Nations Classroom Blog

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is celebrating its 60th anniversary of its dedication in Washington, D.C.  Have you ever visited the Basilica? Read more about the largest Catholic church in North America in today’s blog post.

This week marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Can you guess which Washington, D.C. museum has the largest display of unaltered portions of the original wall outside of Germany?  Find out in our latest blog post.

The National Park Service (NPS) is swept up in baseball fever as the Washington Nationals face the Houston Astros in the 2019 World Series.  In a tweet, the NPS showed their support for the Washington Nationals by temporarily and unofficially "renaming" the National Mall the "Nationals Mall."   They also tweeted out a picture of the mall with the Nationals logo on it (which is not real, much to the chagrin of Nationals fans).  Read on to check out the tweet in today's blog post.

Tour groups visiting the National Air and Space Museum in D.C. this fall should be aware of a few updates due to renovations to the museum.  Be sure to check out what galleries are temporarily closing and which of your favorites will still be open during renovations this fall.

Most teachers love being in the classroom and watching our hours of lesson planning come to life. But the most meaningful teaching moments for me have been outside of the classroom walls on school trips.

While we know how meaningful these experiences are for the kids, teachers often have to prove the value of a class trip. 

Here is an exclusive look at the six newest portraits being added to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. this November!  

Exciting news for anyone traveling to Washington, D.C. this fall!  After three years of extensive renovations, the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. has reopened to the public for the first time since 2016.  

In the most recent issue of Teach and Travel Magazine, Student & Youth Travel Association member tour operators selected five U.S. cities as the "Top Emerging Destinations" for student travel in 2019 - and one of our favorite NationsClassroom tour destinations made the list.  

The Washington Monument was ready to launch Tuesday night - or at least it appeared to be!  In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the east face of the famous D.C. monument will be illuminated every night this week with the 363-foot image of the Saturn V rocket, complete with a 40-foot-wide re-creation of the famous Kennedy Space Center countdown clock at the monument's base.

A class trip to Washington, D.C. is a great starting point for an educational experience of a lifetime. Going beyond the city to add another stop to your itinerary can offer new opportunities without adding much travel time.

Deepen your curricular connections, add science and technology experiences, or simply have a day of fun in these great cities.