US
Capitol Building
The US Capitol Building sits on a slight hill at the eastern end of
the Mall. It is a beautiful white building of classical Greek design
with a large central dome, columnar porticos, grand staircase and two
wings. The south wing houses the US House of Representatives and the
north wing houses the US Senate. When either body is in session, a flag
flies over the respective wing. You can visit the building for free
9 AM to 8 PM March through August and until 4 PM the rest of the year.
The hallways and central atrium are filled with marble statues of great
US statesmen, artists and historical figures and the building is full
of unique architectural features. You can visit the House and Senate
chambers when they are empty and even view a live session of congress
from the spectator's gallery when they are occupied. The US Senate web
site has a nice virtual tour of this building.
The White House
The official residence of the President of the United States is located
at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, two blocks north of the Mall near the Washington
Monument. It is best viewed from the Ellipse, a large open field behind
the White House, or from Lafayette Park in front of the building. (Where
various protesters camp.) A limited number of tickets for free tours
are available from the White House Visitor Center at 1450 Pennsylvania
Avenue on Tuesdays through Saturdays all year round. You must appear
in-person to obtain up to four tickets that will indicate a specific
tour start-time. The Center opens at 7 AM and tickets go quickly, so
arrive early! The Tours start from a grandstand on the Ellipse.
The Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is the most prominent feature of the DC skyline.
It is the 555-foot (185-meter) high, white-marble obelisk at the top
of a slight rise in the center of the Mall. It is best viewed from the
steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the western end of the Mall where an
inverted image appears in the large reflecting pool. You can ride an
elevator to the 500-foot observation deck any day from 8 AM until 11:45
PM, April through September, and until 4:45 PM, the rest of the year.
Tickets are available at a kiosk near the base of the monument. The
elevator ride costs only 50 cents. Hint: Go to the kiosk early in the
morning to obtain tickets for use later in the day, or go to the monument
late in the evening when the wait is not so long. Cool tip: Walk down
the stairs from the top and see the interior of the monument as you
get lots of exercise.
The National Air and Space
Museum
The National Air and Space Museum is nearly everyone's favorite. It
displays many original historic aircraft and spacecraft as well as full
scale models of a Lunar Lander, a spacelab, numerous rockets and aircraft.
Don't miss the Imax Theater for a spectacular film on flight and the
planetarium star show.
The National Museum of Natural
History
The National Museum of Natural History contains many specimens of plants
and animals from around the world plus an impressive exhibit of dinosaurs
and anthropological artifacts. It has an outstanding mineral exhibit
with many precious gems including the legendary Hope Diamond.
The National Museum of American
History
The National Museum of American History contains a diverse collection
of Americana that ranges from the inaugural gowns worn by every president's
wife since George Washington to the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland
in the Wizard of Oz.
The National Gallery of Art
contains
The National Gallery of Art contains the finest collection of Western
European art and sculpture in the New World, as well as an impressive
collection of American paintings.
The Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture
Garden
The Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden contains a vast collection
of modern and contemporary art. It also features a sunken outdoor sculpture
garden on the Mall.
The Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is a beautiful white marble building of Greek Classical
design situated at the western end of the Mall near the banks of the
Potomac River and the Arlington Memorial Bridge. It contains a 19-foot
(6-meter) high marble statue of a seated Abraham Lincoln. The Vietnam
War memorial and the Korean War memorials lie on either side of the
reflecting pool just before this monument and the new Roosevelt Memorial
is but a short walk to the south. The Lincoln memorial is open to the
public all hours of the day and night.
Jefferson Memorial
The Jefferson memorial is located across the tidal basin from the western
end of the Mall and adds picturesque charm to the views from many locations.
It is a beautiful white-marble, circular-domed structure patterned after
a classic Greek temple. It contains a 19-foot (6-meter) tall bronze
statue of President Jefferson. It is open to the public all hours.
Other Attractions
There are so many things to see and do in Washington DC that it would
require many pages to describe them all. The Holocaust Museum, just
south of the Mall presents a sobering recollection of the terrible effects
of the 1933-1945 persecutions in Europe. At Arlington Cemetery, across
the Memorial Bridge, you can visit the final resting-places of George
Washington, John and Robert Kennedy as well as thousands of statesmen,
politicians and US veterans of the armed forces. The Bureau of Engraving
and Printing just south of the Washington Monument offers free tours
where you can see them print US dollars. The FBI Building on E street
north of the Mall features free tours of its criminal laboratories including
a demonstration firing of a Thompson sub-machine gun. The National Zoo
on Connecticut Avenue, north of the Georgetown district, offers a pleasant
diversion. The Georgetown District, northeast of the mall, is a great
place to go shopping in trendy boutiques or to go eat in fashionable
restaurants.
The Smithsonian Museums and
Parks
One of the wonderful aspects of Washington DC is that it contains the
biggest museum complex in the world. The Smithsonian Institute is a
conglomeration of sixteen widely different buildings and parks. Eleven
of them are downtown between the Capitol Building and the Washington
Monument, lining a large grassy field known as "The Mall."
Four other museums and park are located in various suburbs of DC, easily
accessible by the Metro subway system.
The legacy of an Englishman
who never saw the USA
An Englishman who had never set foot in America founded the Smithsonian
Institute. In 1829, James Smithson bequeathed over half a million dollars
to the U.S. government to create an institute "for the increase
and diffusion of knowledge among men." The United States government
eventually used the gift to catalogue mankind's current knowledge in
its museums, to fund science research, art projects, and to further
exploration into unknown areas. Today, the government is still responsible
for 75% of the institutes funding with the rest coming from private
donations.
The Mall, at the center of DC, is within easy walking
distance of the Capitol Building, the White House and most of the monuments.
The Smithsonian Metro station, near the center of the Mall, provides
convenient access and brings you only one block away from the original
Smithsonian administrative building. Federal Triangle, Archives-Navy
Memorial and L'Enfant Plaza Metro stations are also within easy walking
distance to one or more of the museums.
Centrally located and free
to the public
All of the museums are open from 9 am to 5:30 pm every day except Christmas
Day. The least crowded times are in the winter when the weather is at
its worst. The summer months (June through August) are the busiest times.
Weekend days are typically the most crowded, particularly around summer
holidays such as Independence Day (July 4th), or Memorial Day (the last
Monday in May). The quietest day is usually Monday, which is also a
good day to get into any exhibit that needs a time-ticket entry (more
about that later).
The museums, parks, and zoo are all free, although
some special exhibits may charge a modest entrance fee. ($3.00 to $5.00
per adult). Some of the museums have special Hands-On Centers for children,
or special exhibits, which require timed-entry tickets. These free tickets
are usually issued outside the exhibit on the same day and specify the
time you may enter. Warning, you may want to get your tickets as soon
as you reach the museum, because the special rooms are very popular,
and the tickets are usually gone by lunchtime.
Some of the museums, such as the Air and Space Museum
and the Natural History Museums, also run IMAX movies (70 mm films)
or special interactive exhibits which cost around $6.00 a person. These
shows vary throughout the year, but you can find a current listing is
at the Smithsonian website.
The most popular museums
Some unique exhibits are housed in the Arts and Industries Building
and the original Smithsonian administrative building. The latter is
usually referred to as "The Castle" because its red brickwork
and ornate towers. The Castle is largely made up of administrative offices
but the center area is devoted to tourist information and the few computers
that line the walls can help you locate any special or temporary exhibits.
James Smithson's sarcophagus is located in the north entry. The Arts
and Industries building is used for temporary exhibits as well as a
19th century look at American life. It currently houses an exhibit that
will form the core of the National Museum for the American Indian collection.
The three most popular museums in the area are the
Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of American History, and the
National Museum of Natural History. All three museums are quite large
and would require a minimum of two to four hours to completely view.
The space shuttle, the hope
diamond and the ruby slippers
Each museum is truly unique. The National Museum of American History
displays full-size trains and tractors, unusual exhibits of popular
culture such as the ruby shoes from the Wizard of Oz, a collection of
inaugural gowns from the First Ladies, and the American flag that inspired
the national anthem. The National Museum of Natural History is famed
for its displays of minerals and gems including the Hope Diamond, animals
including the largest squid ever found, and the bones of many prehistoric
creatures. The Air and Space Museum has the original aircraft used by
the Wright Brothers as well as the Spirit of St. Louis, the first airplane
to make a solo transatlantic crossing from New York to Paris. It also
contains historic Mercury and Gemini space capsules, many rocket ships
and a lunar landing module.
The Smithsonian art collection is spread over four
buildings and two parks. The two building complex of the National Museum
of American Art is the largest. It contains thousands of American paintings,
a collection of Degas sculptures, Renaissance paintings and impressionist
masterpieces. The Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture garden focuses on
20th Century art, while the beautiful Freer Museum contains a fine collection
of Asian art and the world's most complete collection of Whistler's
work. Outside of the National Archives building and beside the National
Museum of Natural History is a second lovely sculpture garden that focuses
on 20th century art.
In addition, the National Museum of African Art is
located just behind the Castle. Nearby, the underground and often overlooked
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is devoted to ancient Asian art including
some 4,500-year-old bronze vessels. A new museum is presently under
construction adjacent to the Air and Space Museum. The National Museum
for the American Indian, currently housed in New York City with exhibits
in the Arts and Industries building will be located there by 2003.
Off The Mall
The National Zoological Park on Connecticut Ave. (Metro Station: Woodly
Park-Zoo or Cleveland Park) is probably the only free zoo in American
and an excellent way to spend an afternoon. Highlights includes the
two new pandas from China, the indoor Amazonia Exhibit, the Cheetah
Conservation Station and the Great Outdoors Flight Cage where rare birds
have a huge area to soar.
The National Portrait Gallery on 8th and F Streets
(Metro station: Gallery Place-Chinatown) is devoted to making history
come alive by putting faces to the famous names. Exhibits include the
Hall of Presidents, and a collection of portraits of famous sports and
entertainment figures.
The National Postal Museum is right outside Union Station
(a train station and Metro stop). Besides having a very complete postal
collection, the museum also includes planes, buggies and other historical
memorabilia relating to postal history.
The Renwick Gallery (Metro station: Farrogut North)
was the first of Washington's private art museums. Its current exhibits
are about contemporary crafts and decorative arts as well as a section
on whimsical art.
Last but certainly not least is the Anacostia Museum
and Center for African American History and Culture (Metro station:
Anacostia station and a short bus ride). This museum started as a community
outreach program and has grown into a mission of documentation, protection,
and interpretation of African American culture and heritage. It continues
its outreach program through area schools but also contains wonderful
exhibits on the black immigrants in Washington DC, special exhibits
on African-American leaders in politics, industry and entertainment.
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