Audiovisual Tour Guides
WASHINGTON D.C. AUDIOVISUAL WALKING TOURS
WRITTEN BY BESTSELLING & AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS and HISTORIANS
A SELF-GUIDED TOUR APP
DON'T JUST SEE THE SITES --- STEP INSIDE THEIR STORIES
Next Generation Washington D.C. Audio / Visual Tours
The BARDEUM Mobile App combines the magic of history, travel and storytelling by allowing visitors to not just see the sites, but step inside their stories.
“A masterfully-told account of astonishing heroism. Captivates from the start. Hearing of the grit, determination, and bravery of these soldiers while walking along the names etched into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial offers a far greater understanding of their sacrifice. Prepare to be immersed!"
Adam Makos, New York Times bestselling author of Spearhead.
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL
"A spellbinding and moving story—one of the most harrowing accounts of war I have ever encountered.”
Douglas Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God.
KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL
“With beautiful writing and a deep understanding of her subject matter, Laura Kamoie brings life to the young, conflicted, idealist, Thomas Jefferson, in the momentous summer of 1776, when he is asked to write the document that would change his life and forge a new nation.”
Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of Lily of the Nile & The Women of Chateau Lafayette
JEFFERSON MEMORIAL
Testimonials
Washington D.C. Audiovisual Tours
Stretching over two miles through the heart of Washington, D.C., the National Mall is often called “America’s front yard”—a grand, tree-lined promenade where the ideals of a nation are cast in bronze, marble, and granite. For more than two centuries, this historic green space has served as both a national stage and a place of reflection, where Americans gather to commemorate triumphs, mourn losses, and advance the promise of a more perfect union.
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Lined with some of the most iconic monuments and museums in the country, the Mall tells the evolving story of an experimental democracy—its founding ideals, its turbulent struggles, and its enduring aspirations. From the silent dignity of the Lincoln Memorial to the searing wall of names at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, these spaces are not just architectural landmarks; they are symbols of memory, sacrifice, and resilience.
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It is here, among these sacred sites, that BARDEUM began its mission: to breathe life into history by allowing visitors to step inside the stories of America. Through immersive, author-created audio experiences, we offer far deeper meaning than plaques or tour signs ever could—connecting listeners to the people, decisions, and events that shaped these monuments and the nation they honor.
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Join us at the National Mall, and discover the powerful human stories behind the stone.
Enhance Your Travels with Storytelling!
Explore our Educational & Entertaining Audio Tours
See the Sites Through the Story of a True Event.
Our name is a mash-up of the travelling BARD & the musEUM and our goal is to enhance your travels with educational, entertaining & unforgettable experiences via our unique audio and visual tour app.
Written by Award-Winning & Bestselling Authors, Journalists, and Historians.
These self-guided audio / visual tours are written by the world's best storytellers - including two-time Pulitzer-Prize finalist H.W. Brands, Pulitzer-Prize winner, Edward J. Larson, and multiple New York Times Bestselling Author Eric Blehm.
Step Inside the Story of True Events
Step inside the story of true events to gain a greater understanding of the meaning and import of America's historical Monuments and Memorials. Our D.C. sites include:
JEFFERSON MEMORIAL
KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL
FDR MEMORIAL
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL
WASHINGTON MONUMENT
WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL
With many more to come!
Washington, D.C. Tours
“Laura Kamoie draws upon her deep knowledge and appreciation of Thomas Jefferson's unique contributions and deep contradictions in this lively and informative depiction of his role in shaping the foundation of the United States of America. More than that though, she shows us in a moving coda how Jefferson's work on the Declaration of Independence has inspired generations of people seeking the blessings of liberty ever since.”
Lars Hedbor, author of the Tales from a Revolution series
“With beautiful writing and a deep understanding of her subject matter, Laura Kamoie brings life to the young, conflicted, idealist, Thomas Jefferson, in the momentous summer of 1776, when he is asked to write the document that would change his life and forge a new nation.”
Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of Lily of the Nile & The Women of Chateau Lafayette
Testimonials
To Begin the World Again
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
The Jefferson Memorial sits gracefully on the southern edge of the Tidal Basin in East Potomac Park, directly aligned with the White House. Designed in the neoclassical style, its white Imperial Danby marble recalls the Pantheon in Rome—an intentional homage, as the memorial draws inspiration from two of Thomas Jefferson’s own architectural achievements: his home at Monticello and the Rotunda at the University of Virginia. Inside the domed interior, visitors will find powerful excerpts from Jefferson’s most influential writings, including the Declaration of Independence—the centerpiece of our BARDEUM experience To Begin the World Again.
Step inside the summer of 1776, where the air is thick with revolution and one man’s pen shapes the soul of a new nation. In this powerful BARDEUM experience, bestselling historical novelist Laura Kamoie brings to life the charged days leading to America’s independence through the eyes of Thomas Jefferson—philosopher, patriot, and principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
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As you walk the grounds of the Jefferson Memorial, witness the quiet tension of drafting a world-changing document, the moral contradictions of a man who dreamed of liberty while owning slaves, and the political battles that nearly unraveled the fight for unity. From candlelit writing sessions to whispered debates and history-making votes, To Begin the World Again is a vivid, immersive journey through the birth of American democracy and the enduring legacy of Jefferson’s flawed but revolutionary vision.
LAURA KAMOIE
AUTHOR
American Historian and New York Times bestselling author of America's First Daughter & My Dear Hamilton.
BRADFORD HASTINGS
NARRATOR
Multi-Award Winning Professional Voice Actor and Audiobook narrator.
“A captivating profile in courage . . . absolutely riveting.”
Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All the Light We Cannot See
Testimonials
Unforgotten
"A spellbinding and moving story—one of the most harrowing accounts of war I have ever encountered.”
Douglas Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God.
“Superb . . . There is no finer example of American fighting men at their best when the times were at their worst.”
General James N. Mattis (Ret.), U.S. Marines, former Secretary of Defense
Korean War Memorial
Dedicated in 1995, the Korean War Veterans Memorial in West Potomac Park has become one of the most visited sites on the National Mall, drawing over three million people each year. And yet, the conflict it commemorates remains one of America’s least understood. Often referred to as “the Forgotten War,” the Korean War lingers in the shadows of World War II and Vietnam in both popular memory and cultural storytelling. Apart from reruns of MASH*, its presence in our national imagination is faint—an echo rather than a roar.
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Why has this brutal, consequential war faded from view?
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Part of the answer lies in its ambiguous ending. Veterans sometimes say, “We died for a tie.” Unlike the clear victory of World War II or the bitter defeat of Vietnam, Korea ended in a stalemate. After three years of vicious combat, the front lines remained essentially unchanged—locked along the 38th Parallel, a boundary arbitrarily drawn by Allied powers after World War II to divide a former Japanese colony into a Communist North and a Democratic South.
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What began as a civil conflict quickly escalated into a global ideological war. And unlike most wars, it never officially ended. The fighting ceased with an armistice, not a peace treaty—leaving the Korean Peninsula suspended in unresolved tension. The two nations remain divided by a heavily fortified demilitarized zone, bristling with land mines and barbed wire. It’s one of the most dangerous borders in the world—a place where the fire of the 1950s still smolders, waiting for a spark.
They called it the Forgotten War—but the soldiers who fought in Korea never forgot. In Unforgotten, acclaimed historian and bestselling author Hampton Sides brings the Korean War vividly to life through the harrowing, heroic story of Private Jack Chapman and the brutal Battle of Chosin Reservoir.
As you explore the Korean War Memorial, step inside the forgotten frontlines of a Cold War turned hot—where young men faced unimaginable cold, impossible odds, and unending silence when they returned home. From geopolitical tensions still shaping our world to a teenager’s extraordinary courage in the face of death, this BARDEUM experience pays tribute to the Silent Generation who gave everything and asked for nothing.
Unforgotten is more than a war story. It’s a reckoning with memory, sacrifice, and the quiet valor of those who thought they should.
HAMPTON SIDES
AUTHOR & NARRATOR
New York Times bestselling Author of gripping non-fiction adventure stories.
Set along the southwestern edge of the Tidal Basin, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial unfolds across five open-air rooms—each representing one of FDR’s four unprecedented terms in office, plus a prologue.
Room One introduces visitors to Roosevelt’s first term, beginning in 1933, as he assumed leadership during a time of national despair.
Room Two focuses on the Great Depression and the sweeping New Deal programs that helped lift millions of Americans out of economic ruin.
Room Three centers on World War II, highlighting FDR’s pivotal role in guiding the Allies to victory against the Axis powers.
Room Four marks Roosevelt’s death in April 1945—just months into his fourth term and on the eve of the war’s end—inviting reflection on a presidency that shaped the modern world.
The Prologue Room features a bronze sculpture of FDR in a wheelchair—a powerful acknowledgment of his battle with polio and a symbol of resilience that was hidden from public view during his lifetime.
This final room sets the stage for our BARDEUM experience, Courage & Determination, which steps inside the story of how FDR led a nation through crisis while facing immense personal challenges of his own.
Before he led a nation through depression and war, Franklin Delano Roosevelt fought a private battle that nearly ended his political future before it truly began. In this immersive BARDEUM experience—set against the powerful backdrop of Washington D.C.'s FDR Memorial—Pulitzer Prize finalist H.W. Brands invites you to Step Inside the Story of one of the most extraordinary personal comebacks in American history.
From the charmed beginnings of a patrician upbringing to the harrowing summer that left him paralyzed by polio, Courage & Determination chronicles how FDR's greatest test became the crucible that forged his strength, empathy, and vision. Through heartbreak, perseverance, and Eleanor Roosevelt’s quiet heroism, follow the journey of a man who redefined what leadership looked like—and what it meant to serve a nation in its darkest hour.
More than a story of illness and recovery, this is a story of transformation. Because before Franklin Roosevelt could change the world, he had to survive his own.
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H.W BRANDS
AUTHOR
Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Finalist and New York Times bestselling author of over 30 books.
“A masterfully-told account of astonishing heroism. Captivates from the start. Hearing of the grit, determination, and bravery of these soldiers while walking along the names etched into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial offers a far greater understanding of their sacrifice. Prepare to be immersed!"
Adam Makos, New York Times bestselling author of Spearhead.
Testimonials
Behind Enemy Lines
"Absolutely engrossing! The best way to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial."
Anonymous User
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was designed in the shape of a wide, solemn “V,” with one arm reaching toward the Lincoln Memorial and the other toward the Washington Monument. Its polished black granite reflects the faces of those who come to remember, allowing visitors to see themselves mirrored alongside the engraved names of 58,318 men and women who died in combat or were declared missing in action.
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This powerful monument honors the service and sacrifice of the U.S. armed forces who fought in a war unlike any before it—one marked by shifting battle tactics, political turmoil, and a nation deeply divided. Yet amid the controversy, one truth remains: these soldiers stood firm in their duty, fighting to preserve the American way of life and to hold the line against the advancing tide of communism.
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Our BARDEUM experience brings you inside one harrowing mission—a single, extraordinary act of courage that offers a glimpse into the loyalty, bravery, and sacrifice that defined those who served.
Etched into black granite are the names of the fallen—but behind every name is a story. In Behind Enemy Lines, bestselling author Eric Blehm takes you deep into the heart of the Vietnam War through the astonishing true account of Medal of Honor recipient Roy Benavidez and the covert mission that nearly cost him his life.
As you walk beside the Wall, Step Inside the Story of May 2, 1968: a brutal ambush, a desperate fight for survival, and one soldier’s impossible decision to leap from a helicopter with only a medical bag and a knife—into a hellish jungle alive with gunfire. Blehm’s immersive narrative honors the valor, sacrifice, and brotherhood of those who fought and died, and reminds us that some heroes walk off the battlefield... only to keep fighting for others long after the war ends.
ERIC BLEHM
AUTHOR
New York Times bestselling author writing about those who serve.
BRADFORD HASTINGS
NARRATOR
Multi-Award Winning Professional Voice Actor and Audiobook narrator.
Following George Washington’s death, Americans immediately began debating how best to honor him. Prominent Federalists proposed building a soaring monument at the heart of the new national capital, then still rising along the Potomac River near Mount Vernon. But when Thomas Jefferson was elected president just a year later—along with the rise of his party in Congress—the plan stalled. It would take two generations for the vision to be revived.
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By the 1830s, with tensions over slavery deepening, Americans in both North and South sought unifying symbols of nationhood. Washington—though a Virginian—was universally revered, especially in the North. A monument to him, a 600-foot obelisk that would become the tallest structure in the world, offered a powerful way to bridge the growing divide.
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Construction began in 1848 but halted just six years later at 156 feet, a pause still visible today in the stone’s color change. The Civil War brought further delays, but by 1879, in the spirit of national reconciliation, work resumed. When completed in 1884, the 555-foot Washington Monument stood as a towering tribute to the man who placed democratic ideals above personal power.
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To step deeper into Washington’s extraordinary legacy—his willingness to relinquish power, not once but twice—listen to Retiring Becomes Him by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Edward J. Larson, a BARDEUM experience at the Washington Monument.
He led a revolution and founded a nation—but his greatest legacy was giving up power. In Retiring Becomes Him, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Edward J. Larson brings to life the extraordinary moments when George Washington did what no one expected: he walked away.
Step Inside the Story of the only man unanimously elected president, who twice held the fate of a fragile republic in his hands—and twice laid down authority for the sake of liberty. From his emotional resignation before Congress to his farewell from the presidency, this immersive BARDEUM experience, set beneath the soaring Washington Monument, explores how Washington’s greatest strength wasn’t his command—it was his restraint.
More than a history lesson, Retiring Becomes Him is a meditation on character, humility, and the courage to step aside.
EDWARD LARSON
AUTHOR
Pulitzer Prize winning and New York Times bestselling author.
World War II drew men and women from every corner of American life into roles they never anticipated—experiences that would change them forever, and for many, cost them their lives before they ever knew what their futures might have held.
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This pattern has echoed through each of our nation’s wars, beginning with its founding. During the Civil War, U.S. Senator John Thurston of Nebraska reflected on how ordinary citizens rose to meet extraordinary calls of duty:
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“He was not born or bred to soldier life. His country’s summons called him from the plow, the forge, the bench, the loom, the mine, the store, the office, the college, the sanctuary. He did not fight for greed of gold, to find adventure, or to win renown. He loved the peace of quiet ways, and yet broke the clasp of clinging arms, turned from the witching glances of tender eyes, left good-by kisses upon tiny lips to look death in the face on desperate fields.”
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So it was again, less than a century later, when World War II set the world aflame. Once more, Americans stepped forward—not for conquest or glory, but out of duty, conviction, and the belief that liberty was worth defending. These men and women, drawn from classrooms and cornfields, office buildings and city blocks, should be remembered—not just for the lives they gave, but for the ideals they upheld.
Step Inside the Story of Captain Benjamin Salomon, a Beverly Hills dentist turned soldier, whose final stand during the Battle of Saipan ranks among the most heroic acts in American military history. In Field of Fire, bestselling author Gregory A. Freeman brings to life the astonishing true story of how an Army dentist refused to abandon his wounded, manned a machine gun alone against a Japanese banzai charge, and died saving the lives of his fellow soldiers.
Set against the powerful backdrop of the World War II Memorial, this immersive BARDEUM experience honors not only Salomon’s sacrifice, but the millions of everyday Americans who left behind their homes, dreams, and professions to fight for freedom. Decades after his death, Salomon’s valor was finally recognized with the Medal of Honor. His story is one of forgotten heroism—until now.
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GREGORY A.
FREEMAN
AUTHOR
Award Winning Journalist and author of compelling narrative nonfiction.
DAN JOHN
MILLER
NARRATOR
An Audie award-winning voice-actor, Dan has been named a “Best Voice” by Audiofile magazine 5 years running. He has also had roles in Walk the Line and Leatherheads.
LET'S MAKE YOUR TRAVELS HISTORIC!
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