Self Guided Ghost Tour Washington DC Mall

2 hours Free cancellation Private tour

Self Guided Ghost Tour Washington DC Mall, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

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.

Full-day Tours Private and Luxury Private Sightseeing Tours Historical Tours Walking Tours Ghost Tours Short term availability

At a glance

Duration: 2 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–30
Written guide: English
Operated by: Questo

Ages: Adults (14–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Full availability: Every day of the year.
Included: Flexibility: start, take a break and continue at your own pace.
Included: Access to the self-guided city exploration game in the Questo app

Not included

Not included: Live game master or physical guide
Not included: Private transportation
Not included: Meals

Itinerary

Library of Congress

14 min

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.
Supreme Court

10 min

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.
U.S. Capitol

10 min

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.
United States Botanic Garden

10 min

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.
National Museum of the American Indian

10 min

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.
National Air and Space Museum

14 min

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.
National Gallery of Art

10 min

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.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

10 min

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.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

10 min

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.
National Museum of American History

10 min

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.
Washington Monument

12 min

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 point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

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.

Using your ticket

Thank you for booking with Questo. Your code is your booking reference number: the digits after "BR-".

Here's how to play it:

1. Activate your quest. Go to the unlock page on the Questo website (questoapp.com/unlock), enter your email and your code.

2. Download the Questo app on your phone (App Store or Google Play) and create an account with the same email used for activation.

3. Once you're logged in to the Questo app, open the Quests section. Your quest will be there, ready to be played.

IMPORTANT

Booked more than one ticket? You can invite the other participants right after activating, or later from the Quests section in the app.
If you don't see your quest in the Quests section in the Questo app, tap "Bought a quest somewhere else?" and enter your code again. You can also upload a screenshot of your booking confirmation there.

GOOD TO KNOW

The quest is available every day, at any hour. Go to the starting point and begin whenever you're ready.
Download the story and the map before you head out. After that, it works without internet.
Start with at least 50% battery.

Still have questions? Send us a message or talk to our customer support at: questoapp.com/chat

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

Good to know

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