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Washington, D.C. & Philadelphia

Washington, D.C. & Philadelphia

Philadelphia was our nation's capital from 1790 - 1800 until Washington, D.C. took that role.  You will be able to explore both cities and learn about our rich American history - where we began to where we are today.

  • Program Highlights

    Most American Christian Tours Education Programs to Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia include:
    • United States Capitol Building
    • Supreme Court
    • Library of Congress
    • Night Illumination Tour of the national monuments and memorials (Lincoln, Jefferson, FDR, MLK, World War II, Vietnam and Korean Wars)
    • Smithsonian Museums
    • Arlington National Cemetery
    • Museum of the Bible
    • Liberty Bell Pavilion
    • Independence Hall Tour
    • Congress Hall
    • The Constitution Center - "Freedom Rising."
       

    With extended time or an additional day the program may include:

    • The National Archives
    • Ford's Theatre and the Petersen House
    • George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate
    • Additional memorials (Air Force, Iwo Jima, Pentagon)
    • White House Photo Stop
    • The Betsy Ross House
    • The "Rocky Steps" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
    • Evening Historical Program in Philadelphia
    • Museum of the American Revolution

    With another additional day the program may include:
    • Full visit of the Holocaust Museum
    • International Spy Museum, evening military program (in season)
    • White House Tour - (dependent on approval of request)
    • National Cathedral Tour

  • Climate

    Washington, D.C. climate varies greatly.  In the winter it is cold and bitter - temperatures rarely go above freezing.  In the summer it is hot and extremely humid.  The best time to visit is in the spring and fall when the air is clear and the weather mild.

     

    It is almost impossible to miss rain on a trip to Washington.  The heaviest rain is in the summer - between May and August.  However the rain usually does not stay long.

     

    Fall and spring are mild and the most pleasant seasons in Philadelphia.

    Summers tend to be hot and often muggy, the humidity tending to be highest during July and August. The rainfall pattern is generally spread throughout the year, with between six and nine wet days in every month.
    Winters are cold, but seldom does the mercury drop below freezing. Snow is unpredictable, some winters experiencing little and others characterized by continual snowstorms.

  • Geography

    Washington is surrounded by the states of Virginia (on its southwest side, and a small part of its northwest one) and Maryland (on its southeast and northeast sides, and most of its northwest one).  It interrupts those states' common border, which is the Potomac River both upstream and downstream from the District.  The land ceded from Virginia was returned by Congress in 1846, so what remains of the modern District was all once part of Maryland.
     
    The District has three natural flowing bodies of water: the Potomac River,  the Anacostia River, and Rock Creek.  Both Anacostia River and Rock Creek are tributaries of the Potomac.  The famous Tidal Basin was actually man-made in the early 1900's.
     
    The city of Philadelphia is situated in Philadelphia County in southeastern Pennsylvania, at the junction of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, and covers almost 130 square miles. It lies approximately 100 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean and about halfway between New York City and Washington, D.C.  Philadelphia is located on a narrow strip of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, separated from the Piedmont Plateau by the fall line.

  • Essentials

    • Gazing at the ceiling of the Rotunda 180 feet above you underneath the dome of the United State's Capitol.
    • Standing at the black iron fence that surrounds the White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
    • Watching the Changing of the Guard Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery.
    • Exploring the vast treasures of the Smithsonian Institution Museums.
    • Walking into the Assembly Room of Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was approved and U.S. Constitution was written.
    • Being inches away from one of America's most famous icons - the Liberty Bell and learning about its meaning to generations of Americans.

  • Get Prepared

    WATCH
    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939, Columbia Pictures.
    National Treasure,  2004, Touchstone Pictures.
    1776,  1972, DVD or VHS  Directed by: Peter H. Hunt    Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
    This is a historical musical comedy about the events of 1776.
     
    READ
    Forbes, Esther.  Johnny Tremain,  Yearling, 1944, reissue edition (1987)
    The Declaration of Independence and The United States Constitution.
     
    LISTEN
    Patriotic marches;
    President's Inaugural Addresses;
    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech;
    Marian Anderson singing at the Lincoln Memorial.
    "Gonna Fly Now" - Bill Conti/Carol Connors.  The song, from the Rocky movie, became part of American Popular Culture after main character Rocky Balboa completed his daily training regimen while the song plays.

  • Senses

    EAT
    • Being a capital city, Washington, D.C. is home to people from all over the world.  Be adventurous and try some ethnic food.
    • A Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, a hoagie or a soft pretzel.
       
    DRINK
    • If you can,  find a water ice or Italian ice.  Yumm!
    • Hires Root Beer - created in Philadelphi in 1876
    • Of course, water.  Keep hydrated!

  • In A Word:

    • Washington, D.C. - Monumental.
    • Philadelphia - Independence.

  • Surprises

    • The Capitol dome remains the tallest building in Washington, D.C., due to a rule within the building codes. The only exception to this rule is the Washington Monument, but this structure is not considered a building.
    • Seeing how large the memorials are in real life, especially the Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima).
    • Independence Hall seems so small compared to the large, tall buildings of the rest of downtown Philadelphia.
    • The the statue of William Penn (Philadelphia's Founder) on the top of Philadelphia's City Hall is 37 feet tall.  It is the tallest statue to stand atop any building in the world.

  • Cities/Destinations Included

    Washington, D.C.

    Philadelphia

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