Dupont Circle & Embassy Row Architecture Tour

Tour Overview

Gilded Age mansions, high-stakes diplomacy, and storied scandals converge in Dupont Circle, once a rural edge of the capital and later a playground for Washington’s wealthy elite. Today, its tree-lined streets boast some of the city’s most striking architecture, from stately Neoclassical residences to eclectic Arts & Crafts rowhomes. On this two-hour walking tour, we’ll trace the evolution of Embassy Row and explore the stories behind the grand facades. Along the way, you’ll hear about the city’s social climbers, power brokers, and eccentric residents—from Alice Roosevelt Longworth to Evalyn Walsh McLean and her infamous Hope Diamond. More than just a neighborhood, Dupont Circle is a lens into the architecture, ambition, and layered history that shaped the capital.

What We'll See

We begin at Dupont Circle’s iconic fountain, a Beaux-Arts centerpiece by the designers of the Lincoln Memorial. Here, we’ll explore how this once-rural outpost became a showcase of Gilded Age ambition, where wealth and social status were expressed in architectural grandeur. As we stroll down Massachusetts Avenue, now known as Embassy Row, we’ll admire imposing Queen Anne, Neoclassical, and Beaux-Arts mansions, many of which now serve as foreign embassies. Highlights include the stately Indonesian Embassy, once home to the Hope Diamond; the imposing Anderson Mansion, now the headquarters of the Society of the Cincinnati; and stories of characters like socialite Alice Roosevelt Longworth (daughter of Teddy Roosevelt), scientist George Westinghouse, eccentric artist Alice Pike Barney, and DC’s notorious city boss Alexander Shepherd. Their grand ambitions are etched in the architecture of the Row.

Turning into the quiet streets of Kalorama, we’ll stop by the Woodrow Wilson House and descend the elegant Spanish Steps (modeled after Rome’s) to pass landmarks like the whimsical “Hobbit House.” We end at the Phillips Collection, America’s first modern art museum, nestled inside a historic Italianate mansion. From extravagant façades to quiet design surprises, this tour explores how architecture helped shape and flaunt status and identity in one of DC’s most refined neighborhoods.

How to Join

Meet your guide at the Dupont Circle Fountain in the center of Dupont Circle. The tour takes about 2 hours and covers approximately 1.5 miles, ending in front of the Phillips Collection at 1600 21st St NW. This walking tour is also available for private groups on foot or by car or coach. Visit www.dcdesigntours.com to learn more and sign up.