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Tours
A New Year of Delightful Destinations
Smithsonian Associates Overnight Tours for 2023
Our study tours are designed for people who want more than just a getaway: They offer one-of-a-kind experiences combined with opportunities to gain new insights into the topics that fascinate you. Whether you’re a fan of history, art, music, nature, or architecture— or simply love exploring new places—these expert-led excursions offer a year’s worth of tempting travels. Several of our most popular tours return to the schedule, offering you another chance to join us on these adventures—before they sell out again!
Note: All tour dates and content are subject to change.
All Eyes on Pittsburgh Sun., Mar. 26–Tues., Mar. 28 (on sale now; see p. 58) An art-filled three days— highlighted by the 58th Carnegie International exhibition—shows off how the city of smokestacks and steel has been reborn as a cultural capital. Leader: Richard Selden By Popular Demand The Best of Brooklyn Sun., Apr. 16–Mon., Apr. 17 (on sale now; see p. 60) Brooklyn offers plenty of delights for lovers of art, music, nature, and food. An arts journalist and former Brooklynite introduces you to several of its top attractions. Leader: Richard Selden
Tours operate rain or shine. In the case of severe weather, tours may be rescheduled, please call our 24-hour automated hotline at 202-633-8687 for updated tour information prior to your tour. Frank Lloyd Wright: Masterworks in the Midwest Sun., May 21–Thurs., May 25 (on sale now; see p. 61) This tour for architecture lovers includes Chicago-area visits to Unity Temple and the Robie House, a gem in Wright’s signature Prairie style, and the Wisconsin sites of his estate, Taliesin, and the Jacobs House, the first of the innovative Usonian residences. Leader: Bill Keene
A Mountain Rail Extravaganza Fri., June 2–Sun., June 4 (on sale March 1) Stunning spring vistas, vintage locomotives, and West Virginia history are on the itinerary for a weekend spent riding the Cass Scenic Railroad and other mountain routes. Leader: Joe Nevin
A Berkshires Summer Sampler Sun., July 30–Thurs., Aug. 3 The scenic and historic Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts are alive with music, art, and theater. A 5-day tour offers a splendid sampling of cultural attractions in the region. Leader: Richard Selden
DAVID SCHLEGEL
The Neustadt Collection and Queens Museum August 2023
Opulence is the focal point for a weekend in New York with visits to the Queens Museum and the Neustadt—the premier collection of works and archives of Tiffany glass. Leaders: Elizabeth Lay, Lindsy Parrott Theodore Roosevelt’s North Dakota Sat., Sept. 16–Wed., Sept. 20
Fly west and experience the wild beauty of the Dakota Territory that shaped young Theodore Roosevelt’s course as a conservationist and naturalist. Leader: Melanie Choukas-Bradley Fall in the Shenandoah October 2023
Celebrate the beauty of Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park as you hike its trails and take in the panoramas from Skyland, your historic lodge nestled along Skyline Drive. Leader: Keith Tomlinson
The Corning Museum of Glass Wed., Nov. 1–Sat., Nov. 4
This glass-lover’s dream tour offers a true insider’s experience at the renowned museum, including many curator-conducted sessions. Leader: Bill Keene Discover Queens Sun., Nov. 12–Mon., Nov. 13 Our series of explorations of New York City’s outer boroughs continues with a visit to the largest of all. Leader: Richard Selden
Note: All tour dates and content are subject to change.
Travel insurance is advised for overnight and multi-day tours. Travel insurance provides additional coverage against unforeseen incidents that require last-minute cancellations. If you wish to purchase travel insurance, you can do so on your own. Smithsonian Associates does not do this for you. Overnight tours are non-refundable.
Bus Tour The Philadelphia Flower Show 2023
The Garden Electric
The spark of joy that comes while giving or receiving flowers inspires the theme of this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show, The Garden Electric. Started in 1829 by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the show is the nation’s largest and the world’s longest-running horticultural event.
In addition to showcasing acres of garden displays, the show introduces plant varieties and garden and design concepts and features competitions, gardening presentations, and demonstrations. Led by Sara Do-Zhu, horticulturist at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, step into this world of natural beauty in a day spent at the show. Mon., March 6, 9 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; by bus; detailed tour information on website; CODE 1CD006; Members $180; Nonmembers $230
SOLD OUT
National Building Museum
Bus Tour Montgomery Meigs in Washington
Beyond the Civil War
Montgomery Meigs is best known as the quartermaster general of the Union Army during the Civil War. Less known, however, is that he also was an engineer, architect, inventor, patron of the arts, and a Smithsonian regent. As such, Meigs left an indelible impression on the face of the capital city, from the dome of the U.S. Capitol to the Smithsonian Arts and Industries building, and more. Explore his legacy during a full day of history and architecture in Washington, D.C., led by history, urban studies, and architecture lecturer Bill Keene. Battleground National
The tour visits the Arts and Industries Building, the National Building Museum, Cemetery Battleground National Cemetery, and the Commissary Sergeant’s Quarters at Fort Myer, as well as views other buildings and works by Meigs. Fri., March 24, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; by bus; CODE 1CD-007; Members $160; Nonmembers $210
Bus Tour All Eyes on Pittsburgh
The centerpiece of this art-filled three-day visit to Pittsburgh—a city of smokestacks and steel reborn as a cultural capital—is the 58th Carnegie International exhibition, held every three to five years at the Carnegie Museum of Art. The latest edition displays the work of more than 30 artists, both rising stars and celebrated figures.
In addition, the tour led by arts journalist Richard Selden visits alternative-art venue the Mattress Factory, the museum devoted to Pittsburgh-born pop-art king Andy Warhol, and the former estate of industrial baron and art collector Henry Clay Frick, an associate of Andrew Carnegie.
The itinerary includes a walking and tasting tour of Pittsburgh’s revived market center, the Strip District; a ride on the 1877 Duquesne Incline cable car to view a panorama of downtown; and lunch at the National Aviary. Sun., March 26, 8 a.m.–Tues., March 28, 10 p.m.; by bus; detailed tour information on website; CODE 1CN-PIT; Members $1,045; Nonmembers $1,375
58TH CARNEGIE INTERNATIONAL The Duquesne Incline overlooking downtown Pittsburgh
View of Julian Abraham “Togar” installation from
Rijksakademie Open Studios, Amsterdam, 2021 at the 58th Carnegie International
Walking Tour Springtime on the Potomac Heritage Trail
Wildflower Hike at Turkey Run Park
Discover the spring splendors of the Potomac Gorge, a 1,900-acre natural area spanning Maryland and Virginia, and one of the most geologically diverse places on Earth. Hiking north from Turkey Run Park along the Potomac Heritage Trail, trek along one of the most scenic sections of the Potomac River as you admire lush upland forests and floodplains brilliantly decorated by Virginia bluebells. Keep an eye out for great blue herons and other native fauna in the temporary pools and side channels.
Study leader Melanie Choukas-Bradley, a naturalist and author, has spent a year exploring the Potomac Gorge from Great Falls to Theodore Roosevelt Island for an upcoming book, and this trek covers one of her favorite sections of it.
Solidago caesia, a native plant growing wild along the Potomac Heritage Trail Virginia bluebells, a species native to eastern North America, at Turkey Run Park
THREE OPTIONS: Tues., April 11 (CODE 1CS-A05 ); Wed., April 12 (CODE 1CS-B05); Thurs., April 13 (CODE 1CS-C05); 10 a.m.–1:30 p.m.; detailed tour information on website; Members $55; Nonmembers $75
Bus Tour Doodlebugging Through Delaware
Hop aboard a private charter of an early 20th-century self-propelled railcar called the Doodlebug and take in the spring sights along the historic Wilmington & Western Railroad line. The W&W has been in continuous operation since 1867, stretching at its longest to 20 miles of track along the Red Clay Valley from downtown Wilmington, Delaware, to Landenberg, Pennsylvania. As you ride, tour leader Joe Nevin, a railroad historian, covers the colorful background of the W&W and offers stories of the once-bustling industrial towns along the branch line. The visit includes a tour of the W&W’s steam locomotive and passenger car shop facilities at Marshalltown, as well as a guided walking tour of a vintage amusement park site at Brandywine Springs. The dayWilmington & Western Doodlebug, Delaware concludes with a stop in New Castle to see remnants of the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad, one of the nation’s first. Lunch is at the Back Burner restaurant in Hockessin, the current end of the line. Sat., April 15, 7 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; by bus; detailed tour information on website; CODE 1CD-008; Members $200; Nonmembers $250
Wilmington & Western Engine 98 crosses Red Clay Creek near Greenbank Mills and Philips Farm, Delaware
2-Day Tour The Best of Brooklyn
Brooklyn is New York City’s most populous borough and is arguably the most historic and colorful section of the city. Today it’s hipper than ever, filled with intriguing shops and restaurants and a booming cultural scene. On this two-day visit, arts journalist and former Brooklynite Richard Selden introduces you to several of Brooklyn’s top attractions.
The itinerary includes the Brooklyn Museum; a chamber-music performance at the floating venue Bargemusic; and a special look inside the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Bridge, Olmsted and Vaux’s Prospect Park, and other landmarks round out the sites. Stay in a hotel in the heart of Brooklyn and eat like a local with dinner at a charming Italian restaurant in Carroll Gardens and a visit to an authentic Turkish restaurant for lunch.
Sun., April 16, 7 a.m.–Mon., April 17, 9:30 p.m.; by bus; detailed tour information on website; CODE 1CN-BOB; Members $635; Nonmembers $835
Brooklyn Bridge from the DUMBO waterfront
Bargemusic, Pier 1, DUMBO waterfront The Shinto shrine at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The lake, Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Bus Tour Military History in the Capital Area
Much of America’s military history—both past and present—is connected to the capital area, the backdrop for a day that spotlights three significant sites in a tour led by two staff members of the National Museum of the United States Army, public outreach manager Brent Feito and historian Matt Seelinger. A visit to Mount Vernon, the home of the United States’ first commander in chief, George Washington, sets the stage for examining the early military campaigns of the fledgling nation. The Fort Belvoir–based Museum of the United States Army, one of the newest in the area, gives visitors the opportunity to explore the branch’s 247-year history and its direct influence on American life. The final stop is the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, for a look at the extensive display of American and international military aircraft, uniforms, and other artifacts and close-up views of holdings such as the Bell AH1F Cobra, a Bell UH-1H Iroquois “Huey,” and a National Museum of the United States Army Redstone missile. Fri., April 21, 8 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; by bus; complete tour information on website; box lunch provided; CODE 1CD-009; Members $160; Nonmembers $210
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Mount Vernon
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1 credit 5-Day Tour Frank Lloyd Wright: Masterworks in the Midwest
Frank Lloyd Wright left an indelible signature on the American Midwest: a legacy of buildings that trace the arc of his career as one of the world’s most significant and innovative architects. A 5-day tour led by historian Bill Keene offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity for a close-up look at a wide range of Wright’s designs in Illinois and Wisconsin, as well as visits to seminal works by other architects of the early and mid-20th century.
Highlights of the tour are visits to four of the eight Wright masterworks on the UNESCO World Heritage List: Unity Temple, his first religious structure; the Frederick C. Robie House, a gem in Wright’s signature Prairie style; Taliesin, Wright’s home, studio, school, and estate in Wisconsin; and the Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House, his first work of Usonian domestic architecture.
In addition to site visits, an architectural boat tour of Chicago places Wright’s designs in the context of the history-making works by the myriad architects who defined its urban identity. And even the tour’s hotel in Wisconsin has a Wright connection–literally. The Hilton Madison Monona Terrace is linked by skywalk to the waterfront civic center designed by Wright in 1938, a project that took 59 years to become a reality. Program begins Sun., May 21, 6 p.m., with dinner in Chicago, and ends Thurs., May 25 with an afternoon transfer to the Chicago airport; detailed tour information on website; CODE 1NN-MID; Members $2,295; Nonmembers $2,695 IMPORTANT NOTE: Flights are not included; participants make independent flight arrangements to Chicago. Once the tour has reached its minimum registration, participants will be notified and encouraged to purchase airline tickets. This will occur no later than 60 days prior to the start of the program. Additional information will be sent via email. Participants are advised to purchase trip insurance from a provider of their choice.
Travel insurance is advised for overnight and multi-day tours. Travel insurance provides additional coverage against unforeseen incidents that require last-minute cancellations. If you wish to purchase travel insurance, you can do so on your own. Smithsonian Associates does not do this for you. Overnight tours are nonrefundable.
Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, Oak Park
ELISA.ROLLE
Taliesin and Hillside School, Spring Green
Highlights of this unique visit designed for architecture lovers
Illinois
• Unity Temple (Oak Park) • The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio (Oak Park) • Frederick C. Robie House (Chicago) • The Edith Farnsworth House (Plano; designed by
Mies van der Rohe) • Backstage visit at the Auditorium Theater (Chicago; designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler) • Architectural boat tour of Chicago
Wisconsin
• SC Johnson Administration Building and Research Tower (Racine) • Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House (Madison) • Taliesin and Hillside School (Spring Green)
