Madams in DC: Civil War Era Walking Tour

73 Ratings

Washington

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Uncover the hidden history of DC on the Madams of DC Tour. Explore the red light district of Pennsylvania Avenue during the Civil War and learn about the influential women who worked in brothels.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Freedom Plaza - Where Freedom Plaza is now once used to be the notorious neighborhood known as Murder Bay. As we walk through this spacious open area currently used for festivals and music events, you’ll hear all about the taverns, gambling houses, and brothels popular with Northern Arm soldiers that used to stand there.

What's Included

2.5 hours of fascinating information by an experienced guide
No entry fees necessary

Additional Information

This tour is available on the first and third Friday of each month. Please check the website for the precise schedule. All tours can be arranged as private tours.
The Madams in DC walking tour offers a truly unique perspective on Washington, DC’s history that is not found elsewhere. The Civil War dramatically altered the capital, transforming…

Location

1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest

The meeting point is in front of the Willard Center, next to the Occidental on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Look for the guide wearing the costume!

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

5.0

(73 Ratings)

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Dcjill202

Jul 12, 2025

Terrific taste of civil war DC. - This tour was amazing. Katie is so passionate about the subject. She answered so many of our questions. She brings each of her subjects to life. I also love that she provided so much research and pictures of the city at the time period she discusses. She was perfectly clear when something was her own speculation, and when she was still looking for confirmation of a fact.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Chelseygrassfield

Jun 8, 2025

Katie Makes History... Risqué and Riveting! - Katie is a terrific guide. You can tell she loves what she does by the beaming smile she wears the entire time she's telling you the history of the Civil War brothels and madams. She's meticulously researched her descriptions, and isn't complacent—she continues to do research on the topic. So I imagine the tour is a little different each time as she adds new findings. The tour was a great way to learn about the impact of the Civil War on DC and the fascinating madams who kept the soldiers entertained.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Mark_s

Jun 7, 2025

I truly enjoyed this... - I truly enjoyed this tour. Katie is a fantastic tour guide. I have been on some great tours in the DC area, but this tour is unique. Learning about monuments is interesting but the information is broadly available. Katie does her own research and is still uncovering interesting facts from the Civil War era to the early 1900s. Katie is very well spoken and is a great story teller. She is also kind and friendly, and interacted with each of the members on the tour.

Review provided by Viator

Deeliteful0702

Jun 2, 2025

Bringing the Hidden Past to Life - Only through a tour like this one can you discover the hidden past of the madames as none of their buildings exist today. The most famous brothels have been torn down and built over, but you can't hide the past. The past will find a way to speak. Our guide gave the women a voice and their stories live on.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Joy

May 2, 2025

Wonderful, well researched tour - Took the Madams of DC tour tonight. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and an excellent storyteller. The information presented was well researched, historically accurate, and yet not boring. The guide welcomed both input and questions from the group. I took this tour at the end of a very long day - when I had a painful blister and was hot, sweaty, and considered ditching because I was so tired - yet I wholeheartedly enjoyed every minute of the tour.

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67yukoy

Nov 3, 2024

A unique tour beyond traditional landmarks - Our guide, Katie, shared her knowledge and insight of the lives of women who once worked in a red-light district, now the central area of DC in an engaging and interactive way. Her narrative was based on her thorough research, which allowed me to understand a topic that would otherwise have been gossipy and judgmental, in light of its political and social context. I could feel her warm and thoughtful gaze toward those women. As a DC resident, I would recommend this walking tour (as well as her other tours) especially to locals because it makes the beaten paths in and around the otherwise inorganic government offices begin to look more colorful than ever.

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Traveler04625962451

Aug 18, 2024

WONDERFUL - WOW! I'm a sucker for a walking tour, and this one DELIVERED. Katie, our tour guide, was warm, funny, engaging, and super knowledgeable. Not only did we learn FASCINATING stories about the DC brothels and madams during the Civil War, but we learned wonderful gems about the history of DC itself. Don't sleep on this tour company!

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Carole_s

Aug 17, 2024

Great experience! - The guide was fantastic and everything about the tour was great. The one snag was that she did not have our names on the list. Viator did not ever give her the names. I am concerned that since Viator did not give her our names they also did not give her the money.

Review provided by Viator

267margos

Jul 6, 2024

Loved this tour - Loved this tour so much. My friend and I braved the heat and it was well worth it. I was impressed by how much research was done to make this tour interesting and accurate. I loved the stories and the guide is totally engaging so you stay interested. Looking forward to another tour.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Laurent817

Jul 5, 2024

Incredible and unique tour — don’t miss out! - Absolutely incredible tour! It is beyond fascinating, fun, and very unique. The guide is fantastic and has created such a great experience. I truly couldn’t recommend it more! I will definitely be doing as many Off the Mall tours as possible

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Check Availability

From $30

up to 15 guests

1 - Adult