All About Town gives visitors a narrated D.C. tour by air-conditioned bus that stops at six memorials. People can alight and explore memorials to FDR, Iwo Jima, Jefferson, Lincoln, Vietnam, Korea, and the latest one, the World War II Memorial. Riders also pass on the tour: Capitol Hill, the Federal Triangle, Georgetown Waterfront, Kennedy Center, the Mall, Watergate, and the White House.
"The memorials are good during the day, but things change at night. All the memorials are lit at night," said owner John Paris, whose family started the D.C. tour company in the1930s. "When we stop at the Jefferson Memorial with its impressive colonnades, you can turn and look down the Mall to the White House, where you see the South Portico. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had the trees moved, not torn down--just moved, so he could see the Jefferson Memorial."
He also recommended that visitors take their time walking the Roosevelt Memorial when the bus stops there. He explained: "The memorial spreads out. It is not just one statue. It also has a statue of him in his wheelchair and of men in a breadline. The memorial tells the story of his presidency."
Tour information: A bus picks up tourists at their hotels 20 to 60 minutes prior to the tour start at 7:30 p.m., May through August, and 7 p.m., September through April. The tour ends by 10:45 and is not available on July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Day. As of March 2010 the cost was $36, children 3-11 half price.
All About Town
Office 7373 Old Alexandria Ferry Rd.
Clinton, MD 20735
301-856-5556
www.allabouttown.net/
Old Town Trolley Tours take riders on a narrated two and a half to three hour tour of Washington, D.C., that starts and ends at Union Station on Massachusetts Avenue.
The tour, which begins at 7:30 p.m., stops at memorials to FDR, Iwo Jima, Lincoln, and Vietnam. It also passes the Capitol Building, Georgetown, and the White House. Some of the stories that riders might hear along the way could include that of an accused Lincoln assassination plotter who can be heard to say she is innocent years after she was hanged, according to Edward Braman who arranges the company's charter tours.
"It depends on the guide that night. They each have favorite stories. But this is a great way to see the city. It has a whole different feel when you see it at night," Braman said.
Tour information: Visitors can take a chance by walking up to the Old Town Trolley Tour booth at Union Station or reserving in advance by phone or on the website. The price as of March 2010 is $31.50 adults, $16.20 children 4 to 12.
Old Town Trolley Tours (Trusted Tours and Attractions)
Union Station
50 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Washington, D.C. 20001
202-832-9800
www.trolleytours.com/washington-dc
Washington, D.C., Onboard does a three and a half hour tour by a shuttle-size bus that begins and ends at the Old Post Office Building on Pennsylvania Avenue. With this tour, the guide is a different person than the driver so will stay with the group as it visits the different places. Memorials visited include Iwo Jima, Jefferson, Korean, Lincoln, and World War II. The tour also stops near the Capitol Building and the White House.
Tour information: Tickets are $49.99 as of March, 2010. Reservations should be made ahead at website or by phone.
Old Post Office Building (north side)
1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
1-877-U-TOUR-DC (886-8732)
www.onboarddctours.com/
The Tourmobile (SM), which visitors can hop on and off at different D.C. attractions during the day for one price also does a three and a half hour night tour but stays with its group. Union Station is the starting and returning point. Memorial stops on the tour include memorials to FDR, Jefferson, Lincoln, Vietnam, Korea, and World War II. The company became an approved concession of the National Park Service to operate a narrated shuttle service around the Mall in 1967. It is operated by Landmark Services.
Tour information: Twilight tours run from mid-March though mid-November. Adult fare is $30 as of March, 2010, and children 3 to 11 are half-price. Tickets can be bought at the Tourmobile booth at Union Station or in advance.
Tourmobile Booth
Union Station
50 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Washington, D.C. 20001
202-554-5100
www.tourmobile.com/
