To welcome you back in February, enjoy discounts all month on daily docent tours and look through a unique "Window on Washington" to celebrate our first President's anniversary.

New in 2012!
Window on Washington

There's much to see this month at Tudor Place, newly refreshed and re-opened after our annual January cleaning. Throughout the month of George Washington's birthday, see an intimate side of his life with Martha Washington. For the first time, items the couple owned or were connected to will be united in the Visitor Center display cabinets. Note that this area of the museum is open to the public free of charge during our regular hours.

Additionally, those touring the house during this special event will be treated to a lavish showing of the Washingtons' personal goods in the Dining Room. Feast your eyes on a table set with Thomas and Martha Peter’s collection of elegant equipment they purchased from Martha Washington’s estate after she died in 1802. The collection includes items from the Sevrés porcelain dinner service, cut glassware made in England, and a newly conserved five-part wooden plateau, or serving platform, on view for the first time since it was conserved.

Don't forget to help us "Celebrate George!" on President's Day, February 20, the only day of the year to see three Washington items of great significance.

Be My Valentine Card Workshop

(children, ages 5+)
Saturday, February 4
10:30 a.m.

This event is full.

Create a Valentine’s Day card for someone special, and learn about Valentines from the past.  Children become history detectives as they tour the historic mansion in search of vintage Valentines from the Tudor Place archives. Next, they design their own cards to take home, drawing inspiration from the historic cards they have examined.

Member Child: $5; Nonmember Child: $8; Adult Chaperones: Free

The Art of Savoring
A Valentine’s Day Tea and Chocolate Tasting

Sample period teas and chocolates at a delightful winter tea!  A costumed interpreter leads participants in an informative and engaging presentation on the history of tea and chocolate.  A variety of 18th and 19th century teas and chocolates will be highlighted.  After the tea join docents for guided tour through the 1816 historic mansion.

Member: $20; Nonmember: $25

This event is nearly full.

Valentine's Evening at Tudor Place

(21+)
Saturday, February 11
5 – 8 p.m.

Experience the romance of Tudor Place at twilight. In the elegant Conservatory overlooking the South Lawn, enjoy wine, champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and other delights amid historic Sago palms and citrus trees wintering indoors. Then stroll the mansion's central rooms, accompanied by enchanting musical entertainment. And enjoy a special display of antique Valentines drawn from the Tudor Place archives.

Members: $15/couple or $8/individual; Nonmembers: $20/couple or $12/individual

Valentine's Tuesday Tea

Celebrate a delightful and unique Valentine's Day, with an afternoon tea at Tudor Place!
Sample a traditional Victorian service, complete with tea sandwiches, scones, delicious desserts and historic tea blends. Afterward, join docents for guided tour through the 1816 historic mansion.

Members: $20; Nonmembers: $25

A Special Tour
Out of Sight: Life and Works of Enslaved and Domestic Servants at Tudor Place

In addition to six generations of Peter family members, Tudor Place was also home to domestic workers, enslaved and free. This tour explores domestic service at Tudor Place from 1816 through modern day, including the personal stories of several enslaved and free individuals.  The tour highlights the Kitchen, Servants’ Sitting Room, and original basement space.

Members: $5
Nonmembers: $10

Celebrate George on Presidents' Day

Celebrate our country's first President at Tudor Place, whose collections include the largest assemblage of Washington artifacts outside Mt. Vernon. Visitors will enjoy self-guided tours through the historic mansion and a special exhibit of rare Washington-related objects. These include George Washington's 1775 letter to his wife, Martha, one of only three such letters known to exist.  Written on the eve of his departure from Philadelphia to take command of the Continental Army, the missive reveals the human and sentimental side of this revered hero. Also view a sample of Martha's needlework and (shown at left) the handsome Thomas Roberson miniature portrait the first President presented to his step-granddaughter, the future mistress of Tudor Place, as a wedding gift. Our curator and collections staff will be on hand to answer your questions, as you and your family or friends tour the mansion at your own pace.

Before and after your visit to the mansion, enjoy 18th century gaming, dancing, and crafts led by costumed interpreters.

Member adults: $5; Nonmember adults: $10; Children: $5

Women, Love and Property, a Special Tudor Place Tour

Celebrate Women’s History Month by seeing first-hand how women's roles changed at Tudor Place over two centuries. From the estate's purchase and construction in 1805-16, through its years as a Civil War boarding house, to the renovations and restorations in the decades that followed, six generations of Peter family women were central to the life and stewardship of their family home. How did they reflect or defy the customs of their times? How did their roles change as the Capital City and a young nation evolved around them? From the Drawing Room to the Bedrooms to the Kitchen, this tour addresses these questions and more, by highlighting artifacts, collections and documents dating back to family matriarch Martha Washington, her granddaughter, Martha Custis Peter (the founding mistress of Tudor Place, above), and Martha's own daughter, Britannia Peter Kennon, who presided over the estate for more than 50 years.

Members: $8; Nonmembers: $10

Tuesday Tea at Tudor Place

Enjoy a delightful and traditional afternoon tea at Tudor Place!
Sample a Victorian service, complete with tea sandwiches, scones, delicious desserts and historic tea blends. Afterward, join docents for guided tour through the 1816 historic mansion.

Members: $20; Nonmembers: $25

Tudor Nights
Hanami, the Art of the Cherry Blossom

Viewing spring blossoms in Japan is so significant, it has its own word, hanami. Celebrate the Yoshino cherry blossoms’ return to the Tudor Place gardens and, in the mansion, enjoy a close look at an exquisite, late-19th-century hanami-themed vase from Japan and an 1886 publication on Japanese design. Enjoy an Asian-themed menu of savories and cherry treats, accompanied by “Hanami Rum Fizz,” an original libation created for the occasion.

This event is free for Tudor Place members. Non-members are invited to attend at $15 per person; we advise registering early, as space fills quickly. To become a Tudor Place member and attend as our guest, click here.

To reserve online (whether member or paying guest), use this link:

To reserve off-line or obtain more information about Tudor Place member events and benefits, please contact Development and Membership Associate Braedon Renne by email or phone, (202) 965-0400, ext 104.

Girl Scouts in Georgetown Day for Juniors and Cadets

Become an architect at Tudor Place! Scouts will explore architectural styles from around the world while touring Tudor Place and its surrounding Georgetown neighborhood. After the tour, participants put their creativity to work by designing their own building and landscape.  This program fulfills all requirements for the Junior Architecture Badge and meets several requirements of the Museum Discovery and Architecture and Environmental Design Interest Projects.

Scouts and Tag-alongs: $10; Accompanying Adults: $3

Mad Hatter Tea at Tudor Place

Enjoy afternoon tea at Tudor Place!  Guests will wear festive hats provided by the museum, from vintage to today's fashions, while sampling tea and delicious deserts.  Following the tea ceremony, guests will make their own spring bonnets to take home.

Spring Tea and Chocolate Workshop

for Children 5+ and Families

(also offered April 5)
10 – 11:30 a.m

Enjoy a festive spring tea, complete with tempting treats, and an intriguing lesson to go with it on the history of pouring tea in America. Learn first-hand how Federalists preferred their sugar, why the mistress locked the tea chest, and what not-so-nice surprises an alert servant might find among the tea leaves. Following the tea service, children will learn the basics of chocolate – where it comes from, how it's made, and how it was appreciated – while creating their own three-dimensional chocolate eggs to take home.

Cherry Blossom Tea at Tudor Place

(also offered April 11)
1 – 3 p.m.

Celebrate the return of the Cherry Blossoms to Tudor Place!  Enjoy a traditional tea complete with tea sandwiches, scones, delicious desserts and Japanese tea blends.  After the tea join docents for an engaging tour through the historic house.

Spring Tea and Chocolate Workshop

for Children 5+ and Families

(also offered April 3)
10 – 11:30 a.m [SPACE AVAILABLE] and 1–3 p.m. [FULL]

Enjoy a festive spring tea, complete with tempting treats, and an intriguing lesson to go with it on the history of pouring tea in America. Learn first-hand how Federalists preferred their sugar, why the mistress locked the tea chest, and what not-so-nice surprises an alert servant might find among the tea leaves. Following the tea service, children will learn the basics of chocolate – where it comes from, how it's made, and how it was appreciated – while creating their own three-dimensional chocolate eggs to take home.

Please note: The afternoon program is full. Space remains in the April 3 and 5 morning workshops.

Eggstravaganza

for All Children and Families

Celebrate spring and Easter at Tudor Place’s third annual Eggstravaganza!  Children of all ages enjoy the largest Egg Hunt in Washington D.C. and a thrilling Egg Roll Contest.  After the exciting games, spend the morning decorating festive eggs and playing games from the past!  The Easter Bunny is available for pictures all morning.  Visitors also enjoy a self-guided tour of Tudor Place’s 5 ½ acres of glorious gardens.  The Egg Hunt begins at 10:45 a.m. and the Egg Roll follows at 11:00 a.m.  Bring your own basket and spoon, and one hard-boiled egg per child.

Cherry Blossom Tea at Tudor Place

Celebrate the return of the Cherry Blossoms to Tudor Place!  Enjoy a traditional tea complete with tea sandwiches, scones, delicious desserts and Japanese tea blends.  After the tea join docents for an engaging tour through the historic house.

Members: $20; Non-Members: $25

Girl Scouts in Georgetown Day:
Enchanting Garden Explorations

Scouts become nature detectives during interactive tours and hands-on activities at one of Georgetown’s most celebrated houses.  Armed with magnifying glasses Scouts explore the many nooks and crannies, lawns and outdoor “rooms” of Tudor Place’s 5.5 acres of historic gardens.  After the tour, Daisies and Brownies build their own bird feeders; Juniors plant flower gardens to take home. The program fulfills requirements for the Eco-Explorer Try-It and meets several requirements for the Outdoor in the City Badge.

Scouts and Tag-alongs: $10; Accompanying Adults: $3

Earth Day: A Family Celebration

Enjoy one of Washington’s greenest spots while celebrating Earth Day as a family at Tudor Place.  The afternoon’s activities include games, a scavenger hunt, painting flower pots and planting them with seeds from the historic garden.  Eco-friendly refreshments will be served. 

Civil War Georgetown
House and Walking Tours

Learn what life was like in Georgetown and the Federal City during this critical test of American democracy. On the house tour, learn about those who lived on the estate and the enslaved workers who served them. Hear family stories about how Tudor Place served as home to Southern sympathizers even while housing Union officers and their families.

After a lunch break, join or rejoin us for an early afternoon walking tour of Civil War Georgetown, visiting burial sites, a Union hospital, residences of military leaders, and a neighborhood home to enslaved and free African Americans.

Participate in either or both tours:

House or Walking Tour: Members: $8; Nonmembers: $10
     House and Walking Tour: Members: $12; Nonmembers: $15

Mother's Day Tea

Celebrate Mother’s Day together, sampling period teas, finger sandwiches, and delicious deserts while exploring tea etiquette with the guidance of a costumed interpreter.  After the tea, family members can create a special period craft to take home for the Moms in their lives.

Member Adult: $20; Non-Member Adult: $25; Child: $10

Celebrate 100 Years of Scouting!

Girl Scout Garden Party at Tudor Place

Celebrate Scouting's centennial at one of Georgetown’s most historic gardens. Scouts start with a scavenger hunt through 5.5 acres of historic gardens. Indoors, in picturesque garden rooms, costumed interpreters will them in historic gaming and dancing. Then, meet and mingle with other Scouts while enjoying period crafts and refreshments in Tudor Place’s historic Pierce Arrow Garage!

Scouts and Tag-Alongs: $8; Adults: $3