Dear Friends:
Once again this summer, the Smithsonian Resident Associates Program is offering three walking tours of the National Mall led by me, Coalition Chair Judy Scott Feldman, at 8 a.m. on June 25 and June 28. The June 28, 6 p.m. tour is sold out.
The 2-hour-long walking tour will begin at the Smithsonian Metro and end at Constitution Gardens, north of the Reflecting Pool. We will look at the Mall’s history, present, and future, using historic photographs and sketches proposing future visions.
Cost is $25 for members, $32 general admission. Register at the links provided below, or call the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program at 202-633-3030.
The Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival begins on June 25, so you’ll be able to continue your visit with some culture and refreshment, starting at 11 a.m. For more on the Festival, go to http://www.folklife.si.edu/festival/2008/
The National Mall: A Walk Through History — June 25 and 28
Wed., June 25, 8 a.m.
Tour meets outside the Smithsonian Metro, Mall Exit (Blue/Orange line)
Sat., June 28, 8 a.m (the Sat., June 28, 6 p.m. tour is SOLD OUT)
In 1791, Pierre L’Enfant conceptualized the National Mall as a “Grand Avenue” and public walks lined with theaters, academies, and “all such sort of places as may be attractive to the learned and afford diversionŠ”
At the end of the 19th century, the Mall was covered with paths, trees, and buildings. A railroad station occupied the site of today’s National Gallery of Art, and tracks crossed the Mall at the foot of Capitol Hill; Congress had sold off parts of the Mall to private industry, and it ended just west of the Washington Monument at the edge of the Potomac.
How did we get from there to today’s National Mall?
Enjoy an informative walking tour as local historian Judy Scott Feldman discusses the original Mall concept, changes in the 19th century, restoration and expansion in 1901, growing public uses in the 20th century, the classically inspired architecture, and the Mall as an embodiment of American history and culture.
Tour is two hours, meeting outside the Smithsonian Metro stop Mall exit (Blue/Orange lines).
All tours are the same; register for only one. No infants, children, or pets.
Tags: National Mall, Walking Tour
