The Headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) is a historic building located in Washington D.C., United States. The NCNW was founded in 1935 by Mary McLeod Bethune, an educator and civil rights leader, to promote the rights and welfare of African American women and their families. The organization has been headquartered in the same building since 1953 and it has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. The building is located at 633 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, in the heart of the nation’s capital, just a few blocks from the White House. The building was originally constructed in the late 19th century as a commercial office building. In 1942, the building was purchased by the National Council of Negro Women with the help of a loan from the Federal Housing Administration.
You will be able to stand where the inauguration of President Obama took place. You will hear stories of how slaves help build the Capitol and the White House. You will hear how the Supreme Court which was in the Capitol made several decisions that affected people of color for decades .
This iconic building is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States. African Americans have also played an important role in the White House, from the enslaved workers who built the house to the first African American President of the United States, Barack Obama.
One of the most significant events to take place at Constitution Hall was a concert by the renowned African-American contralto, Marian Anderson, on April 9, 1939. Anderson had been scheduled to perform at Constitution Hall, but the DAR, which owned the hall at the time, refused to allow her to perform there because of her race. The incident sparked a national controversy, and eventually, with the help of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson was able to perform on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, in front of a crowd of 75,000 people. The concert was a landmark event in the struggle for civil rights and helped to bring attention to the issue of racial discrimination in the United States.
The tour guide will give information about the Lincoln Memorial as well as information about the historic African American events that have taken place at the Memorial. You will hear stories about the March on Washington, Marion Anderson Concert and Robert Moten giving the dedication speech for the opening of the Lincoln Memorial
Tour guide will show and explain the Inscription wall with 14 quotes and statements, the Mountain of Despair and the Stone of Hope. You will be told interesting and facts about the making of the King Memorial .
Our tour will include a walking tour of inside the Frederick Douglass house (Tuesday, Wednesday , Saturday.) The other days we will drive past the Douglass home and tell the history of the home.
LeDroit Park is known for its rich cultural history. The neighborhood originally was built for the white professors of Howard University. LeDroit Park to homes were sold to both black and white buyers, making it one of the first integrated neighborhoods in the city. LeDroit Park also has a rich history of cultural and intellectual activity. The neighborhood was home to many prominent African American leaders, including Mary Church Terrell, the first president of the National Association of Colored Women, and Duke Ellington, the legendary jazz musician. In the early 20th century, the area was known as "Black Broadway" for its thriving entertainment scene, which included nightclubs, theaters, and music venue
You will learn about the 209, 000 African American troops and sailors that fought during the Civil War. The memorial was dedicated in 1998 . You will be able to read the plaques that have the names of all the USCT that were in the 166 regiments . You will able to see the statue call Sprit of Freedom which was done by Ed Hamilton.
Dunbar High School is a historic public high school located in Washington D.C. The school was founded in 1870 as the first public high school for African Americans in the United States. Dunbar High School has a long and proud history of academic excellence and has been instrumental in the education and success of many notable figures, including civil rights leader and educator Mary McLeod Bethune and poet Paul Laurence Dunbar.
he Howard Theatre is a historic theater located in Washington D.C. The theater was originally opened in 1910 and was one of the first theaters in the country to be designed and operated by African Americans. The theater quickly became a popular destination for African American performers and audiences during the segregation era and played a pivotal role in the development of African American music and culture. Over the years, the Howard Theatre hosted many of the most famous African American performers of the time, including Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Marvin Gaye. The theater was also an important venue for comedians and was known for its "Chitlin' Circuit" shows, which featured African American comedians and performers.
We will drive past one of the great universities in the United States. Howard University was established in 1867. The University has 13 schools . Some of the graduates of Howard are Thurgood Marshall, Elijah Cummings,, Taraji Henson and Toni Morrison .
we will drive past the Carter G. Woodson House, the home of the “Father of Black History.” Woodson was a prominent African American historian and scholar who is credited with creating Black History Month.
We will drive past the Bethune Council house. Mrs Bethune bought the house in the 1943. The design of the house second French Empire . We will stop and tour the house Thursday-Saturday time permitting
At the end of the 3 hour 30 minute tour you will be given tickets to the Museum of African American History and Culture. The tickets will be same day tickets. Once inside the museum you will be able to stay up until 5:30 when the museum closes. Once you arrive at the museum the tour is over. You must take the tour to get the ticket to the museum
This was one of our favorite things we did in DC. We had the privilege of hearing stories and seeing places in DC that we wouldn’t have known about otherwise. Kenny is a great story teller and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour!
Highly recommend museum, next time we will hire a guide just to get more details. Easily could have spent 4 hours. Ate at the cafe food was good but we have celiac disease and the staff had no idea what gluten free meant. Talked to 4 people until I found a person. Website said ask for a manager but there didn’t seem to be one. I’m highly aware of shared space cooking but basically wanted to check an ingredient on the baked chicken. The staff should have some basic knowledge or be able to find someone to check an ingredient. It wasn’t busy. I didn’t allow this to ruin the day but definitely would have spent more time there if we could have had more food.
My wife and I enjoyed the tour. The guide was very knowledgeable and experienced. We hope to do it again. We went on Monday, October 12 and many stops such as the Frederick Douglass house were closed to the public.
Do not . Do not. DoNOTTTTTTTT BOOK WITH THEM!!!! HORRIBLE customer service. Tour was scheduled for 9:30 am. We called at 9:15 to let the tour guide know we would be just a few minutes late. 20 minutes maximum. Apparently This was entirely too long and the tour guide aka the OWNER said he would not accommodate anything for this. No reschedule. No later time or later date. No waiting for us to arrive . No refund no nothing at all just a simple “no”. There was ZERO accommodation, but there was ALL DISRESPECT. He was extremely rude When asked if he would do anything to help us fix the situation of being just a few minutes late. He replied and very hastily , “no you were not here at the start time. I don’t have to accommodate anything for you ”… although I do understand we were a few minutes late but as a business owner myself, you typically do what you can to accommodate customers especially those who are NICE and paying their money. He stated that “i got up out of my bed this morning and got dressed just for two people and these two people aren’t coming in” . Which this statement was untrue because we wanted to come we were just stuck in traffic. This company doesn’t care about that because they already received the payment so they could care less about accommodating tourist due to unforeseen circumstances. I understand this could not be undone but the professionalism was no where to be found when conversing with the owner. Please don’t book with them.you will not be satisfied. We still Chose to go see the museum because we had already driven there. The museum is an absolute must attend. We gained a lot of knowledge this day without even having the tour guide. We still had a great day despite this rude, snappy, impatient, and disrespectful business. Oh and the museum is free, just go see it yourself lol his tour is USELESS. Thank you and God bless.
Kenny was very knowledgeable about black history facts throughout the city- All the little unknown areas most tours overlook is definitely worth taking this tour while in the nations capitol
Excellent bus tour. The tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable about the cities history. …..
What a fantastically informative and memorable experience with KB Tours! The car was super clean and comfortable, and Kenny did an excellent job adapting the tour to our interests while making it enjoyable and appropriate for all ages. He was knowledgeable, professional, enthusiastic, and entertaining. Everyone on the bus is a lifelong DC resident, we were all amazed by how much we learned about our Black heritage and the incredible contributions our people have made to the city and our country. There were so many fascinating facts and stories. The tour was engaging from start to finish, and the attention to our interests made the experience feel personal and special. I would absolutely recommend KB Tours to anyone looking for an educational, entertaining, and meaningful way to experience DC. It’s a tour I won’t soon forget!
The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the area, history to current. The bus was very comfortable, not crowded. I’ve been to D.C. before and learned so much on this tour that I didn’t know prior to the tour. I highly recommend this tour! This is the only tour that we are considering going on again next time we are in D.C.
Kenny was very knowledgeable about the Black Experience and contributions in Washington, DC. He was very personable and courteous to tour attendees. Kenny went above and beyond by arranging a visit to the new African American Civil War Museum. Tying in a ticket to the NMAAHC was genius and an added bonus.
It has nothing to do with the Museum. It was an interesting tour of Dc for an hour n a half and way too expensive for that time. You made it sound like kit was connected to the museum which was untrue.
The tour revealed small known facts that contributed to how the district became the great place it. Is! So many untold truths about African Americans contributions.
Our tour and tour guide were phenomenal! He bent over backwards in order to make sure we enjoyed ourselves and learned many things about the African American journey in the DC region.
The tour is not a tour bus, not a lot of time to take pictures of things. Information was very interesting but could not record the information being provided.
The bus was comfortable and the group was small, making it easy to engage with others during the tour. The tour guide was very personable and knowledgeable.
KB was very friendly and knowledgeable. Great tour! I learned a lot about my Black History! Nice experience!
The tour operator, Kenny, was very personable & knowledgable. Tour could be more irrelevant by adding more historic sites. I would have preferred to tour Fredrick Douglas’ home instead of Mary Mc cloud—Bethunes home. It says we do so in the itinerary but it was not the case. Overall I was satisfied. Good job Kenny.
Mr. Kevin was magnificent! His knowledge about the African American experience in D.C. is untouchable. At the end of the tour I felt like I earned my doctorate degree in African American studies! I was fascinated by Fredrick Douglass’ s property. To conclude the tour at the African American Museum was like icing on a cake. Kim D from Signal Hill, CA
Kenny was very knowledgeable and accommodating. I would recommend to others. All the major locations that I wanted to see were included.
I valued the personalized nature of the tour, particularly the insights gained into historical buildings and figures that are often overlooked in standard commercial tours. The information regarding Mary Bethune McLeod was especially enlightening, as I was previously unaware of her contributions.
Kenny was a very good tour guide. His knowledge of the sights was really informative. I’ll will book again
The driver was very nice and courteous He took took his time drove safely and here to our traffic laws. The passengers had a question he was able to answer it very fluently intelligently. The driver went above and beyond to take us back to the Reflecting Pool to take a pictures a nice gesture on his past. I highly recommend this tour and the tour guide as well.
Kenny was great and very accommodating. Very informative. Bus was very clean and air conditioning worked great!
On 7/11/2026, a hot day in Washington DC, I stepped into a very comfortable air conditioned Bus Tour hosted by KB Tours. He was very knowledgeable, friendly and had a great sense of humor. The pace of tour was perfect and I never felt rushed. KB went above and beyond to give us a first class experience. He stopped at all the popular historical sites such as the National Mall, Lincoln & Washington Memorial, the US Capitol and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. The tour headed to South DC and I saw the famous Big Chair in Anacostia. KB enlightening us on the different evolving housing architecture, the iconic Frederic Douglass National Historic site and the Howard theater. One of my favorite part of the tour was the visit to the famous Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic site. The grand finale on the tour was the National Museum of African America History and KB encouraged us to visit the lowest level and move upwards through the museum’s history - very good advice. Thank you KB Tours for a memorable experience.
This tour was disappointing and did not provide the value we expected for the price. As a family of six, this was a considerable expense, and unfortunately, the experience fell well short of our expectations. The driver seemed annoyed by the responsibility of both driving the bus and providing the historical narration. Instead of an engaging, educational tour, the commentary felt minimal, and much of the experience consisted of being dropped off at various locations to explore on your own. Most stops lasted only 15–20 minutes, which wasn't nearly enough time to meaningfully experience the sites or learn about their historical significance. If you're interested in visiting African-American historical landmarks, I would recommend skipping this tour altogether. With a little research, you can create your own itinerary, spend as much time as you want at each location, and save a significant amount of money. Unless the tour adds knowledgeable guides, more meaningful historical storytelling, and adequate time at each stop, it's difficult to justify the cost.
African Americans have been left out of the history books to some extent. Many of their contributions have not been recognized or acknowledged. Enjoyed seeing the house where Frederick Douglas lived.
Well the tour had good info and places it took you around the city. But ☝🏾 hopefully the man that conducts the tour has more than you. I scheduled this tour for me and my son as we visited DC from New Orleans. We had other tours and plans lined up to do. But I received a phone call from the tour conductor telling me that we were the only people for Wednesday and could we switch to Thursday. He then began to tell me that gas was to high and he wouldn't be making hardly any money with just 2 people on his tour that day. He said if not he would give a refund. Which meant we would miss out on the tour. So, I had to go through changes moving other things around. It was very frustrating to say the least.
My daughter's are repeat guest, but as my first time it was a FANTASTIC trip, with a very knowledgeable guide! Thanks again. P.s. my 3rd grader says hello :)
Great experience. Impressive, informative, enlightening!!
Be careful when booking this tour. I booked it and received a Booking Receipt number and a confirmation number when the funds were withdrawn. I left my hotel at 8:00 AM, drove 45 minutes to go 15 miles in heavy stop and go traffic. (if you know anything about DC-VA morning rush hour traffic). The pickup point was supposed to be at the US Navy Memorial at 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW on Wednesday May 21, 2026 at 9:30 AM. I secured parking and paid $20 to park close to the pickup location. I arrived at the pickup location at 9:10AM. It started to drizzle rain and at 9:30 the transportation wasn't there. Then at 9:45AM they still were not there. I called the tour company that operated this tour. I was informed that they didn't have a tour scheduled for the 21st of May. The man that I spoke with (I won't mention his name) said he would call me back. Then I called Viator Customer Care and explained what the tour company told me. I was placed on hold while the Viator representative called the tour company. The tour company didn't answer the phone call. As my call to the Viator rep ended she said that I would probably get a refund, but she would need to speak with the tour company. I did receive a refund of the $175.00 I paid for the tour. I had to eat the $20.00 I paid for parking and I lost my time which is something you can never get back.
Although it was chilly and raining, our guide was cheery and very knowledgeable. He made the experience a memorable one for myself and my spouse. We learned some new things about our people in the DC region which we will now share with our family. Great tour!! I’ve already shared with friends and family.
Kenny was energetic, polite , knowledgeable and insightful. Knows the areas history and inside story. 5 stars
This was a great opportunity to see DC and learn about AA History... Specifically in DC. The host (Ken) was very accommodating which is necessary when you are new to a city.
It introduces you to areas of African American history and culture that are not normally featured when you visit D.C. from the southeast quadrant to the northwest quadrant.
This was a great tour to experience with my family! There is so much history in D.C. You don't want to miss this tour experience!
The tour was just ok. It felt as though we did a hop-on-hop-off bus tour. The tour guide stayed in the vehicle while we explored drop off sites. He spoke about the history briefly while driving, but did not guide us at the sites. When we arrived at the Lincoln memorial he asked everyone if they wanted to stop and get out and everyone said no, which left us just feeling that we should follow suit even though it was part of the tour. I felt a little pressure to say no as well, guess I should have spoken up. Even though the tour states the end will be at the African American museum and they don't take you back to the starting point, I believe better accommodations should be explored for return. I did enjoy the tour of Mary Mcleod Bethune home. Overall the tour was not the best, but some parts were interesting.
It was ok. Nice to see parts of the City i haven't seen. Wanted more comprehensive information. Also guide didn't seem to love questions
It was an amazing experience! It covered more than I expected. I recommend two days for the African American Museum. I found myself emotional, I loved the overall experience.
I showed up late and Kenny still made it one of the best tours I've ever taken. We covered an incredible amount of ground — the White House, St. Elizabeth's mental institution near the new Mystics arena, Frederick Douglass' 9-acre hilltop estate, Mary McLeod Bethune's home, the first African American theater in the US (Howard Theater) where legends like Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald performed. We wrapped up at the Lincoln and MLK Memorials — all before the African American Museum opened at noon. This tour is deeply immersive and covers history you won't find in the standard education system. If you're visiting DC, carve out a full day for this experience. It's not just Black history — it's American history, told fully and honestly. Highly recommend Kenny and this tour.
Not for young child or teen friendly, the driver drove very fast, bumpy ride, did not allow time to take pictures. The driver kept coughing and did not speak clearly. Also does not transport to back to the meeting spot, was told to get a Lyft or Uber.
Not a good tour for childten or teens. The driver drove through areas very fast, did not allow time to take pictures. Kept coughing when attempting to share history and did not speak clearly.
I had such an amazing time on today’s African American History Tour! Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and shared so many powerful historical facts about African American history and Washington, DC landmarks. You could really tell he loves what he does. What made the tour even better was his personality—he was funny, engaging, and kept us interested the entire time. He also drove safely and made sure everyone felt comfortable while guiding us through such important history. Overall, he was a great guy and an excellent tour guide. I learned a lot and truly enjoyed the experience. 10/10 – Highly recommended!
It's not a one experience, need multiple days to absorb everything. It's starts from Slavery to the present. They even have a HBCU addition
It is best to experience this tour in warmer weather! The visit to the African American Museum was especially moving and definitely worth another visit. Aside from the cold temps, the tour was perfect.
Very knowledgeable tour guide. Great and very informative. Would highly recommend this tour to anybody interest in Black history.
Mr Kenny, our tour guide was a great historian on the city of DC! We were educated, informed and entertained! I loved every minute of it!
Tobias gave us a tour of the African meeting House and was a wealth of knowledge! He’s excellent at what he does. The history of this space is profound and every American should take the opportunity to visit this historically rich site.
It was fun. The van was clean. Driver was on time. Enjoyed Kenny! He had a great sense of humor. We learned many things and we felt this tour was the best choice. Thank you!
Kenny is a good tour guide and knowledgeable about African-American history in DC. Enjoyed the stops, especially Frederick Douglas House.
It was amazingly intriguing at how much knowledge that was revealed. Kenny was an encyclopedia of knowledge and humor. I truly believe that there is no better conveyor of black history or one who has a better understanding of the history, culture and it’s people. Kenny is truly giving back to the community and to all who choose his guidance. I flew from the west coast for this experience and Kenny made it worthwhile!
Kenny was an awesome guide!! He was prompt, funny, and easy to talk to. He's super knowledgeable about the history of Washington, D.C. and Black American history in general. You can tell he's passionate about this city and the culture. So much so that he made sure to tell our group about the many other museums across the U.S. worth checking out, like the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, AL. At a time when politicians are working to hide the truth about Black American history, it's more important than ever that we all educate ourselves. And if you're in Washington, D.C. taking this tour with Kenny should be on your itinerary.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
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