AERA is pleased to offer all Meeting attendees a wonderful selection of tours. Make the most of your visit to Washington, D.C. and take one of the tours! How to Register; Space is limited for these tours, and interested attendees are encouraged to register in advance. Registered participants wishing to add courses, off-site visits, or tours can log in to add events to your registration. There are 6 different tour times to choose from and 4 different tour options with 2 of the tour options offered twice.
Tour 1: Whirlwind Tour Washington, DC Day: Friday, April 8 Time: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm Fee: $60.00
Tour 5: Whirlwind Tour Washington, DC Day: Monday, April 11 Time: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Fee: $60.00
Transportation: Tours will depart from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on 9th Street (south of L Street) at the start time of the tour and return to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at the end time of the tour.
OFFERED TWO DIFFERENT DAYS!
Description:
Welcome to our nation’s most historic landscape and feel history come to life as you “visit” some of our country’s most beloved sites. As the tour makes its way to Capitol Hill, you’ll follow a route that affords splendid views of the monuments, famous sites along the Potomac River. Restricted for motor coach traffic, your guide will point out Capitol Hill’s landmarks including the U.S. Capitol Building.
As you travel along the “Mall,” your CSI tour guide will also point out the famous Smithsonian Museums, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Your first stop will be Lincoln Memorial, where you will climb the marble steps to the temple that enshrines Abraham Lincoln. From there, you will take a short walk to the somber setting of the powerful Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Your guide will then walk you to the Korean War Veterans Memorial –a powerful reminder of this important war. End the tour with a drive-by on Pennsylvania Avenue to view the remarkable White House.
Note: This tour consists of light walking, comfortable attire recommended
Tour 2: Captivating Smithsonian Highlights Day: Saturday, April 9 Time: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Fee: $60.00
Tour 6: Captivating Smithsonian Highlights Day: Monday, April 11 Time: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Fee: $60.00
Your first stop is at the world famous and most visited museum on the planet, The Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum – an absolute must for any visitor to our capital city! This magnificent glass and marble building maintains the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. Located on the Mall, the museum has hundreds of artifacts on display including the original Wright 1903 “Flyer,” Charles Lindbergh’s “Spirit of St. Louis,” the Apollo 11 command module, “The Voyager,” which flew around the world on one tank of gas, and a lunar rock display that visitors can touch. This Museum is a fitting tribute to the great explorers who have advanced the history of flight.
Next, visit The National Museum of Natural History featuring wonders of the natural world from the world’s largest mammal (a bull elephant) to a newly renovated Ocean Hall. Its great halls feature everything from the skull of a Tyrannosaurus Rex to Ice Age Mammals. You’ll not want to miss the presumably cursed Hope Diamond in the Gem and Mineral Collection!
Tour 3: Honoring Our Nation’s Heroes Day: Saturday, April 9 Time: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Fee: $60.00
This tour begins with a stop at Arlington National Cemetery, where the sight of over three hundred thousand identical headstones uniformly placed on a hillside of 612 acres overlooks the Potomac River. During this walking tour, you will explore the hallowed grounds. Here your guide will share with you the many stories of the fallen heroes who were our American casualties of war. You’ll view the powerful Eternal Flame that illuminates the inspiring and somber gravesites of President John F. Kennedy, his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Robert Kennedy. The tour also visits The Tomb of the Unknowns, a moving site guarded 24 hours a day and a monument to those fallen American soldiers that remain unknown. Witness the impressive “Changing of the Guard” ceremony performed with perfect precision by members of the US Army 3rd Infantry Old Guard, which takes place hourly at the tomb.
You will then depart for the United States Marine Memorial known as the Iwo Jima Memorial. The memorial is dedicated to all Marines who have given their lives in the defense of the United States since 1775. The sculpture was designed by sculptor Felix W. de Weldon, then on duty with the U.S. Navy, from the Pulitzer prize-winning photo by news photographer Joe Rosenthal.
Note: This tour is a walking tour, comfortable attire and walking shoes recommended
Tour 4: DC Duck Tours Day: Sunday, April 10 Time: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Fee: $60.00
Transportation: Tours will depart from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on 9th Street (south of L Street) at the start time of the tour and return to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at the end time of the tour. Please note the pick up from the convention center will be at 8:00 am.
Your adventure begins the moment you board our amphibious vehicle. Sit back and relax as our tour captains turn back the pages of history. This DC tour begins at Union Station and winds its way down Pennsylvania Avenue. As we journey past our country’s most famous monuments and museums, our knowledgeable Captain will entertain and enlighten you with interesting facts and historical accounts of people and events that helped shape our nation. You’ll also be treated to original sound bites from the World War II era, including music, newscasts and speeches by some of the leaders of our past, like FDR and more. Then, settle in your seat for a true thrill because the DUCK will leave the streets and head straight for the Potomac. Sit back and relax or throw your hands in the air with excitement as we take the plunge—without missing a beat the DUCK becomes a boat and splashes down into the water. We’ll cruise along the river highlighting more of what DC is famous for and end up at Gravely Point, underneath the flight path of the landing planes at the National Airport.
Note: This tour has a limited amount of slots, be sure to sign up now – deadline March 30th