IMPORTANTE NOTE: Due to the logistics of the National Marathon, the date of this program has been changed from Saturday, March 20th to Wednesday, March 24th. If you prefer a Saturday tour, please consider the same program on Saturday, March 13th, while tickets last.

This program is also available on Sat., March 13 at 9 a.m.

Freemasonry, the world’s oldest fraternal organization, is also one of the oldest organizations in the city of Washington, where Masons participated in the laying of cornerstones of the White House and the U.S. Capitol. Imposing Masonic temples throughout the city testify to the role that the Masonic fraternity played in our nation’s past and to the rich palate of Masonic symbolism.

Gary Scott, Past Master and 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, leads this tour that includes some of the most significant architectural treasures of Washington. He is joined by other distinguished Masons throughout the day.

The morning tour includes the national headquarters of the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite—an architectural masterpiece by John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial and National Gallery of Art—and the Perry Belmont House, an intact Newportstyle mansion, home of the International Order of the Eastern Star. Lunch is served in historic Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria, associated with George Washington, who was a Mason.

After lunch, tour the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. Learn about its collection of relics from Washington’s funeral and visit the upper museum rooms detailing each of the branches of Freemasonry. Finally, travel to the historic Naval Lodge and admire its richly decorated walls and ceiling.

9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. by bus from the Mayflower Hotel (1127 Connecticut Ave N.W.) on the DeSales St. side.