Clara Barton's Missing Soldiers Office Museum

Clara Barton's Missing Soldiers Office Museum

Clara Barton's Missing Soldiers Office Museum
4.5
Military MuseumsHistoric SitesHistory Museums
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
Closed
About
Explore the unassuming boarding house rooms where Clara Barton lived and worked during the Civil War. These rooms were Barton's home base first as she braved the battlefield, then as she searched for 63,000 + missing soldiers.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Gallery Place • 3 min walk
  • Archives • 3 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles38 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
13
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0

Dave C
Alexandria, VA1,623 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
This is not a very large space, but it's special, and has been lovingly and well-restored with interesting displays that are a good mix of interpretive and relic-based. Fun little gift shop with some excellent reading material. Staff is knowledgeable and helpful. If you're in the area, this is a quick and excellent museum. Depending on your status, admission is at or around $10.
Written February 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kittygal 🇺🇦 🌻
Los Angeles, CA8,982 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Solo
I stopped in on the morning of my return flight; I'd been told the museum was worth visiting during my Red Cross Museum tour the day before.

I was very glad I took the time. As I told the docent, I'd read a book on Clara in 3rd grade and always admired her. It was interesting using the same staircase that she would have, all those years ago. I loved seeing the original wallpaper now reproduced to furnish these rooms.

Ms. Barton' various humanitarian works are displayed and one learns she did so many amazing things during her life.

The story of how this museum came to be is quite fantastic. But what really amazed me was the letter that started it all was simply addressed with the recipient's name and Washington, D.C. That's it. No General Delivery, no street, no number. D.C. was obviously a smaller place then and everyone knew someone. Come to think of it, it really hasn't changed...

P.S. to the staff: yes, I made my plane with no issue. I'm actually sitting at Dulles as I'm writing.
Written January 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review! We're thrilled you enjoyed your visit learning about Clara Barton's incredible life. Glad to hear you made your flight, and don't hesitate to drop in next time you're in town.
Written January 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

interceptpubs
Columbus, IN964 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019 • Solo
The story of this rather unassuming building and the secret in its upstairs loft is spellbinding. We first heard about it many years on C-Span. In the fall of 1996, the GSA was surveying an old rundown building on 7th Street in preparation for demolition. All most people could say about the building was that had been a shoe store for 70 years, but the business had finally run its course and the building was sold in 1992 after the store closed.

However, the building was much older, dating back to 1853. It was a three story affair, but since around 1900, only the bottom two floors were used. The third floor was simply blocked off, mainly to save the cost in having to bring it up to then current fire codes. Now, a couple of GSA workers were poking around up there as the final step before the building could be torn down. One happened to look up and spot an envelope hanging from the slats in the ceiling. This led to an exploration of the attic where over 2,000 documents and artifacts were found relating to Clara Barton and the "Missing Soldier Office."

Today, Clara Barton is best known as the founder of the American Red Cross, but her role in starting this humanitarian organization built upon and indeed was possible due to her earlier work during the Civil War. During the war, she did everything from collecting and distributing food, clothing, and bandages to soldiers in the field to personally caring for the wounded in combat to running Union field hospitals. After the war ended, she started and ran the Missing Soldier Office to provide a clearinghouse of information on the disposition of missing soldiers from the war. In era before computers or even typewriters, record keeping of the missing and killed in the massive battles being fought had been abysmal. She and her very small staff answered some 40,000 inquiries from family members concerning missing soldiers and found what had happened to over 20,000 missing soldiers who'd previously just been buried as unknowns.

The GSA found in addition to the material in the attic that the space occupied on the third floor by Barton's operation and even the small room that she kept for herself as living space was pretty much as it had been left when she closed the operation in 1868. Plans to tear down the building were abandoned, and the idea for this museum turned into reality.

We visited the museum recently on a Thursday morning (it is only open Thursdays through Saturdays - other days possibly by pre-arranged appointment). After paying the $9.50 admission (for adults), we watched a short video and looked at the displays on the ground floor. We then had a personal (only because no other visitors were here at the time) one-hour tour with a docent of the rooms that had Barton had used some 150 years ago.

The basic rooms (wallpaper, etc.) have been restored to what they looked like in Barton's day based on what was found back in the 1990s. There are some artifacts on display - including the innovative pre-printed form that Barton used to respond to inquiries, some personal items found in the attic, etc. - but the limited furniture, although representative of the period, is not original. Frankly, the talk and Q&A with the docent was the best part of the tour. It would be nice if some more relevant material from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine's main unit were brought in to flesh out this museum a little more, but it is still a great to see and well worth the time.
Written June 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for writing such a detailed review! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed your time in the incredible space. It truly does feel like Clara Barton just left.There aren't many spaces like the Missing Soldiers Office.
Written June 20, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Genna T
Dover, DE12 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Couples
We stumbled upon this museum on accident on our way to Starbucks. As a nurse and a history buff this was perfect for me, its a small museum with lots of charm and a friendly amazing staff. The building itself was recently discovered and almost lost to development. The first floor houses a little gift shop and has a historical timeline of civil war DC, and has a video you can watch. The second floor has a private business that rents the floor, then you take the steep stairs up to the third floor to where Clara Barton lived and ran the missing soldiers office (which is how the building would have been used back in the 1860's). They have artifacts of Clara's on display there. The building has been restored and almost feels like you're walking back into the 1860's. We had a private tour (due to the lack of visitors to the museum), and our guide was adorable. She was very knowledgeable, well spoken, and gave us a chance to explore the other rooms of the house. It was a quick tour, about 30 minutes. I recommend a visit to this house for any nurse, civil war lover, or history buff!!
Written August 2, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Genna T, Thank you for visiting the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum! We are glad that you had an enjoyable experience, as well as positive interactions with our staff members. Our guides are very enthusiastic about the information they share with visitors, and we are glad that their passion for history came across during your visit. Be sure to check us out online and on Facebook to learn about future programs and events at the Museum. We hope to see you again in the future!
Written August 4, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

brittany z z
Amherst, MA125 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2018 • Solo
It has limited hours, and for those who work, you only have Saturday to visit. I prefer Sunday since parking is free in the city. But, then I was really annoyed by the fact they only have one person working here and they shut down for every tour. So you pay the fee for parking and the place is closed with a sign that they are doing a tour. I had to refill the meter three times and kill hours as I kept missing the window that a tour started. Very annoying and not customer friendly.
Written September 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review and let us know how we can improve.We're very sorry you had such a frustrating experience visiting the Missing Soldiers Office. We're already working on some specific ways we can improve the visitor experience. Hopefully if you return your visit will be more pleasant.
Written September 6, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

George W
HAgerstown, United States2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Business
To think that this place survived as a virtual time capsule is amazing. The work Barton did here was so vitally important to the way relief work is done today. To actually stand in this office and feel her presence is worth a special trip!!
Written August 11, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

beckybalt
Baltimore, MD28 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
This museum is worth a tour for two reasons. First, it tells the story of Clara Barton’s role in tracking down missing Civil War soldiers on behalf of their families. In addition, the way this building and the artifacts stored in the attic were discovered is fascinating. The rooms used be Clara Barton and her staff have been largely unchanged since the early 1900s. It’s not often that a “secret” such as this is uncovered.
Written October 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. You're correct in that Clara Barton's work in searching for missing soldiers is a much less well known aspect of her legacy.and the discovery of her wartime home was truly amazing. Anyone who visits will be treated to these and other incredible true stories from our nation's past.
Written October 21, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

a1015
Baltimore, MD45 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Couples
This was located across the street from our Stay Alfred hotel, so we decided on an unplanned visit. It is free to browse the first floor, which includes a short video about Clara Barton and the discovery of her artifacts in the building.

We paid 9.50 per adult for the tour, which Includes a tour of the upstairs area where Clara Barton lived, as well as a detailed explanation about Clara Barton and her life. Our tour guide was well informed and enjoyable. I would definitely recommend it if you have any interest in Clara Barton or the American Red Cross.
Written March 21, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're so glad you enjoyed your visit to the Missing Soldiers Office. Our goal for the first floor is to give visitors a sense of what they might see and learn upstairs in the area where Clara Barton lived, and it will be enhanced by the completion of a large mural being painted there. We're equally glad that you found the guided tour worth it since that's what our staff pride themselves on.
Written March 26, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

sallie P
Sterling, VA34 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2015 • Friends
We found this little gem of a museum in downtown D. C. Here Clara Barton worked to get benefits for relatives of solders who were killed in the
civil War.
Written December 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your review, we're so glad you enjoyed your visit.
Written December 11, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Frequent Traveler
Texas39 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019 • Business
This museum is fantastic. You not only gain a much greater appreciation of the multitalented Clara Barton and her humanitarian influence worldwide, but also get a glimpse into what living in a boardinghouse in the the Civil War era was like. The story about how this museum came about is worth the price of admission.
Written July 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for a taking the time to write a review. We're so glad to hear you enjoyed the amazing story of discovery and the incredible true tales from Clara Barton's time living there. Barton serves as an inspiration to everyone and the Missing Soldiers Office Museum provides a great space to tell her story.
Written July 26, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Clara Barton's Missing Soldiers Office Museum, Washington DC

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