Violent quarrels, vicious attacks, murder, suicide ─ why is it such turbulent events in Washington history seem concentrated around the seven acres of Lafayette Park? During the day, it bustles with White House staff, visitors and office workers. As evening descends, however, so does an almost tangible drape of stillness; it’s not hard to imagine the park’s inky expanse of yesteryear. Indeed, it is the most haunted site in the city. How the ghosts and spirits came into being is the subject of this eerie perambulation. See the home of navy hero Stephen Decatur, hear about man of letters Henry Adams and his troubled wife Clover, and relive the night of April 14, 1865 when the grim reaper stalked more than Abraham Lincoln. (Could the White House be enshrouded by “the Presidential Circle of Death”?) This walk begins at the house considered the most haunted home in the city: The Octagon.
Please note that this walk does not include interior visits to any of the buildings featured.
Meet your licensed D.C. tour guide in front of the Octagon House museum. From there the walk will proceed to Lafayette Park, location of the White House and other purportedly haunted sites. The two-hour walk travels approximately half a mile along level terrain. The route is wheelchair accessible. The walk concludes in front of the White House (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW). Taxis are available and two Metrorail stations (McPherson Square and Farragut West) are nearby.