. Join us by bike to find out where and how they were filmed. We’ll utter the famous lines, reveal the famous gaffes (where is the Georgetown subway station?) and provide enough Washington film trivia to satisfy your favorite movie junkie. Led by Sarah Fischer and presented by Bike the Sites.
Special Instructions: Optional bike rentals $20. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. Minimum age: 13 years.

Capitol Hill
Saturday 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Meet outside Eastern Market Metro station
Most people think of Capitol Hill as a place of business, law, and politics. But “the Hill” is much more. Find out who has called Capitol Hill home over the years and visit the “other” Lincoln memorial. Spot the contemporary row houses among the authentic Victorian ones, but plan to snack when we end at the ever-popular Eastern Market. Led by professional tour guide Dwane Starlin and presented by Washington Walks.
Note: This is a popular tour!

Southwest Waterfront
Saturday 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Meet outside Waterfront-SEU Metro station
Since Pierre L’Enfant drafted the first city plans for the District of Columbia, Southwest has been home to a diverse community that has included wealthy speculators, free blacks, and European immigrants. Learn how urban renewal brought wholesale change and reinvention. Led by professional tour guide Carolyn Crouch and presented by Washington Walks.

 SUNDAY, APRIL 22

Art on Line: The Story Behind the Artwork at Metro Stations
Sunday 9:30 am – 12:30 pm (additional tours may be scheduled to meet demand)
Meet inside Metro Center station at the F and 12th Streets exit, under the stained glass sculptures
Reservations required: 202-661-7581 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Led by Michael McBride, manager of the WMATA Art in Transit program, this riding and walking tour tells the fascinating stories behind the unique works of art at Metro stations. Hear about the artists who created the murals, sculptures, and other works of art. Learn how the artwork was selected and what it takes to fabricate and install large-scale works of art planned for the Metrorail system. Presented by Metro.
Special Instructions: Please bring Metro farecard

Down by the River: Walk the Anacostia Waterfront and Poplar Point
Sunday 10 – 11 am
Meet in front of Anacostia Metro station entrance on the same side as Anacostia Park and the parking garage
Poplar Point, currently 110 acres located along the Anacostia River, across from the Washington Navy Yard, represents an outstanding opportunity to reconnect east side residents with the river. Learn how Poplar Point will be the site of a new 70-acre waterfront park, residential and retail development, featuring state-of-the-art ecological restoration, two federal memorials, historical attractions, and the Riverwalk Trail. Led by Diane Sullivan, Poplar Point project director with the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation and presented by Anacostia Waterfront Corporation.

Rediscovering Kingman and Heritage Islands
Sunday 10 – 11:30 am
Meet outside Stadium-Armory Metro station (north exit)
Kingman Island and the adjacent Heritage Island, located near RFK Stadium, are envisioned as a publicly accessible, 45-acre natural park that reconnects the neighborhood and all District residents with the natural wonders of the Anacostia River. Join Howard Ways, Anacostia Waterfront Corporation Ward Seven project director, as he tours the area and discusses plans for this space. Presented by the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation.

Benjamin Banneker Walk
Sunday 1 – 3 pm
Meet at Smithsonian Metro station (Independence Avenue exit)
Benjamin Banneker was a free-born African American commissioned to survey the boundaries of Washington DC. A noted mathematician and astronomer, he published almanacs used throughout the mid-Atlantic states in the early 18th century. Walk to Banneker Overlook Park and then through the national mall to the White House. Led by Noel Paige and presented by Urban Communications (UC) Tours.

Exploring the Hill East Waterfront
Sunday 1 – 2 pm
Meet outside Stadium-Armory Metro station (north entrance)
Hill East Waterfront lies along the shores of the Anacostia River at the southeastern end of Capitol Hill. This community will be transformed into an urban multi-use district, connecting the surrounding neighborhood to the Anacostia Waterfront via tree-lined public streets, recreational trails, and accessible waterfront parklands. Led by Jeff Seltzer, Capital Projects Manager for AWC and presented by the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation.

German Immigrants: The Evidence Preserved
Sunday 1 – 2:30 pm
Meet outside the Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh Street, NW
Visit sites where German immigrants lived, worked, and worshipped. Stores and businesses such as the former Lansburgh’s Department Store and places of worship played an important role in the German community. Also learn about the accomplishments of prominent German-Americans. Led by Carl Saperstein and presented by the Goethe-Institut.

Why Hains Point? The Creation of Potomac Park by Bike
Sunday 1 – 4 pm
Meet at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Plaza by the Tidal Basin
A century-old landmark, Hains Point memorializes Peter Conover Hains and the creation of the 700-acre Potomac Park – now the setting for national icons and veterans memorials. This bike tour traces the development of this land in the context of Washington’s early waterways and city planning. Led by Michael Kelly and Jason Martz and presented by National Park Service - National Mall & Memorial Parks.
Special Instructions: Please bring your own bikes, helmets, and water

Wild Washington: Animal Sculptures by Bike
Sunday 1 – 4:30 pm
Meet at the Connecticut Avenue entrance of the National Zoo
Reservations required: 202-842-BIKE or www.bikethesites.com.
Bike the Sites takes you beyond the typical Washington, DC political party animals with a neighborhood art tour. Begin on foot at the National Zoo, then continue by bike through Rock Creek Park, Dupont Circle, and the National Mall, ending at the Old Post Office Pavilion. Led by Carl Airhart and presented by Bike the Sites.
Special Instructions: Optional bike rentals $20. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. Minimum age: 13 years.

Penn Quarter (Downtown)
Sunday 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Meet outside Archives-Navy Mem’l-Penn Quarter Metro station
Hip hotels, restaurants, and loft apartments are sprouting up amidst attractions like the International Spy Museum, Shakespeare Theatre, and National Building Museum. Most of these are housed in buildings from the 1800s, which makes this walk an irresistible urban scavenger hunt to a bygone era – a time when Chinese, German, and Italian immigrants lived and worked on and around Seventh Street. Led by professional tour guide Carolyn Crouch and presented by Washington Walks.