Self Guided Ghost Tour Washington DC Mall

Washington DC, USA
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Duration2h
Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
LanguagesEnglish
Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

This is a self-guided exploration game where you'll be hunting ghosts along the National Mall, with the Questo app as your case book. Each of the 13 stops hides a spirit with a real connection to the place: a scholar who still sits in the Library of Congress reading room, a Supreme Court justice who keeps court in session, a bride who never made it to her 1868 wedding, and Amelia Earhart beside the planes she knew.

At every stop you'll get a question that can only be answered by looking around you: a mosaic above a staircase, a bronze dancer outside a museum, a giant rabbit with a drum, the stones of the Washington Monument.

It takes about 2 hours and 2.7 miles of walking, with unlimited breaks. Most stops are inside free museums, so play it between 10 am and 5 pm.

Hints and 24-7 support available if you get stuck.

The stories stay light, no jump scares, so it works for families and students too. A good Halloween activity in daylight, and a good one any other day of the year.

What's included

  • Full availability: Every day of the year.
  • Flexibility: start, take a break and continue at your own pace.
  • Access to the self-guided city exploration game in the Questo app
  • Live game master or physical guide
  • Private transportation
  • Meals

What to expect

  1. Library of Congress
    14m
    You'll start inside the Thomas Jefferson Building, where the app introduces Ripley Bates, the ghost hunter whose notes you'll follow, and hands you the first question in the main reading room. You'll answer it from what you see around you, then climb to the Minerva mosaic on the upper floor for a second one. You'll learn about Cecil Balda, the scholar who studied here every day until he left for the First World War, and the seat that visitors say still feels taken.
  2. Supreme Court
    10m
    You'll cross First Street to the Supreme Court and look at the portraits in the Great Hall to solve a challenge about the longest-serving justice in the court's history. You'll learn about William O. Douglas, who sat on the bench for 36 years.
  3. U.S. Capitol
    10m
    You'll walk over to the Capitol and answer a question about where Congress met before Washington existed. You'll also learn why the building is said to be haunted by a cat and by a president who never stopped giving speeches.
  4. United States Botanic Garden
    10m
    You'll head down to the United States Botanic Garden, the oldest continuously operating one in the country. You'll solve a challenge and learn the story of the burning bride, Laura Schaffer, whose 1868 wedding never happened.
  5. National Museum of the American Indian
    10m
    You'll stop at the Buffalo Dancer, the bronze figure beside the museum entrance, and inspect it to answer a question. You'll learn what a kachina is in Pueblo belief and why the dancer is said to step down from his perch.
  6. National Air and Space Museum
    14m
    You'll go inside the Air and Space Museum and put four aircraft in the right historical order, from the 1903 Wright Flyer to the first parachute plane. Upstairs you'll solve a second challenge about Evel Knievel's most famous jump.
  7. National Gallery of Art
    10m
    You'll walk through the galleries of the West Building and work out which period the art around you belongs to. You'll read about the Renaissance masters whose work hangs here.
  8. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
    10m
    You'll go down into the sculpture garden to find a giant bronze rabbit and answer a question about what it's holding. You'll learn who made it and why rabbits have stood for rebirth since the beginning of recorded history.
  9. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
    10m
    You'll enter the Natural History Museum and solve a challenge among the dinosaurs. You'll learn about Mary Anning, the fossil hunter many call the mother of palaeontology, and what really killed the dinosaurs.
  10. National Museum of American History
    10m
    You'll stand in front of the flag mosaic in the main hall and answer a question about the Star-Spangled Banner. You'll learn how a lawyer watching the bombardment of Fort McHenry wrote the national anthem to the tune of an English drinking song.
  11. Washington Monument
    12m
    You'll finish at the base of the Washington Monument with the last question of the case, about the staircase nobody is allowed to climb anymore. You'll learn why the stones hold together without any mortar and what is engraved on the aluminium tip.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

The game starts at the Library of Congress. After booking, we'll message you a code and activation link. Activate with your own email, then log in to the Questo app with that email. No message? Open the Questo app, tap "Bought a quest somewhere else?" and enter your booking reference number.

End point

The game ends at the base of the Washington Monument.

Additional information

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • A charged smartphone with internet is required to play the game in the Questo app
  • Comfortable walking shoes are recommended

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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$12.99 $10.39 per person
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  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts
  • Instant confirmation
  • You'll choose your date and travelers and pay on viator.com. Prices vary by date, group size and option.
Operated by Questo · Booked through Viator
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