Field Trips

We welcome all learners at the DC History Center, but our field trips are specifically tailored to two groups: grades 6-12, and college and university groups.

High school students gather around a table in the Kiplinger Research Library and look at a replica of a historic poster.
Field Trips for Grades 6-12

About Our Field Trips

Field trips to the DC History Center introduce our archives and resources as a critical tool for students and teachers. They also provide a historical context in which to discuss contemporary issues facing students in Washington, DC, and inform teachers about how exhibit content and collections can be incorporated into onsite and in-class lessons.

Field trips help students:

  • develop a sense of identity, place, and pride in Washington;
  • increase familiarity with major events in local history;
  • see themselves and their communities represented in the city’s past; and
  • make connections between classroom learning and their experiences growing up in the nation’s capital

To book your field trip, fill out the Field Trip Request form below.

Still have questions? Email education@dchistory.org and a member of our team will get in touch with you.

Contact us
We offer three field trips for the 2026 – 2027 school year:
  1. Historical Research Methods
    Students will build the core skills needed for historical research, from finding credible sources to using libraries and archives. Through hands-on activities, they’ll practice evaluating information, working with primary and secondary sources, and citing their research. 
  2. Changemakers
    When should people fight for change? Students explore the various ways activists helped shape DC and analyze objects centered around civic engagement and community organizing.
  3. Class Action
    Our exhibit-based field trips introduce students to key themes in local history, from the founding of Washington, DC and the development of neighborhoods through time, to the desegregation of schools and the on-going struggle for Home Rule. Alongside DC History Center educators, students will explore Class Action (the main exhibit in the DC History Center) and complete hands-on activities.
University and College Visits

University and College visits are managed by our library and collections team and are available upon request, based on staff capacity. We prioritize developing relationships with professors at local colleges and universities with a demonstrated connection to local history.

For requests from DC, MD, and VA institutions, please contact library@dchistory.org. For requests from colleges and universities outside DC, Maryland, and Virginia, please see the Tours & Experiences page to inquire about a fee-based experience.

Request a Field Trip

Use this form to request a field trip for fall 2026. Check back in January for spring 2027 field trip date offerings.