Tours
She did not think it in Harriet’s nature to escape being benefited by novelty and variety.
The tour registration deadline was Friday, September 16, 2016.
Hosts DC, a Hosts Global Alliance Member, is our tour provider for two full-day guided tours and five half-day tours, all of which include transportation. These tours take guests to destinations that are on every visitor’s must-see list, places that Washingtonians themselves choose for a getaway, and certain destinations that offer truly unique attractions for Janeites. The tour registration deadline was Friday, September 16, 2016. Should you need to cancel your tour, Hosts DC charges a $10 fee per person per tour, paid by the purchaser. If you want to anticipate the tours you have reserved, or just browse the offerings that were available, read on!
Library of Congress & Folger Shakespeare Library Tour
Wednesday, October 19, 12:00-4:00 pm, $45
Guests will explore the Library of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building, with its splendid decoration, paintings, and sculptures exemplifying the nation’s place in world culture as it was perceived during the Gilded Age. On this tour only, visitors will see a special exhibit of period editions of the books mentioned in Emma and related treasures from the Library’s collections. Be prepared to pass through airport-like security screening to enter the Library of Congress.
Just a short walk away, guests will experience the Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest and finest collection of Shakespeare materials and, during October, site of the “Will and Jane” exhibition comparing the legacies of Shakespeare and Austen. The curators of “Will and Jane” will lead that portion of the tour. In addition to its marvelous holdings, the Folger is an architectural jewel, with Elizabethan, Art Deco, and Neoclassical elements earning it a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bus steps and two-block walk; Library of Congress fully accessible with wheelchairs available; public areas of Folger fully accessible.
 Folger Library |
 Library of Congress |
Illuminated Washington DC
Illuminated Washington Tour, #1
Wednesday, October 19 (repeats October 21), 6:30-9:30 pm, $45
Washington is resplendent at night when the monuments shine in the darkness. On this relaxing evening tour, guests will have the opportunity to view the iconic monuments, memorials, and historic buildings of the city, leaving the bus at selected spots for a close-up view.
Bus steps; some sites accessible by stairs only. Guests are welcome to remain on bus during stops and enjoy partial view of monuments from bus if desired.
Historical Annapolis Full-Day Tour
Thursday, October 20, 8:15 am-5:30 pm, $185
Lunch included
Annapolis, an historic port city and the capital of Maryland, retains many pristine historic buildings, from brick mansions to clapboard rowhouses. This tour will include a visit to two important Georgian mansions: the William Paca House, recognized as among the finest 18th-century homes in the country, and the Hammond-Harwood House, built and sumptuously decorated for a wealthy tobacco planter. A visit to the Naval Academy Museum offers a look at the Royal Navy collection and other artifacts. A guided walking tour of the historic area, lunch at a charming restaurant, and, time permitting, an opportunity to step into shops and art galleries round out the day. U.S. citizens must present a government-issued photo ID, and citizens of other countries must present a passport to be admitted to Naval Academy grounds.
Bus steps and short walk between sites; walking tour on sloped, uneven paving; restaurant’s second-floor dining room accessible only by stairs.
 Annapolis |
 Naval Academy Museum |
Illuminated Washington DC
Illuminated Washington Tour, #2
Friday, October 21, 6:30-9:30 pm, $45
Washington is resplendent at night when the monuments shine in the darkness. On this relaxing evening tour, guests will have the opportunity to view the iconic monuments, memorials, and historic buildings of the city, leaving the bus at selected spots for a close-up view.
Bus steps; some sites accessible by stairs only. Guests are welcome to remain on bus during stops and enjoy partial view of monuments from bus if desired.
Step Back in Time: Historic Alexandria Tour
Sunday, October 23, 1:00-5:00 pm, $70
Alexandria, Virginia, weathered the War of 1812 by offering no resistance to the British, and since then has preserved its historic character to become one of the most enjoyable destinations in our area. Our tour will visit Gadsby’s Tavern, a center of political affairs as well as the site of dancing assemblies (which continue to this day), concerts, and theatrical performances. Mr. Woodhouse would surely encourage a stop at the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Shop, dating from 1805. Carlyle House, home of rich Scottish immigrant John Carlyle and his wife Sarah Fairfax, reveals what a fashionable city home and garden looked like in 18th-century Virginia.
Bus steps; brick sidewalks, usually wide and even; access to upper floors of Apothecary Shop and Gadsby’s Tavern by stairs only.
 Gadsby’s Tavern |
 Carlyle House |
Baltimore and Environs: History, Art, and Literature Full-Day Tour
Monday, October 24, 8:15 am-6:30 pm, $185
Lunch included
Our first stop is Goucher College, home of the famous Jane Austen Collection assembled by Goucher alumna Alberta Burke and her husband, Henry Burke, one of JASNA’s Founder. AGM plenary speaker Dr. Juliette Wells will give a short introduction, inviting guests to explore a special exhibit of first editions of Emma; Regency-era books on landscape, costume, and social customs; and other materials in the collection. Following lunch, we will visit two architectural gems of the Federal period. Guests will have a private visit to Palladian-inspired Homewood in Baltimore, which was given by Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, as a wedding gift to his son; collections there include silver, high-quality furniture, English ceramics, and other decorative arts from 1775 to 1825. The final stop is Riversdale, circa 1807, home of Rosalie Stier Calvert, where, in addition to the furnishings, historic kitchen, and other attractions, guests will enjoy a special exhibition that includes reproductions of the art collection assembled by the house’s original owners, Belgian aristocrats fleeing Europe after the French revolution. The pictures, by Rubens, Van Dyck, Jan Brueghel, Rembrandt, and many others, at that time constituted the largest collection of old masters in the new nation.
Bus steps and short walks; stairs to Homewood entrance; upper levels at Homewood and Riversdale accessible only by stairs.
 Riversdale House Museum |
 Homewood House Museum |
Magic of Mount Vernon Tour
Monday, October 24, 8:30 am- 1:00 pm, $75
This daytime tour offers an opportunity to see Mount Vernon and its gardens and grounds in their autumn glory. George Washington supervised the design, construction, and decoration of the house, choosing architectural features and furnishings that reflected his rising status and the spirit of the new nation. Inside the 21-room mansion, wall colors, architectural details, and elegant furnishings have been meticulously restored to their appearance in 1799. Gardens and outbuildings that shed light on the full scope of 18th-century plantation life, excellent museum galleries, and the museum shop can also be visited.
Bus steps; upper floor of mansion is accessible by stairs only.
Mount Vernon in 1792