Travel onboard a chartered boat with Smithsonian National Museum of American History curator Paula Johnson for a full day of exploring Smith Island. Located 12 miles offshore from Crisfield on the lower Eastern Shore, Smith Island is actually a cluster of marshy islands that straddle the Maryland-Virginia state line.

Attire tells us something about the history of a period, and the Costume Design Center at Williamsburg tells us a lot about Colonial attire. Begin the day with a behind-the-scenes tour of the center. Tour leader Dixie Rettig is a textile historian and conservator. She will have textiles from her collection and will discuss conservation.

Spend a day exploring the mansion and gardens of Winterthur. The former estate of Henry Francis du Pont has a world-class collection of antiques and Americana, 175 period rooms, and magnificent gardens. Leader Bill Keene has written and lectured on architecture, urban history, city planning, and the built environment.

Guided by Civil War historian Ed Bearss, participants on this tour stop first at the Petersburg National Battlefield visitors center. Bearss then leads a walk of the Battery 5 area, the strongest fortification on the original Confederate line.

Walk around the outside of the U.S. Capitol passing in front of the House and Senate office buildings, Madison and Jefferson buildings of the Library of Congress, and Supreme Court. Hear amusing, informative, sad, and dramatic tales about these sites. Historian and author Anthony S. Pitch leads this tour.

Walk around the outside of the U.S. Capitol passing in front of the House and Senate office buildings, Madison and Jefferson buildings of the Library of Congress, and Supreme Court. Hear amusing, informative, sad, and dramatic tales about these sites. Historian and author Anthony S. Pitch leads this tour.

Blackwater Refuge, located along the Atlantic flyway, was established in 1933 as a refuge for migratory birds including geese and eagles. Participants learn about current research on protecting, restoring, and conserving habitat for migratory birds and take a guided nature walk  through forested habitats.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, cantilevered over a waterfall, is the only remaining major Wright work with its setting, original furnishings, and artwork intact. This day-long bus tour includes a docent-led tour of the house, time for exploring the grounds, lunch, and a box supper.

Led by Civil War historian Ed Bearss, this tour visits Richmond’s Monument Avenue and Hollywood Cemetery, and ventures out to sites along the James River just east of the city where a number of significant Civil War actions took place in 1862 and 1864.

Visit Corning and time-travel through 35 centuries of glassmaking via one of the most comprehensive glass collections in the world. Tour leader Sheila Pinsker, who was mentored by Gardner, will educate and inspire with stories of these fabulous collections.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, cantilevered over a waterfall, is the only remaining major Wright work with its setting, original furnishings, and artwork intact. This day-long bus tour includes a docent-led tour of the house, time for exploring the grounds, lunch, and a box supper.

Walk around the outside of the U.S. Capitol passing in front of the House and Senate office buildings, Madison and Jefferson buildings of the Library of Congress, and Supreme Court. Hear amusing, informative, sad, and dramatic tales about these sites. Historian and author Anthony S. Pitch leads this tour.

Imagine drawers and drawers filled with plant species from around the world. That is what you will find during this behind-the-scenes tour of the United States National Herbarium at the Natural History Museum. Explore with Gary Krupnick, head of the Plant Conservation Unit, and talk about ways in which herbarium specimens are used in conservation research.

Imagine drawers and drawers filled with plant species from around the world. That is what you will find during this behind-the-scenes tour of the United States National Herbarium at the Natural History Museum. Explore with Gary Krupnick, head of the Plant Conservation Unit, and talk about ways in which herbarium specimens are used in conservation research.

Fleeing Ford's Theatre on the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth traveled through Maryland into Virginia, where, a few days later, he was found, shot, and died of his wounds. During this day-long bus tour, Civil War authority Ed Bearss retraces Booth's escape route and reveals the personalities and intrigues surrounding the assassination.

Rail historian Joe Nevin leads this program with a round-trip excursion on the diesel-powered Potomac Eagle along the route of the South Branch Valley Railroad. The journey features natural wonders such as the river’s crystal clear water and the eagles, deer, and other wildlife that are frequently sighted. Lunch on board the train is included.

Led by historian Ed Bearss, this tour visits Germantown, Fort Mifflin, and Independence National Historical Park in downtown Philadelphia, as we contemplate the crucial events preceding the terrible winter at Valley Forge.

Imagine drawers and drawers filled with plant species from around the world. That is what you will find during this behind-the-scenes tour of the United States National Herbarium at the Natural History Museum. Explore with Gary Krupnick, head of the Plant Conservation Unit, and talk about ways in which herbarium specimens are used in conservation research.

President Lincoln traveled to Harpers Ferry and Antietam to visit the Army of the Potomac during the first week of October 1862. Many of the sites of Lincoln’s time remain at both Antietam and Harpers Ferry. You can see them and learn about them on this full-day study tour with historian Ed Bearss. Lunch is included at the Cliffside Inn in Harpers Ferry.

Led by Civil War historian Ed Bearss, this tour includes sites of significant activity, such as the Germanna Ford on the Rapidan River and along the Plank Road, where some of the worst fighting took place. Combined casualties in this battle are estimated at about 29,800 killed.

Travel back 2,000 years to explore the life and lore of Cleopatra VII by viewing artifacts from her time within a unique exhibition at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. The tour is lead by art and archaeology expert Richard Mason.

This full-day program with Civil War historian Ed Bearss lets you walk in the footsteps of the Great Emancipator during his hours in Gettysburg. Lunch is included at the Farnsworth House Inn, parts of which date to before the Civil War.

Join us as we follow military historian Ed Bearss to the battlefields of the 1781 Battle of Yorktown. Stirring explanations are given of some of the daring attacks on the British in what was one of the last major battles of the American Revolutionary War.