Trip Idea

Civil Rights in Washington, DC

Multiple Parks

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial at night on Independence Day 2012.
Duration Full Day
Topic(s) African American Heritage, Architecture and Building, Enslavement, Forests and Woodlands, Landscape Design, Military, Monuments and Memorials, Presidents, Reconstruction, Religion and Spirituality, Scenic Views, Schools and Education, Social Movements, Abolition Movement, Civil Rights, Voting Rights and Suffrage, Tragic Events, Wars and Conflicts, Civil War, Great Depression, Forced Marches, Urban America, World War II, Women's History, Migrations, American Revolutionary War, World War I more »
Activities Guided Tours, Self-Guided Tours - Walking
Type Urban, Educational, Inspirational
Parks Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, National Capital Parks-East, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Civil Rights Sites in Washington, DC
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Walking
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
    • Duration: 30–90 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Any Time
    Aerial view of Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial during cherry blossom season.

    Visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial to take in the Tidal Basin and contemplate quotes from King's lifelong perseverance for freedom and equality.

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    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: Yes
    • Activity: Guided Tours
    • Age: 5–99 years old
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
    • Duration: 30–120 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    Violin and bow rests against wooden chair.

    Explore the home of Frederick Douglass, a leading voice in the abolitionist movement.

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    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: Yes
    • Activity: Guided Tours
    • Age: 5–99 years old
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site
    • Duration: 30–90 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    Entrance to The National Council of Negro Women

    Learn about the life and legacy of Mary McLeod Bethune as well as the work of the organization she established, the National Council of Negro Women, and how she used the power of education, political activism, and civil service to achieve racial and gender equality throughout the United States and the world.

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    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: Yes
    • Activity: Guided Tours
    • Age: 5–99 years old
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site
    • Duration: 30–90 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    Woodson Home NHS

    The Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site is one of the newest units of the National Park Service. Acquired in 2005, the historic home was restored and opened to the public in 2017, and the restoration of the remaining structures is expected to be complete in 2022.

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Last updated: October 5, 2020