Must-see attractions in Washington, DC

  • National Air and Space Museum

    National Air and Space Museum

    Washington, DC

    The legendary exhibits at the National Air and Space Museum include the Wright brothers' flyer, Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St…

  • National Gallery of Art on the National Mall during spring in Washington D.C.

    National Gallery of Art

    Washington, DC

    Two buildings. Hundreds of masterpieces. Infinite enjoyment. It's easy to spend a full day at the National Gallery of Art, which showcases a whole range…

  • 500px Photo ID: 100166741 - Pre-dawn at the Lincoln Memorial. "In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever."

    Lincoln Memorial

    Washington, DC

    Anchoring the National Mall's west end is the hallowed shrine to Abraham Lincoln, who gazes across the Reflecting Pool beneath his neoclassical, Doric…

  • The Capitol, Washington, DC

    US Capitol

    Washington, DC

    Since 1800, this is where the legislative branch of American government (ie Congress) has met to write the country's laws.

  • Vietnam Veterans Memorial

    Vietnam Veterans Memorial

    Washington, DC

    In a city of classic, white-marble monuments, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands out on the National Mall for its stark modernism. Designed by 21-year…

  • Main Reading Room, Library of Congress

    Library of Congress

    Washington, DC

    The world's largest library – with 164 million books, manuscripts, maps, photos, films and other items – awes in both scope and design. The centerpiece is…

  • National Archives facade.

    National Archives

    Washington, DC

    It's hard not to feel a little in awe of the big three documents in the Archives: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights…

  • Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi Public Statue Front of Indian Embassy Embassy Row Massachusetts Ave Washington DC.  Gandhi is walking to sea on salt march.  Dedicated September 2000,  Artist Gautam Pal; Shutterstock ID 302137574; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmore; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

    Embassy Row

    Washington, DC

    Want to take a trip around the world? Stroll northwest along Massachusetts Ave from Dupont Circle (the actual traffic circle) and you pass more than 40…

  • Cherry blossom season at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

    Jefferson Memorial

    Washington, DC

    Set on the south bank of the Tidal Basin amid the cherry trees, this memorial honors the third US president, political philosopher, drafter of the…

  • Phillips Collection

    Washington, DC

    The country's first modern-art museum (opened in 1921) houses a small but exquisite collection of European and American works. Renoir’s Luncheon of the…

  • Facade of Supreme Court.

    Supreme Court

    Washington, DC

    The highest court in the USA occupies a pseudo-Greek temple protected by 13,000lb bronze doors. Arrive early to watch arguments (periodic Monday through…

  • WASHINGTON - APRIL 12, 2015: Stage and seating of Ford's Theatre. The theater is infamous as the site of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination by John Wilkes Booth in 1865.
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    Ford’s Theatre

    Washington, DC

    On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln here. Free timed-entry tickets provide access to the site, which has four parts: the…

  • National Museum of Natural History, facade

    National Museum of Natural History

    Washington, DC

    Arguably the most popular of the Smithsonian museums, so crowds are pretty much guaranteed. Wave to Henry, the elephant who guards the rotunda, then zip…

  • Natural Musuem of American History

    National Museum of American History

    Washington, DC

    Containing all kinds of artifacts of the American experience, this museum has as its centerpiece the flag that flew over Baltimore's Fort McHenry during…

  • DC Sunrise from the Lincoln Memorial

    Washington Monument

    Washington, DC

    Peaking at 555ft (and 5in) and composed of 36,000 blocks of stone, the Washington Monument is the district's tallest structure. Political shenanigans…

  • National Museum of Asian Art

    Washington, DC

    This is a lovely spot in which to while away a Washington afternoon. Japanese silk scrolls, smiling Buddhas, rare Islamic manuscripts and Chinese jades…

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    Union Station

    Washington, DC

    DC's main rail hub, a 1907 beaux-arts beauty designed by Daniel Burnham, is an eye popper. The Grand Concourse is patterned after the Roman Baths of…

  • The Jefferson Memorial reflected in Tidal Basin with cherry blossoms.

    Tidal Basin

    Washington, DC

    The 2-mile stroll around this constructed inlet incorporates the Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson memorials as well as the Floral Library…

  • National Postal Museum Building, Washington DC, United States; Shutterstock ID 134185841; Your name (First / Last): redownload; GL account no.: redownload; Netsuite department name: redownload; Full Product or Project name including edition: redownload

    National Postal Museum

    Washington, DC

    The Smithsonian-run Postal Museum is way cooler than you might think. Level 1 has exhibits on postal history from the Pony Express to modern times, where…

  • National Museum of Women in the Arts

    Washington, DC

    The only US museum exclusively devoted to women’s artwork fills this Renaissance Revival mansion. Its collection – some 5500 works by 1000 female artists…

  • Exterior, U.S. Botanic Garden

    United States Botanic Garden

    Washington, DC

    Built to resemble London’s Crystal Palace, this garden's iron-and-glass greenhouse provides a beautiful setting to view orchids, ferns and cacti. When you…

  • Folger Shakespeare Library

    Washington, DC

    Bard-o-philes will be all aflutter here, as the library holds the world's largest collection of old Billy’s works. Stroll through the Great Hall to see a…

  • WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 16, 2014:  The statue of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his dog on the National Mall in autumn is a major tourist attraction.

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

    Washington, DC

    The 7.5-acre memorial pays tribute to the longest-serving president in US history. Visitors are taken through four red-granite areas that narrate FDR’s…

  • Martin Luther King Memorial at night

    Martin Luther King Jr Memorial

    Washington, DC

    Opened in 2011, this was the first Mall memorial to honor an African American. Sculptor Lei Yixin carved the piece, which is reminiscent in concept and…

  • Glen Echo, Maryland, United States-July 22, 2021 1921 era Carousel in Glen Echo Park, Maryland; Shutterstock ID 2013394772; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Glen Echo Park

    Washington, DC

    This beautiful park 9 miles northwest of downtown has a huge carousel (per ride $1.25, operating May through September) and children’s shows by the Puppet…

  • National Building Museum

    Washington, DC

    Devoted to architecture and urban design, the museum is housed in a magnificent 1887 edifice modeled after the Renaissance-era Palazzo Farnese in Rome…

  • Scottish Rite Temple

    Washington, DC

    The regional headquarters of the Scottish Rite Freemasons, also known as the House of the Temple, is one of the most eye-catching buildings in the…

  • Frederick Douglass National Historic Site

    Washington, DC

    Escaped slave, abolitionist, author and statesman Frederick Douglass occupied this beautifully sited hilltop house from 1878 until his death in 1895…

  • Bureau of Engraving & Printing

    Washington, DC

    Cha-ching! The nation's paper currency is designed and printed here. Guides lead 40-minute tours during which you peer down onto the work floor where…

  • National Museum of African Art

    Washington, DC

    Enter the museum’s ground-level pavilion through the Enid A Haupt Garden, then descend into the dim underground exhibit space. Devoted to ancient and…

  • Marine Barracks

    Washington, DC

    The ‘Eighth and Eye Marines’ are on largely ceremonial duty at the nation’s oldest Marine Corps post. Most famously, this is the home barracks of the…

  • Constitution Gardens

    Washington, DC

    Constitution Gardens is a bit of a locals’ secret. Quiet, shady and serene, it’s a reminder of the size of the Mall – how can such isolation exist amid so…

  • Cathedral of St Matthew the Apostle

    Washington, DC

    The sturdy redbrick exterior doesn’t hint at the marvelous mosaics and gilding within this 1893 Catholic cathedral, where JFK was laid in state and his…

  • National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

    Washington, DC

    This 6-acre garden is studded with whimsical sculptures such as Roy Lichtenstein’s House I (1998), a giant Claes Oldenburg typewriter eraser (1999) and…

  • East Potomac Park

    Washington, DC

    Although only a stone’s throw from the National Mall, for tourists, East Potomac Park may as well be in Siberia. The pleasant, green, cherry-blossom-lined…

  • Hirshhorn Museum

    Washington, DC

    The Smithsonian’s cylindrical art museum shows works from modernism’s early days to today's most cutting-edge practitioners. Exhibitions of works drawn…

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