Imagine having a huge backyard and a huge house in the heart of Washington, DC. Well, then Tudor Place is most definitely that rare Washington, DC dream! Growing up, my Mom and I used to visit a lot of places that were rather deemed as off the beaten path. Some of these destinations include Krakow, Poland; Sunapee, New Hampshire, Sofia, Bulgaria; Rila, Bulgaria; and East Grand Lake, Maine. I have learned to truly love exploring some of the lesser known gems as I went off to college and started to travel on my own. That being said, I *of course* had to look for some not as well-known gems in my brand-new hometown of Washington, DC! More specifically, I will be sharing my recent experiences at Tudor Place in Washington, DC.
About Tudor Place
Tudor Place is located in the heart of the oh so adorable, historic, and iconic Georgetown neighborhood – also home to Georgetown University. It was the home of the Peter family from 1805-1983. The home’s first owners were Martha Custis Peter – the daughter of the first First Lady Martha Washington and step-daughter to the first President George Washington – and her husband Thomas Peter. One of the neat aspects of Tudor Place is that it has witnessed a lot of events which shaped the United States and its history: the burning of Washington, DC in 1814, slavery, the Civil War, World War 1, World War 11, and the Cold War. In fact, Tudor Place was used as a Boarding House for Union Soldiers during the Civil War. At the same time, Tudor Place has seen several advancements within technology around the United States and the globe, such as the the typewriter, telephone, lightbulb, and so much more. Since its ending of being a residential home for the Peter family, Tudor Place has become a historic site focused on preservation, education, rejuvenation, and community engagement (all relevant information from the “Our Story” page).
Currently, Tudor Place offers at minimal seasonal free admission to all guests who reserve in advance online to visit. This historical house also hosts events and weddings amongst speaker events and other things, too.
My Experience at Tudor Place
I booked Tudor Place tickets initially for my friend Wyatt and I a month prior to. Unfortunately, I had an event conflict so I had to reschedule my visit. Luckily, the Tudor Place staff were all super sweet and easy to work with and happily willing to reschedule it for us. In other to access Tudor Place, the Washington, DC Metro is a bit further out. However, there are buses that go into and out of the Georgetown neighborhood from Virginia, Maryland, and all over the District of Columbia. Tudor Place also offers parking nearby for all guests and visitors who choose to drive there. Wyatt and I chose to drive in. Upon arriving at Tudor Place, we both both surprised that Tudor Place was located in Georgetown. On a typical day, Georgetown is uber packed with tourists and residents alike. However, we drove a bit outside of the crowds all around the stunningly beautiful cobblestone streets and historic homes to the more quaint part of the neighborhood. All of a sudden, we arrived at Tudor Place, followed the signs for parking, and walked up to the historical home. We were in awe of home quaint and sweet this place truly was!
When arriving, everyone must check in with the welcome center. One very interesting aspect of Tudor Place is tickets. Even when booked online, one does not receive their tickets until they check in through showing their reservation confirmation. The tickets are, in fact, a name tag that must be signed by a staff member on site with the date of your visit upon check in.
Once you check in, Tudor Place tours are self-guided, but they also have an audio guide option that they have upon request at the welcome center. The self-guided tours can be done at your own pace, which is great. It didn’t take Wyatt and I super long to explore the entire Tudor Place that is free to see on tour. We both found it interesting that there were a lot of technological advancements within Tudor Place from when it was first a home in the early 1800’s. Once we toured the Tudor Place interiors, we strolled around the beautiful stunning gardens. The gardens are self-paced too with a map to guide you. All around the gardens, staff members are happily willing to help. Wyatt and I each found the staff members to be extremely friendly and helpful, too. In comparison to Mount Vernon, Tudor Place is most definitely small but it is mighty and has some amazing history to it as well.
Overall, Wyatt and I had an amazing time at Tudor Place. Since living in Washington, DC for almost two decades, Wyatt was shocked and wished he knew about Tudor Place much sooner than we did when going just recently. I was definitely impressed with the utter beauty and rich history that Tudor Place had to offer and I hope to go again, soon and to the nearby and comparable Dumbarton Oaks.
XOXO – Katie <3