TOUR: The Congressional Cemetery

Saturday, April 26 
1:00 - 2:30 PM
1801 E St SE, Washington, DC 20003
Registration Required | Tickets $10/person | No Refunds

Join us for a guided tour of Congressional Cemetery. Only two miles from the Capitol, the historic Congressional Cemetery offers visitors a chance to walk through history, both local and national. For those of you who enjoy history, this scenic oasis is beautiful and worth your time! 

Our certified guide will explain the history of famous burials and monuments and take us on interesting walks of the grounds while we admire the beautiful cherry blossoms. Initially known as the Washington Parish Burial Ground, Congressional became the first cemetery of national memory, as Congress bought sites, buried noted civil servants and financed the infrastructure. 

Founded in 1807 before the Civil War, Congressional Cemetery is the only “cemetery of national memory”. It occupies nearly 36 acres and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011, serving as the final resting place for nearly 70,000 people including notable founders of the US and the city of Washington DC in the early 1800s. Today, it is the only place in Washington where individuals can be buried at a site directly on Pierre L’Enfant’s 18th century city plan.

There are notables here you'll know! John Philip Sousa; Mathew Brady, photographer from the Civil War era; J. Edgar Hoover; and Washington DC "Mayor for Life" Marion Barry. Here too rest colorful figures from Washington's past - Belva Lockwood, nominated for the presidency in 1884, and newswoman Anne Royall, whose approach to journalism earned her enemies and a trial as "a common scold”. The Arsenal Monument honors the memory of 21 young women, mostly immigrants, who were killed in an explosion in 1864 (they had been making ammunition for the Union cause). Abraham Lincoln himself led the procession to the cemetery.

Meeting Point:
Please plan to arrive no later than 12:45pm at the front gate of the cemetery located at the corner of E Street and Potomac Avenue SE. OLLI’s tour coordinator, Elena Vejarano, will meet you there. As this is an outdoor walking tour, we recommend wearing comfortable and weather-appropriate clothing and shoes.

Getting There:
We strongly encourage public transportation to get to Congressional Cemetery. The closest metro station to Congressional Cemetery is Stadium Armory, located on the Orange/Blue/Silver lines. Bikes may be locked inside the cemetery. There is limited street parking, but we advise visitors to closely read parking signs before finding a spot. Public transportation information can be found at this link. 

Registration is limited to the first 25 people that sign up. Ticket price is $10/person for this event. This event will occur regardless of rainy weather. Tickets are non-refundable.