Summer Evening Tour of the Monuments in Washington, D.C.

While planning our summer road trip for the East Coast in 2023, we opted to end the trip with Washington, D.C., before pointing the car west and heading back to Missouri. We booked two nights at an Airbnb on Capitol Hill, knowing we were only going to get a small taste of the city. We were determined to make the most of it, as we always try to do. We can sleep when we get home, right?

I had been to D.C. twice before, but this would be Jeff and Kristin’s first visit. I knew I wanted them to experience the many monuments scattered about the Mall and nearby areas, but I also knew it was July and hot. And it was the end of a three-week road trip, so I knew energy could be down. An evening monument tour sounded like just the thing. Not only would we see the monuments in slightly cooler temperatures, but we would also have someone to do the driving and parking at each stop. Hopefully, we would learn a bit more about these famous monuments, as well.

I turned to TripAdvisor several weeks before our trip to pick a tour. I read many reviews, and in the end, I chose RSN Enterprises, LLC, for our tour. I selected this company because they included the largest number of monuments and used a passenger van for transportation rather than a large tour bus. This seemed to be the best fit for our family. We paid for the tour ourselves in advance of our trip to make sure we got what we wanted. We did the Washington DC By Night Public Tour. Click here to read more about what RSN Enterprises has to offer.

The Adventure Begins

Our tour was on the first evening of our stay in D.C. Earlier, we had toured the White House as arranged by our Missouri representative in Congress. To read about that adventure, click here.

Following the White House tour, we checked into our Airbnb and got groceries at a local Safeway, which doesn’t sound like an adventure, but it was! The Safeway had its own parking garage and escalators–very different from a town in the Midwest! We had an early dinner at our D.C. home before grabbing an Uber to take us to the meeting place for the tour. Since it was downtown, we didn’t want to deal with parking. At the time of our tour, the meeting place was on Independence Avenue.

We checked in with RSN, and those of us taking the tour that evening were divided into two groups to fit into the two passenger vans. They are mindful of your party and will keep you together. We rode with another family and a group of four women who were traveling together. RSN also provided bottled water for us.

Below is the map of our route. I included our start at our Airbnb in the Capital Hill area via Uber. The RSN tour started on Independence Avenue. We ended at the exterior of the White House.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Since the tour departed from Independence Avenue, we also got to see a lot of the city enroute to our destinations even though we didn’t stop. Our guide was excellent in explaining what we were driving by and some history here and there. We soon arrived at our first destination–the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

Our guide dropped us off and told us a meeting time to come back to the van.

As you can see, in the summertime, the tour starts when it’s still daylight. During our visit, the Jefferson Memorial was under construction to add some modern touches to entrances and to expand historic information on Jefferson, so we weren’t able to access the lower chamber. I would love to return to see the updates. The construction didn’t really impact our experience of the memorial area, though.

School trips are also a thing in the summer. Students from all over the country, often in large groups that fill a bus, will also be touring D.C. We also encountered other tour groups that were doing evening monument tours, and some of those fill a motor coach, as well. It’s good to be flexible and realize that a lot of people will probably be around.

The Jefferson Memorial also provides some nice views of the rest of the city. Even though it wasn’t my first visit to D.C., it was my time to actually visit the memorial. I’d only seen it at a distance.

World War II Memorial

After we loaded up the van at the Jefferson Memorial, it was time to see the World War II Memorial. This one was a new one for me because I hadn’t been to Washington, D.C., since 1997, and the memorial was completed in 2004.

This, like many of D.C.’s monuments and memorials, is a moving place, yet the beauty of the structure creates a place for quiet reflection. It’s also a place when you can dip your toes into the fountain. There are signs that say you can put your feet in as you sit on the edge, so we did. But you’re not supposed to wade around.

Dusk is a nice time of day to visit the memorial. The sun is setting, and it adds to the peacefulness of the memorial.

It truly is a beautiful memorial.

Historic quotations are engraved throughout the memorial, not unlike the other monuments and memorials in the city.

You also have a nice view of the Washington Monument; this is nice because our tour didn’t stop there.

Also, don’t be surprised if you are greeted by some ducks.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

One of the most fascinating memorials on the tour is the one dedicated to FDR. The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial has entire features dedicated to the different terms of his presidency. I guess that makes sense since he was elected to four terms.

This is another memorial that I’d never visited before. It was completed in 1997, but my visit that year was in December, so I didn’t do a lot of outdoor things. I’m glad I had the opportunity to finally see this one.

Prologue

The memorial is divided into four “rooms,” one for each term, although now the memorial begins with the Prologue Room, as seen below. This section was added in 2001.

I wonder what FDR would think about his statue depicting him in a wheelchair since great care was taken to conceal this at the time of his presidency. I like that it’s an open discussion now, and the inclusion of FDR in a wheelchair is inspiring. I hope this depiction continues to help people feel included in America’s story and that there is a place for everyone.

Room 1

This room features a “normal” waterfall to symbolize FDR’s first term. This will be a contrast to a later waterfall.

Room Two

This room has sculptures that show the issues FDR faced in his second term. Below are men in a bread line during the Great Depression.

Throughout the memorial, you’ll see quotes by FDR. Other features include a man listening to a “fireside chat” on a radio and scenes from the New Deal.

Room Three

This room features a chaotic waterfall symbolizing World War II. You can see random blocks that have fallen from the waterfall’s structure.

Room Four

This room represents FDR’s final term which only lasted a few months due to the stroke he suffered in April of 1945.

This room also includes a statue of Eleanor Roosevelt.

Luckily, our guide explained how the Roosevelt Memorial was set up. It helped to have a basic understanding of what we were going to see. This area was also really popular during our summer evening visit. Be prepared to have some “extras” in your pictures during busy times. I tried to be creative with the photo cropping!

From the Walkway

Our guide explained that after we viewed the FDR Memorial, we were to walk along the northwest side of the Tidal Basin to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. This walk gave us some gorgeous views, including the one below of the Washington Monument.

And the Jefferson Memorial.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

After a stroll on the paved pathway along the Tidal Basin, we arrived at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

After walking through the Mountain of Despair section, you’ll see this stunning statue of MLK. This piece is known as the Stone of Hope, as referenced in his “I Have a Dream” speech when he said, “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.” I think it’s even more powerful at night.

Korean War Veterans Memorial

After visiting the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, we met our guide to drive over to the Korean War Veterans Memorial. This is another newer memorial, dedicated in 1995.

You are able to get close up to these statues, and I think that adds to the emotional response. This memorial kind of places you with soldiers on the battlefield. The lighting here at night adds another emotional layer. I couldn’t help but think about what being in that conflict might have been like, especially at night.

It’s heartbreaking to see the names of the casualties on the memorial.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Our next stop was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This one is said to be the most frequently visited. I visited this one when I was high school, but I hadn’t been after dark. The wall lists the names of those who died in the conflict.

The wall is probably what most people think of, but there are also two statues on the grounds.

The statue below was dedicated two years after the wall’s dedication. It’s known as Three Servicemen, and it honors those who came home from the conflict.

Below is the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. This statue was added in 1993 and honors the women who served. According to the U.S. Department of Defense website, “Artist Glenna Goodacre said the young serviceman is saved by the actions of these women – in a monument to the living.”

Lincoln Memorial

Our last memorial of the tour was the popular Lincoln Memorial. At the time of our visit, the memorial was under construction, so a picture of the outside was not ideal. But inside, it was just as I remembered.

This is also a popular stop for school trips and other tours. I think this was the most crowded site of the tour, but we still managed to grab some pictures.

The construction is supposed to be completed sometime in 2026, and then, much like the Jefferson Memorial, the lower level will be updated. The elevator is also scheduled to be refurbished.

View of the White House from Lafayette Park

After some time at the Lincoln Memorial, we hopped in the van and headed over to the White House. This brought us full circle since we’d started our D.C. adventures that morning with the White House tour. To read about that experience, click here.

We walked around the statue of Andrew Jackson, and then we took in the White House at night.

After the White House, the tour was officially over. The rest of our tour group went their separate ways.

End of the Tour

At some point in the tour, Jeff had a discussion with our guide that led to him offering to drive us back to our Airbnb since he was going that direction. Of course, don’t count on this, but it saved us Uber fare! We were so grateful.

When we arrived at our place, we snagged some pictures. I should’ve taken one of the ride vehicle before the tour started.

We took one with our guide after explaining we were travel bloggers. As you know, night pictures with the cell phone aren’t always amazing, but we did our best. I’m so glad we made this memory!

This tour was definitely a highlight of our trip! We got to see so much in so little time, and the summer temperatures are better at night. We also were glad to not worry about parking at all the stops. A monument tour is the perfect way to get a taste of D.C., and RSN Enterprises was perfect for us! I would certainly recommend them for touring D.C.!