SIGNATURE TOHO TOURS
Our classic 1-2 hour walking and virtual tour experiences
Signature TOHO Tours are our most popular offerings and are available year round upon request. Our licensed, professional tour guides and public historians spend hours researching these topics, developing safe routes throughout the city, and perfecting our delivery so that our clients receive our tours as approachable, relatable, and transformative. These tours are as is with pre-determined topics and routes including start and finish locations.
WALKING TOURS 2 hours // 25-30 people // Pre-determined routes including start and finish locations.
VIRTUAL TOURS 1 hour // Your platform or ours // Pre-determined topics
The Women’s History Mile (Walking) Discover the downtown district rich with theaters, restaurants, shops, and the Capitol One Arena. Weave through the streets of unassuming neighborhoods like Gallery Place and Metro Center to explore women's history on the most unexpected corners. Get a glimpse of Pennsylvania Avenue where feminists have marched in support of suffrage, abolition, temperance and labor rights. Be introduced to public art and bustling small businesses, demonstrating that DC is full of people and creativity - and more than traditional marble monuments honoring Presidents. Engage with your licensed professional tour guide for insight into life like a local as your group discovers historical markers and cultural gems. The sites and stories of women like Mary Church Terrell, Clara Barton, and America's beloved first ladies will illustrate how women have been essential to the growth of Washington, DC and the prosperity of the United States. // Starts at Navy Memorial // Ends near White House // Suggested 2 hours
HERstoy on the National Mall (Walking) The National Mall is home to DC's most famous memorials and monuments. They tell the story of our nation - but at first glance, the scope of the story seems limited. While representations of women on the National Mall are few and far between, there is a rich thread of women's history behind the granite and marble of these famous sites. Starts at Lincoln Memorial // Ends at FDR Memorial // Suggested 2 hours
Black Feminist DC (Walking) Explore the history of Black feminism in Washington, DC with A Tour of Her Own. In partnership with the National Women’s History Museum, this tour will route through Downtown, DC and make a stop at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library for a guided exploration of We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC. This exhibition traces the impact of Black feminism in DC from the turn of the 20th century to the present day and was curated by renowned historians Sherie M. Randolph and Kendra T. Field. Head out of the DC Public Library with you TOHO licensed, professional tour guide to discover historical sites and preservation markers that honor Black feminists and organizations like Eleanor Holmes Norton, Dorothy Ferebee, Etta Horn, Pauli Murray, Anna Julia Cooper, The National Council of Negro Women Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and Sweet Honey in the Rock. Learn and discuss how Black feminists often worked at the intersection of race, class, and gender to shape local DC and broader America history and culture.
Women Who Climbed Capitol Hill (Walking) They climbed Capitol Hill only to have their stories left out of the historical narrative. This tour puts lawmakers and justice warriors front and center to acknowledge the contributions of women in the legislative and judicial branches of government. The grounds of Capitol Hill are home to trailblazing activism, like the suffragists who are honored at the historic Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument. Of course, a women’s history tour of the hill would be incomplete without celebration of Dr. Carla Hayden, the first woman to earn the title of Librarian of Congress. This experience truly offers a broad perspective of local and national civics and we invite you to rethink American politics with us.
Herstorical Portraits at The Smithsonian: (Walking) Admire paintings, photographs, and sculptures of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery's collection to bring to life the flesh and blood stories of real notable and notorious American women. From colonial era spies to Civil War activists, suffragists to celebrities, discover the hidden history of American women who helped shape and lead our nation.
Hear Her Roar (Walking) Washington, D.C. is no stranger to protests and rallies. These events of political expression have occurred continuously in the United States’ capital throughout the twentieth century. Women and gender politics have played a major role in the history of political marches on Washington. Learn about the diverse women who have marched and the various political causes that they championed. From suffragists with colorful sashes to modern feminists in pink hats, Washington has seen an evolution of women’s revolutions.
Hidden History of the First Ladies (Walking/Virtual) Discover the often unexamined but pivotal contributions of our first ladies - from Dolley Madison and her vital role in preserving America’s early history to Eleanor Roosevelt's fight for civil rights to Jackie Kennedy and her preservation of the nation's capital.
Scandalous Women of Embassy Row (Walking/Virtual) During the Gilded Age, Embassy Row became the glimmering center for the wealthy, the politically-connected, and the socially elite. This tour traces the notable women who called this neighborhood home, the good (and bad) trouble that they stirred up, and how women still shape the worlds of politics, journalism, and society today.
Herstoric Street Call Boxes (Walking/Virtual) Explore unique street art as we visit old call boxes converted to share the story of eight significant women in our city's history.
Department Stores (Walking/Virtual) “All women love shopping” a cliché if there ever was one, that haunts half the population to this day. Shopping was a place for women to find a modicum of freedom from the male dominated world. This nexus of classes and commerce allowed for women to casually socialize in chance meetings and exercise the power of economics often unavailable to them in regimented day to day lives. Here in Washington DC, many of the largest department stores were situated between the White House and the United States Capitol Building.
The Glass Ceiling - Pink Collar Jobs (Walking) For many Americans, our first instinct when asked how long women have had jobs in the USA is to reply since World War Two. Yet a little thought will often make that answer obviously incorrect. From teachers, nurses, cooks, seamstresses, laundresses, shopkeeps, and cleaners, we all know women have been in the American workforce since this country's earliest days. On this tour we will explore women's productive roles in American workforces before WW II shined an extra bright light on women's versatility and examine how those stereotypes and assumptions have affected the modern workforce, especially pink collar jobs.
Wild Women of Georgetown (Walking) A stroll through the historic Georgetown highlights stories of the women who built and shaped this neighborhood. Spies and ghosts are just a few of the scandalous stories told alongside stops featuring the beloved Jacqueline Kennedy, Julia Child, and Katherine Graham, owner of the Washington Post.
Over the Rainbow (Walking) Explore feminist history through a queer lens in the nation’s capitol. Explore how Washington, DC has been a pivotal location for the LGBTQ+ community to advocate for equal rights, express non-conforming views, and enact policy to protect civil rights. Walk with your licensed professional tour guide throughout the Downtown DC neighborhood rich with theaters, street art, and historic venues. You'll be shocked to hear about Dr. Mary Edward Walker and her scandalous decision to wear pants! Which of America's first lady's attempted to break away from secret service and escape the White House in search of a rainbow? We'll introduce you to Princess We’wha who identifies as "Two Spirit" in the Zuni culture. Revisit these iconic DC sites with a fresh perspective, adding a splash of color to those old black and white stories. This experience is perfect for locals and visitors and everyone is welcome to participate on TOHO's Over The Rainbow tour.
Suffrage Mile (Walking/Virtual) On August 18th, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the United States constitution was ratified granting federal voting rights to women. The 72-year struggle for women’s suffrage spanned across generations. While we recognize 1920 as a year when many American women gained the right to vote, we must acknowledge that this was not a universal experience. Many women voted prior to 1920 and many women would still be restricted after 1920. Suffragists were often met with violence, civil unrest, torture, imprisonment, physical injuries and even death. During this presentation, we share and honor the perseverance of these trailblazing women.
Hookers, Healers, and Heroines (Virtual) The Civil War rocked the foundation of American daily life and changed the sociopolitical landscape, with the nation’s capital at its epicenter. Men went off to fight, and women found themselves in the unique position of supporting themselves. How did the women who called Washington home make it through those tumultuous times. Some stories include: Elizabeth Keckley Belva Lockwood Dr. Mary Walker Clara Barton Charlotte Grimke Treasury Girls Scandal Join us on a virtual tour to hear about how the women of Washington, DC managed to survive not only the war, but leave an indelible mark on American history through their hard work and perseverance in roles as far-reaching as lawyer, seamstress, spy, and the only female Medal of Honor recipient.
Women & Art of the Gilded Age (Virtual) This program focuses on the decades between the1870s-1920s and will highlight women in the art world during the Gilded Age. These women were instrumental in a revolutionary time in art history the end of the old masters and the beginning of the modern masters. The collectors supported avant-garde artists before they became the household names they are today and their collections support internationally acclaimed museums. This tour will feature artists like Berthe Morrisot, Eva Gonzalez, Rosa Bonheur, Cecilia Beaux, and Anna Boch as well as collectors like Louisine Havemeyer, Helene Kroller-Muller, and Gertrude Stein. We will focus heavily on Mary Cassatt, who was both artist and promoter.
Sculpting Herstory (Virtual) Discover sculptures by women, for women, and about women in Washington, DC. While there are too few statues of women in the nation's capitol but there are many talented artists behind them. Explore the legacies of Vinnie Ream who sculpted President Lincoln, Glenna Goodacre of the Vietnam Women's Memorial, and Nina Akamu of the National Japanese American Memorial.
Scandalous Women of Watergate (Virtual) Fifty years ago, the Watergate scandal would rock Washington, DC and capture the attention of millions of Americans. While the most famous figures dominating the press attention and subsequent cultural impact were men, women engaged and intersected with this watershed event in intriguing and essential ways. Discover the women in the White House, at the newspapers, pursuing justice, and fighting against Nixon and how their stories help us understand a changing American society.
Forgotten Women of Arlington National Cemetery (Walking/Virtual) Uncover the stories of military and civilian women buried at the nation’s most premier cemetery.
Equal Rights Amendment (Virtual) The fight for the Equal Rights Amendment has been a battle spanning almost a century, intersecting with key moments for women's history in the 20th century and linking the three waves of modern feminism, from the suffragists to the women's liberation movement to today's activists. This virtual tour traces the history, evolution, and current status of the Equal Rights Amendment, using iconic Capitol Hill landmarks as touchstones for a story that is still being written.
