Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery & American Art Museum
2.5
hour
guided
Group Size
Max 6
Tour Duration
2 Hours
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Free Cancellation up to 24 hrs
Highlights generally include (but are not limited to):
• The Declaration of Independence — see the original, hand-signed document that declared America's independence from Britain in 1776 - one of the most revered texts in U.S. history.
• The U.S. Constitution — stand before the founding document that established the framework of American government, signed in 1787 and still shaping the nation today.
• The Bill of Rights — discover the first ten amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing essential freedoms like speech, religion, and due process.
• The Emancipation Proclamation — issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, this landmark executive order declared the freedom of enslaved people in Confederate states during the Civil War.
• The Magna Carta (1297) — one of the rare surviving copies of this medieval English document, which influenced the U.S. Constitution and the very concept of individual rights.
The National Archives Museum houses some of the most important documents in American history, preserving the words that shaped the nation.
Inside its monumental Rotunda, you'll stand before the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights- powerful symbols of democracy and freedom. On this 2-hour guided tour your expert guide will bring the museum's most remarkable artifacts to life. See the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln's pivotal order that redefined the Civil War.
Examine a rare 1297 copy of the Magna Carta, the foundation of modern constitutional law. Discover handwritten letters from George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, a petition advocating for the abolition of slavery, and even a citation issued to Rosa Parks each offering a window into the people and movements that defined America.
By the end of the tour, you'll have explored the defining struggles, evolving rights, and landmark decisions that continue to shape the United States. Whether you're passionate about history or simply curious to see these legendary documents up close, this experience offers an unforgettable glimpse into the nation's past.
• GUIDED MUSEUM TOUR (with SKIP-THE-LINE VIP ALL ACCESS ENTRY)
• PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDE
• DURATION 2 HOURS
• TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE FOOD AND DRINKS
• TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE HOTEL PICKUP OR DROP-OFF (we recommend UBER or Taxi)
• TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE GRATUITIES (optional)
• TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE LUGGAGE OR COAT STORAGE
Our tour guide Maribeth Oaks was outstanding! She is very knowledgeable and took the time go over valuable details and info, making this tour a great experience for all of us. My daughter is taking a US history class and she enjoyed the time spent is new learning. Highly recommend this tour to everyone.
17 February 2025
Ryan was an absolutely amazing tour guide, highly recommend! Went with my family and we all learned a ton of new things. He was very sociable and a wealth of knowledge. A local himself, he truly knew everything.
11 April 2025
Skip the line was obviously worth it. Our tour guide, Annemarie, was friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. Highly recommended!
17 June 2025
Annemarie was the best guide! She went into juicy details about the documents that enriched my love for my country and what the founding fathers went through. She answered all our questions with knowledge and patience.
24 June 2025
What a wonderful and insightful tour Donna gave to us. The detailed history she provided was amazing that it just came alive to us. Would highly recommend Donna for any of her tours that she is leading
28 June 2025
Very interesting tour. Brenda was a very knowledgeable and did rush us through the archives. As I was translating some key points to my group, she would stop so that I could do this.
02 July 2025
Paul was perfect! Very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. The tour was timed so we seen everything we wanted but never felt rushed. He added his own personal touches that really set it apart. He even looked up one of our interest at the archives. Would recommend Paul and this tour to anyone.
05 July 2025
Ryan was an excellent guide. He added a lot of interesting facts and delivered them in an entertaining way. It would not have been as memorable of a visit if our group had done a self guided tour.
30 July 2025
We enjoyed our tour so much with Annamarie and we will recommend her to anyone we know is traveling to D.C. After traveling around the country and seeing so many interesting things—we know getting a great tour guide should be a priority. Babylon has a fantastic guide and we will recommend Annamarie and use Babylon in the future.
31 July 2025
Annmarie was an excellent, very knowledgeable guide who got us up close and personal to the documents ahead of the crowds! She let us in on a couple secrets, and explained the paintings, building, documents, etc with more details and information than you would know otherwise. Can you find 2 errors in the Declaration? Find Lincoln in the Declaration painting?
04 August 2025
Maribeth our tour guide was exceptional. Not only was she friendly and enthusiastic she was extremely knowledgeable. Regardless of whether you’re into American History or not I highly recommend this tour. Seeing the original American constitution is pretty special.
23 August 2025
It is impossible to adequately describe the incredible tour provided by Maribeth. Worth every penny. She is an incredible resource of information. Great energy and excitement about the National Archives. She brought her own additional materials to add to the experience and gave detailed insights to most if not all the signers of the Dec of Ind. She also helped me propose by slowing the crowd in front of our founding document. So very grateful for such a warm personal experience from an impassioned professional. She is the Bees Knees and the Cats Pajamas.
07 September 2025
Annemarie was very resourceful, she told us several things we didn’t know. I would recommend this tour if you want to see the archives!
08 July 2025
Our visit to the National Archives was a highlight of our trip to Washington, D.C., thanks to an outstanding guided tour with Mary-Beth that brought the history of the United States to life in a truly moving way.
08 July 2025
It was enlightening because you actually build on what you know. It gave history a deeper and more personal perspective.
18 July 2025
We were running a few minutes behind and I contacted Meghan and she graciously told us that we were within the grace period (relieved). Then the entire tour, she was full of information, spunk, and personal stories that made the tour so much more fun! Definitely will be booking another tour while in DC and requesting Meghan. She is a joy, energetic, and so charismatic. Thank you!
20 July 2025
We had the absolute pleasure of touring the National Archives with AnneMarie as our guide, and it was truly a highlight of our visit to Washington, D.C. Annemarie was nothing short of phenomenal — deeply knowledgeable, incredibly informative, and wonderfully engaging from start to finish.I loved her passion for history and the documents that shaped our nation was infectious. She brought the stories behind the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta to life in a way that was thought-provoking. Overall really amazed and the feeling that really connected us to our nation founding...
20 July 2025
The guided tour with Ryan was well worth it. Ryan was very knowledgeable and entertaining to listen to. Through this tour we got a chance to see the documents before crowds formed.
29 July 2025
Maribeth was outstanding! She started-out by sending us a picture of herself so we could easily find her, then since we showed-up a bit early, started the tour early…. talk about getting our money’s-worth! She was an absolute “Subject-matter expert” and provided so much additional information on everything. I felt like we were students on a college-level field trip! Maribeth got us involved and we truly enjoyed our experience.
04 August 2025
Our guide Annemarie was excellent in every way. She checked in with us before the event and provided precise directions to the meet point. She arrived early and started our tour right on time. She is a font of information, history and is a great story teller. She presented information in a way that our 11 year old grandson understood everything. She answered every question we asked. I don’t think we could have had a better experience.
18 August 2025
This was a Mom/adult daughter trip. She is a recent college grad, history major. Megan was absolutely amazing! She knew her stuff. Was fun to listen to and was very helpful!!
22 August 2025
Great tour, our guide Meghan was very knowledgeable. Loved that Babylon sent a photo of our guide before the tour so we knew who we were looking for.
12 September 2025
