Off the Mall Tours is a unique walking tour company that brings a fresh perspective to the history of the nation's capital. After one of our tours, our guests are delighted with their newfound understanding of the multi-layered and multi-cultural heritage of the "shining city on the hill." To really understand Washington, you need to "get Off the Mall!"

The Madams of DC Walking tour takes you on a journey down Pennsylvania Avenue, one of DC's more notorious red light districts during the Civil War. The arrival of thousands of soldiers coming to the capital to train also meant a huge increase in prostitutes, and some of these women rose to a level of prosperity and infamy that would never be seen again. Learn their story on this unique walking tour! The tour also makes a half way stop at a local bar.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this tour

Pass By: Freedom Plaza, 1455 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC, DC 20004-1008

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.

Stop At: Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA

On the block where the Trump International Hotel, formerly the Old Postal Office building, currently stands, was the 11th Street strip, a subsection of the Red Light district on Pennsylvania Avenue where the Military Provost Guard harassed and arrested some of the raucous Madams in the neighborhood.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: The National Archives Museum, 700 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC, DC 20408-0001

Continuing in our journey through time, you'll learn about the lives of prostitutes in Civil War DC and the part they played in society, as we pass by the former site of the largest central urban Market in DC.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: IOOF Temple Building, 419 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA

We'll stop for a drink at Hill Country BBQ (*cost of beverage not included), across the street from the International Order of Odd Fellows Temple. The IOOF supported the arts, and the art of having a good time. It was common to see the higher class working girls walking into a grand party hosted by the Odd Fellows, on the arm of an Army Officer. Scandalous!

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: National Gallery of Art, Constitution Ave NW 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC, DC 20002

The former site of Marble Alley, where two of DC's highest paid Madams had a vicious rivalry.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: National Museum of the American Indian, 4th St SW Independence Ave SW, Washington DC, DC 20560

An archeological dig discovered the remains of DC most notorious, and yet charitable, Madams. The tour ends at this, the most glamorous of DC's Civil War-era pleasure houses.

Duration: 10 minutes

Unused Experience Vouchers can be returned within 30 days for a full refund to the original purchaser, no questions asked.

If you have any unused Experience Vouchers, you can exchange them for anything else in our marketplace, no matter when. If you choose an experience that's more expensive, you'll need to pay the difference, but if you choose one that costs less, you'll receive a credit towards your next booking.

No refunds are allowed once the experience is booked, but you can reschedule up to 24 hours before your experience, for a date within a year of the original booking. To reschedule, contact the experience provider directly. No-shows or rescheduling less than 24 hours in advance means losing the value of your experience.