Inspire

The Lincoln Memorial is one of DC's most iconic monuments, but few know the significance of its design.

Inside the memorial, Lincoln sits between the Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address – two speeches that reflect both the cost of preserving the Union and the hope of healing a divided nation.

On Inspire's DC Monuments Tour, guests discover how Lincoln's life, faith, and leadership came together during one of the most defining chapters in American history.

Thomas Jefferson was one of the most influential figures in American history. He wrote the Declaration of Independence, championed religious liberty, founded the University of Virginia, and served as our nation's third president. He also lived with contradictions that continue to spark important conversations today.

On our Washington, DC Monuments Tour, we don't ignore those tensions. We explore them. Understanding history means celebrating what deserves to be celebrated while honestly engaging with the parts that are harder to reconcile.

That's one of the things our guests appreciate most. The Jefferson Memorial isn't just a stop on our route. It's an opportunity to understand the ideas that shaped our nation, wrestle with history honestly, and have conversations that most visitors to our nation's capital never get to have.

"You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive." (Genesis 6:19-20)

Add an Inspire guided tour at the Ark Encounter to enrich your understanding of Scripture like this.

"The Lord then said to Noah, 'Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.'" (Genesis 7:1)

When our Inspire guides lead you into the Ark Encounter, you begin to imagine what it may have been like for Noah and his family.

Two hundred and fifty years ago today, 56 men signed their names to a document that reshaped history.

On the night of July 4, 1776, immediately after the Continental Congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence, Philadelphia printer John Dunlap was directed to print copies for distribution across the newly sovereign states. He printed an estimated 200. Only 26 are known to survive. The one in this image is among them.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the words. Fifty-six men pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to them.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

They didn't appeal to a king, a parliament, or popular opinion. They appealed to a Creator. The rights being declared weren't granted by government — they were given by God.
Two hundred and fifty years later, those words are still worth reading slowly.

From Boston to Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., Inspire guides will be leading guests through an experience that highlights the faith, conviction, and extreme risks taken by the architects of American independence.

From Inspire Experiences, we wish you and your loved ones a Happy 4th of July, and a Happy 250th Birthday to America!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem gave us one of the most enduring images in American history — Paul Revere, riding alone through the night, lantern in hand, crying "The British are coming!" It's a great story, but the real history is seldom known.

Revere didn't hang the two lanterns himself to warn when the British were coming by sea. He called on Robert Newman, the sexton of Christ Church in Boston — what would come to be known as "Old North" — who slipped past British officers quartered at his mother's house nearby, climbed the steeple, and hung two lanterns just long enough for the signal to be seen across the water in Charlestown.

Revere's connection to that church went back decades. At 15 years old, he had signed a contract to ring its bells — the first peal of bells ever brought to English America.

When Rev. Samuel Myles laid the cornerstone of Christ Church in 1723, he declared, "May the gates of Hell never prevail against it." Little did he know the impact Old North would make.

As we reflect on America's 250 years as a nation, the intersection of faith, history, and location seem to become more and more apparent. We're launching a multi-day tour from Boston to Washington D.C., where Old North and other landmarks are woven into the experience.

When General George Washington led the Continental Army into Valley Forge on December 19th, 1777, he had roughly 12,000 soldiers — many without shoes, adequate clothing, or enough food. Nearly 2,000 would not survive the winter. There was another problem — the men didn’t have adequate training to fight the British.

Major General Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian military officer, arrived in February 1778 and began drilling a ragged, demoralized army into something that could actually fight. By spring, the men who emerged from Valley Forge were disciplined, unified, and ready. The British evacuated Philadelphia on June 18, 1778, and the Continental Army marched back in shortly after — the same men who had barely survived the winter just six months earlier.

As America approaches its 250th birthday, Valley Forge reminds us of the sacrifice of those who fought for freedom, and how the Lord’s providence sustained them.

We’re building a Boston to Washington D.C. tour that explores this history on location. Follow for more details coming soon.