What better place than our nation’s capital for a tour in Law and Order? Washington D.C. houses the headquarters for our national Department of Defense. It is the setting for countless films and television productions that highlight crime fighting, criminal investigation, code-breaking and other espionage techniques. The attractions on this tour highlight all of these professions and their tools. Some of the attractions tell the stories of infamous criminals and their crimes. Some memorialize the heroes of law enforcement. This sample itinerary is an exciting one for educational tours.
Day One
Visit the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. From pirates to bank robbers, mob leaders, and murder – criminals have made headlines throughout history. This museum elaborates on some of the most infamous. It also celebrates those who fight and investigate crime. It lets you practice the tools of criminal investigation and tour the studio for America’s Most Wanted.
The National Law Enforcement Museum also pays tribute to crime-fighters. It enlightens visitors on law enforcement from the 1600s to today. The National Law Enforcement Memorial honors those who’ve fallen in this line of duty, from the first reported death of a law enforcement official dying while performing his duties in 1792.
Day Two
Peek behind the curtain at some of the most secretive professions in law enforcement with these attractions.
International Spy Museum with all things espionage!
National Cryptologic Museum with an inside-look at code-breaking.
National Vigilance Park, to realize and honor the people who’ve literally given their lives to go beyond enemy lines, seeking information to protect us all.
Day Three
The Pentagon is home to the Department of Defense. It has the highest security structure of any building design in our nation. The public tour alone includes one mile of hallway. And today, you’re going inside. (This tour includes the beautiful 9/11 Memorial, honoring those who died in the Pentagon and on the plane that crashed there in the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01.)
Drive by the famous J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building, which you’ll probably recognize from popular culture and the news. View the Watergate Complex as well.
Supreme Court – As long as you’re focused on law, you must include the pinnacle of our judicial system. View proceedings on given days and Supreme Court lectures on alternate ones.
Day Four
The Drug Enforcement Administration offers a unique look at the state-of-the-art tools behind one of our most vital enforcement channels.
Ford’s Theater was the scene for one of the most famous crimes in our nation’s history, the assassination of beloved President Abraham Lincoln.
Tour Petersen House across the street to see where Lincoln breathed his last while his wife waited anxiously all night.
The Surratt House Museum is housed where one of the Lincoln conspirators lived. It highlights many aspects of American life surrounding the Civil War, focusing especially on the Lincoln assassination.
Law and Order is a thrilling theme for school travel. Group tours of any kind will thrill to the combination of familiarity and behind-the-scenes information in every attraction on this itinerary.
