Scottish Rite of Freemasonry

A stunning building and a fabulous organization.
This building is invariably shown on programs, such as those on the History Channel, whenever Freemasonry is discussed.
Curious? Visit.

The Scottish Rite building is a must visit! It has a stunning interior and was the first major design by architect John Russell Pope who also is behind the works of the National Archives and The National Gallery of Art.
Opened in 1915, the building itself remains largely unchanged from when it was first established. The grand structure is used more now as a museum than a lodge for the free masons anymore.
They offer 1 hour tours for free to the general public on select days during the week. Call ahead if you plan on taking a large group so they can make proper accommodations.
It is handicap and stroller accessible to the best of their ability, but be aware of the time it was constructed — some things could not be fully adjusted to accommodate to all rooms with a large number of steps despite having an elevator that hasn’t been renovated since probably the 1960s.
The tour guides are very knowledgeable about the Scottish Rite building and the backstory even with some of them being free masons themselves.
Parking is available in the back of the establishment.
Review my photos for point of reference!

This is a fascinating place. Even though we took the tour with a capable tour guide, it felt like we were just scratching the surface.
4 stars — some beautiful rooms and a large library full of curious titles. Wish I had the time to explore the library further.

This off-​the-​beaten-​path building is worth a trip for the architecture and free tour if you are interested in the history of freemasonry. The exterior and the interior of the building are wonderful architectural examples of many styles and there are some really interesting pieces of art inside.
The tours are very basic and just really go over the history of the building and a little into masons. You won’t learn any secrets while walking around on this tour. It may be a little more interesting if you have a familiarity with mason rituals already.
If you are an architecture fan this is worth a stop.

4.5 stars!
For the architecture alone! The man who designed the Archives and other famous sites around the city got his start here, this was his first building! The interior is just as gorgeous and everyone was nice and the tour guide offered neat tidbits as she let us wander around and snap photos. Though I found the first half of the tour more interesting as the second half was a little less interesting, dry and drawn out. Still, one of the truly under rated gems in the city that more people should see!

This is a fantastic place. People are extremely courteous and hospitable. Some amazing architecture.
The building and the museum are fantastic to tour. Thier library is open to researchers and some of their books date back a few centuries.
This is a must see location for Masons and not Masons alike.

I roomed basically across the street from this massive building and on my last day in DC was curious enough to visit it.
I went in and took the tour. The tour guide was nice and did a great job of giving information and taking questions. Theres a lot of fancy paintings and gifts given to the freemasons. Also if I recall correctly 2 influential freemasons were/​are buried there.
Overall it was stunning to see everything and see the memorabilia from US history there. Also the room upstairs is a sight to behold. It is easily well worth the student price to go and visit. If you havent been there go check it out.

We had a great tour guide and this is a way cool building both inside and out. If you are a Mason or related to one, it is particularly fascinating. Ask to see the «secret rooms». Also, the neighborhood is supuh fly.

Bet that like me, you’ve walked by this huge columned, stone building on 17^th street (or maybe, like me, stumbled by it) and wondered what the heck it was.
This building has been the headquarters of a degree of the Masons called «The Scottish Rite’ since 1915. As as I found out in taking a tour of the interior of the place. And the name isn’t due to the fact that these folks were orginally Scottish. Quite the contrary, actually. The founders of this group were French.
Inside, there is a library and museum. The museum includes an interesting collection honoring a celebrity, Burl Ives, the famous actor and narrator of «Rudolph the Rednosed Raindeer» was a member of the Scottish Rite. There’s also some really colorful oil paintings inside.