Stroll along Washington's grandest boulevard, Massachusetts Avenue, for a richly narrated look at the party palaces where wealthy Americans entertained during the Gilded Age. You'll hear tales of lavish parties, cursed jewels and the area's rather abrupt transition to today's Embassy Row. Along the way, you'll see some of the city's finest Beaux-Arts mansions and hear stories about the larger-than-life personalities who built them. You'll learn about protocol in Washington's 180 embassies today and see the unpretentious residence where Eleanor Roosevelt's life changed forever. 

This two-hour walking tour will be led by Mary Anne Hoffman, a veteran Washington tour guide, on Saturday, June 14.  After the tour, the party will reconvene at the Everett's house for a dinner al fresco in the garden by candlelight.