Tudor Place Tours and Activities

Set on more than five acres in Georgetown, this historic Federal-era was home to six generations of the Peter family from 1805 to 1984. Thomas Peter’s father was the first mayor of Georgetown (81 years before Washington, D.C. became a single voting district) and his wife Martha, the granddaughter of First Lady Martha Washington; the young couple were considered D.C. royalty in the early 19th century, when this neoclassical estate was designed for them by William Thornton, architect 0f the U.S. Capitol.

During the Peter family’s subsequent 179 years in this formal home, they put together an impressive collection of American and European decorative arts, including over 100 treasured items bequeathed by George and Martha Washington. Tudor Place today is a well-preserved example of upper-class life in the 19th century, and looks almost as though the Peters just went out for a walk – and will soon return.

Visitors are welcome to tour the gardens by themselves for $3, but the house is open only by one-hour-long, docent-led tours that generally embark on the hour. Tudor Place considers their house tours best suited to children ages 5 and over; families with younger children are advised to call in advance.