Museum Reviews
We had an excellent tour of the beautiful house. We learned a lot about the house, but also Mr. Douglass.
Such an amazing tour! My family and I (a group of 10) took a tour with Neil this week. Neil was extremely enthusiastic and kind. He provided us with a wide range of insightful details and electrified all of us with his banter and knowledge. The house itself is stunning and what you learn about it really does help to imagine Douglass’s life in full. We had a great time and learned so much. Thank you to the staff and team for making us feel so welcome (including the friendly stray cat outside the front doors). Would recommend this to anyone!
Book your tickets in advance. We lucked out and half of a party ahead of us did not show up but if that didn’t happen we would’ve missed out.Now that that is out of the way. This is a must visit location. Plan about two hours and get a glimpse into one of the most preserved collections of national artifacts in the home of a historic figure. The tour guide was AMAZING and helped us understand what the daily life of Frederick Douglas was within his home.
Awesome experience. Beautiful views. Very informative. Good ranger and staff
It only takes about a half hour to see the welcome center display. We did not go up to the house.
2024. We received an informal tour by an awesome, very knowledgeable park ranger. I visited Cedar Hill about 10 years ago and came back to remember Frederick Douglass, the Lion of Anacostia. For me, Douglass is a true humanitarian, and my favorite civil rights icon. His life was in peril each time he traveled, and spoke the truth about slavery, equal rights and freedom.
Very interesting tour and you get to see quite a lot. Loads of the features are original, too. If you have mobility issues you may struggle to get to the second floor, but there’s a ramp up to the house and you can see the first floor.
Great experience to see the house of Fredrick Douglas. The tour was very informative and the tour guide was knowledgeable. The house is much bigger than one would expect. It is recommended to get tickets in advance. I just happened to walk up 25 minutes before the next tour and luckily there was some slots available.
A little off the beaten path of DC, you'll find this gem. Its an interesting history of a fascinating man and his family. I recommend the tour as the visitors center is just a movie and a few displays. You have to have tickets to go into his home with a NPS guide. Most of the items in the home were his. The site is only open 3 days a week so check in advance. They do have parking and a nearby bus stop. We walked from the Metro. It was about a 15 minute walk. The tickets are free, but if you purchase ahead there is a minimal processing fee. The Growlery (his outdoor study) was not open when we went.
So, two rating. The visitor center was a little dated and needs some TLC. The movie didn't work, one person is not enough when all the school kids come in. It is overwhelming for the building and ranger.The house on Cedar Hill is a 6 out of 5 stars. It is amazing in location, history, and beauty. Our volunteer guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the building and the person.Make sure you reserve you tour tickets well in advance. They are very limited.
I enjoyed my visit to the Frederick Douglass National Historical Site. The film at the Visitor Center was very informative and interesting. The tour guide for the house tour provided a very interesting tour of the house and provided a lot of interesting information about Frederick Douglass.
My students and I loved this place! Our tour guide James provided some excellent historical facts that I was unaware of. I also appreciate how the National Parks and Recs have kept this place up and keep the visitor center next door with tons of historical facts, souvenirs, and books for purchase. We also appreciated the 20 minute movie that is played prior to the tour. This is a very educational tour and I am happy it exists!
Im so big on history, so of course, when I visited one of the most historic places, I wanted to see a historic landmark. While i didn't get to go inside (our group fault, be sure to call ahead and make reservations), i was still very impressed with the sites. The home sits at the top of a hill and overlooks the city. The surrounding area is nice, not yet gentrified, so that's refreshing 😊
