Location Seventh St. SW and Independence Ave., on the Mall. Nearest Metro stations Smithsonian or L’Enfant Plaza. Contact 
202-633-4674; hirshhorn.si.edu. Admission Free. Hours Daily, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; closed December 25. Sculpture Garden open from 7:30 a.m. until dusk daily.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS The cutting-edge contemporary art found inside this circular fortress is often as forward-looking (or bizarre) as the circular building that houses it. Works by modern masters, such as Auguste Rodin, Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, and Henry Moore, line the easy-to-walk galleries. Its special exhibitions are among the most important in America: Imprisoned Chinese activist/artist Ai Weiwei was represented in one of the more recent shows. The outdoor sculpture garden (set below Mall level) contains works by Rodin, Giacometti, and Alexander Calder, among many others. If you are a modern art fan, the Hirshhorn is a must-see.
The museum has been looking to expand or reorganize its spaces for some time: A widely publicized “bubble” addition that was to have been constructed over the courtyard was eventually abandoned. Though it might not seem kid-friendly, it often mounts curious or ironic shows that children may find funny, and it frequently shows films downstairs.
TOURING TIPS Unlike the Wright-designed Guggenheim in Manhattan, the Hirshhorn’s interior is round, not “ramped,” so it’s easier on the body. Docents offer half-hour gallery talks Monday–Thursday at 12:30 p.m., while Friday tours are led by artists and scholars commenting on the exhibits. From noon to 4 p.m., docents conduct impromptu 30-minute tours; visit the information desk to get started, or while in the galleries look for anyone wearing a “?” badge. Group tours are offered 10:30 a.m.–noon, but you must reserve at least a month in advance; visit their website for scheduling info. There is no food available in the museum; however, some years, an outdoor café has offered lunch during the summer.
IF YOU LIKE THIS Read the profiles of Glenstone and the Kreeger Museum and Phillips Collection, respectively).
Location 1733 16th St. NW. Nearest Metro stations Dupont Circle or U Street–African American Civil War Memorial–Cardozo. Contact 202-232-3579; scottishrite. org. Admission Free. Hours Guided tours on the hour Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. May–August, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. September–April; abbreviated tours 4–4:30 p.m.; closed most federal holidays.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Even before Dan Brown wrote The Lost Symbol (and admittedly, the interest of visitors may depend on whether or not they are fans of his books, or members of the Scottish Rite), this massive neoclassical edifice—formally known as the Home of the Supreme Council, 33°, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, Washington D.C., U.S.A.—was widely considered a curiosity, in the best sense. It was designed by John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial, National Archives, and National Gallery, etc., in imitation of the tomb of Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The massive sphinxes that flank the entrance are a hint at the scale: the walls are 8 feet thick; the exterior is surrounded by 33 massive Ionic columns that support a magnificent pyramidal roof; and, inside, the Atrium has beige and black marble floors and black Egyptian statues. At the top of the Grand Staircase is the Temple Room, with a soaring 100-foot ceiling and 1,000-pipe organ. The J. Edgar Hoover Law Enforcement Room is a shrine to the Mason and lifelong FBI chief; this is also home to the largest collection of Scots poet (and Freemason) Robert Burns memorabilia.
TOURING TIPS The House of the Temple—which, after all, has close ties to several Presidents—follows the federal government’s lead, so if the weather is bad enough for the government to close, the Temple will as well. It has not been retrofitted for air-conditioning. A very few areas, including the Temple Room, are not wheelchair- or stroller-accessible. Some wheelchairs are available on site. No food available on site.
IF YOU LIKE THIS See the description of the George Washington National Masonic Memorial in the profile of Old Town Alexandria.
International Spy Museum 
Location 800 F St. NW. Nearest Metro station Gallery Place–Chinatown. Contact 866-779-6873 or 202-393-7798; spymuseum.org. Admission $21 adults ages 12–64; $16 seniors age 65+, military, and college students; $15 for children ages 7–11. Note: discounted tickets available online. Hours Vary; check the website before you go; closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS CIA headquarters across the Potomac in Langley isn’t offering tours, but this $40 million privately owned museum has made a killing purporting to expose the secret world of intelligence. This is spycraft meets Austin Powers, or rather James Bond, the inspiration for a large and pretty entertaining 50th anniversary exhibition (on at least through 2014). The museum is slick, manipulative, and dodges some important moral questions (and historical failures) of U.S. intelligence operations. Otherwise, it’s fun in a non-challenging way, and remarkably successful for being in a city full of world-class museums, most of them free. In fact, it’s so successful that there are plans to move it to a much larger space in the old Carnegie Library in Mount Vernon Square in a few years. There are several “addon” tickets where you can play at being a spy—and even a couple of kids’ sleepover events a year.
More than 400 artifacts are on display, dating from Biblical times to the modern age of terror. What you’ll see: tools of the trade, such as a lipstick pistol developed by the KGB, an Enigma cipher machine used by the Allies to break German secret codes during World War II, an Aston Martin DB 5 sports car decked out like the one used by James Bond in Goldfinger, and tributes to celebrity spies such as dancer Josephine Baker (who worked for the French resistance) and late TV chef Julia Child (who worked for the OSS). What you won’t see: any mention of spectacular failures of U.S. intelligence, including how the CIA, NSA, DIA, and other alphabet-soup spy agencies missed the fall of the Soviet Union and the Shah of Iran or helped overthrow elected governments around the world. Alas, the museum’s us-versus-them mentality spares visitors from the moral ambiguity of intelligence gathering. To get that insight, skip the museum and curl up with a novel by John le Carré (himself a former spy).
TOURING TIPS This is one of those museums where visitors are herded into an elevator, taken to the second floor, and everyone negotiates their way through narrow corridors, making it difficult to linger or backtrack against the human current. There’s a long, steep flight of stairs to descend about halfway through the museum. Café on site.
IF YOU LIKE THIS See the profiles of the Crime Museum and the real-life National Cryptologic Museum.
Location 2551 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Nearest Metro station Dupont Circle. Contact 202-332-8343 or theislamiccenter.com. Admission Free. Hours Daily, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS A brilliant white sheathing, archways, and slender minaret mark this unusual sight on the brick-heavy Embassy Row. This is a working mosque and education center, and visitors must remove their shoes before stepping inside to see the Persian carpets, elegantly embellished columns, decorated arches, tiled walls, and huge bronze chandelier. The small bookstore next to the mosque is filled with Arabic texts and translations of the Qur’an. Again, the interest of various visitors may be much greater depending on their religious faith—the mosque observes the regular daily services—or interest in the Middle East.
TOURING TIPS The mosque enforces a strict dress code. Visitors must remove their shoes to go inside, and no shorts or short dresses are allowed. Women must cover their heads and wear long-sleeved clothing.
Location Across the Tidal Basin from the Washington Monument. Nearest Metro station Smithsonian. Contact 202-426-6841; nps.gov/thje. Admission Free. Hours Always open; staffed 9:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m., except on December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS The neoclassical, open-air design of this monument to the third U.S. president and author of the Declaration of Independence reflects Jefferson’s taste in architecture. It’s usually less crowded than the monuments on the Mall, except when the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin bloom. (Here’s a semi-secret for you: Beneath the memorial is a vast archive of historical info that the park service and scholars study.)
TOURING TIPS Park rangers offer interpretive tours every hour on the hour, 10 a.m.–11 p.m., and can answer almost any question about Jefferson or the monument. Visitors can walk to the memorial along the rim of the Tidal Basin from Independence Avenue or along 14th Street SW. No food available on site, except during the Cherry Blossom Festival, when there may be temporary vendors.
Location New Hampshire Ave. NW and F St. Nearest Metro station Foggy Bottom–GWU. Contact 202-467-8340 or 800-444-8524 (TTY); kennedy-center.org. Admission Free. Hours Daily, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Free tours begin every 10 minutes; Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS The white rectilinear Kennedy Center facility boasts four major stages; a film theater; a sumptuous interior shimmering with crystal, mirrors, and deep-red carpets; and a huge terrace with a grand view of the Potomac River up to Georgetown. The Grand Foyer is longer than two football fields. Nations from around the world contributed art and artifacts on display in halls and foyers, such as African art, Beame porcelain, tapestries, and sculptures. If rehearsals aren’t in progress, the tour includes peeks inside the intimate Eisenhower Theater, the Opera House (featuring a spectacular 50-foot-wide Austrian crystal chandelier), and the Concert Hall. Admirers of JFK and culture vultures will love the tour, while kids will probably get bored. But you don’t have to take the tour to enjoy the view; take the elevators to the roof terrace. That 360° view, which includes many major monuments and the infamous Watergate Hotel next door, is one of the city’s best.
TOURING TIPS Tour guides in a number of foreign languages, both live and printed, are available; see the website. Signed, touch, and assisted-listening tours are available with two weeks’ advance notice (
202-416-8727 or access@kennedy-center.org). Free round-trip shuttle service from the Foggy Bottom Metro station is offered every 15 minutes, Monday–Friday 9:45 a.m.–midnight, Saturday 10 a.m.–midnight, Sunday noon–midnight, and 4 p.m.–midnight on federal holidays. If you can’t book a show, be sure to drop in on the free performance given daily at 6 p.m. at the Millennium Stage in the Grand Foyer. The all-day KC Café is affordable, but the dinner-only Roof Terrace Restaurant is pricey. (The bar, though small, is lovely in an old-fashioned manner.) A biking and jogging path along the Potomac River is just below the Kennedy Center; follow it upriver to Thompson’s Boat Center and through there to Washington Harbour and into Georgetown, a five-minute walk. You’ll find several restaurants that, in good weather, have outdoor seating with a view back to the Watergate and Kennedy Center.
Location 1900 Anacostia Dr. NE, just across the Anacostia River from the National Arboretum. Nearest Metro station Deanwood. Contact 202-426-6905; nps.gov/kepa. Admission Free. Hours Daily, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Originally a wetlands area, Kenilworth is a mix of meadow gardens and water gardens—actually the only national park for the propagation of water plants. In addition to pools filled with water lilies, water hyacinth, lotus, and bamboo, the gardens teem with wildlife, such as opossums, raccoons, waterfowl, beavers, muskrats, and even coyotes. It’s also a bird-watcher’s paradise—bald eagles nest here, as do great blue herons—an amazing place to visit on a clear summer morning.
TOURING TIPS Summer pond tours are held Memorial Day–Labor Day at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Remember that flowers tend to close up early in hot weather, so go early if that’s your main interest. The park is unfenced and marshy in places, so keep a close eye on small children.
IF YOU LIKE THIS See the profiles of the U.S. Botanic Garden and the National Arboretum.
Location Between the Lincoln Memorial and the Tidal Basin. Nearest Metro stations Smithsonian or Foggy Bottom–GWU. Contact 202-426-6841; nps.gov/kowa. Admission Free. Hours Open 24 hours.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This three-dimensional freeze-frame of troops crossing a battlefield consists of several distinct parts, though it’s not particularly large as a whole. The most obvious elements are sculptor Frank Gaylord’s 19 larger-than-life steel statues representing 14 Army troops, three Marines, one Navy recruit, and one Air Force serviceman; 12 are white, three are black, two are Hispanic, one is Asian, and one is American Indian. All are heavily laden with packs and weapons and covered in ponchos; their attire and boots suggest it is winter, an impression that is even stronger at night, when the statues are individually illuminated and seem to move. (Three are a little ways off in the “woods,” so the sense of the company emerging from cover is very realistic.)
The second major component is a black granite wall, which complements the Vietnam Veterans Memorial almost directly across the Mall (though not visible from this point). Instead of names, however, this wall is covered with 2,400 images created from 15,000 photos. Etched into the wall are guns, rescue helicopters, ambulances, bridges being built, mines being defused, doctors operating. Combined with the reflections of onlookers, the effect is as if you were looking through a window. The wall is made up of 38 panels, symbolizing both the 38th Parallel—the original boundary between North and South Korea—and the 38 months of the war’s duration. The small garden planted with Rose of Sharon hibiscus, the national flower of South Korea, was dedicated in 1995 by President Clinton and South Korean President Kim Young Sam.
TOURING TIPS The entire site is particularly striking at night.
IF YOU LIKE THIS The other war memorials are all around you.
Location Sixth and E Sts. NW. Nearest Metro stations Gallery Place–Chinatown or Judiciary Square. Contact 202-334-1201; koshland-science-museum.org. Admission$7 adults, $4 seniors, active military, and students. Hours Wednesday–Monday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. (last admission at 5 p.m.); closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Operated by the National Academy of the Sciences, this small museum focusing on biologic and environmental scientific research is slick and high-tech, with many interactive and touchy-feely exhibits. It’s the perfect place for the budding DNA or global-warming researcher who has exhausted all the (free) science exhibits on the Mall. Special exhibits vary in interest (an exhibit of vintage health posters might have amused kids who didn’t even understand them).
TOURING TIPS Be sure to look up at the building; a huge gyroscope is parked up there. Though only quasi-governmental—it stayed open during the government shutdown—this museum follows the lead of the federal government when it comes to closing for inclement weather.
Location 2401 Foxhall Rd. NW, Georgetown. No Metro access. Contact 202-338-3552 or 877-337-3050; kreegermuseum.org. Admission $10 adults, $7 students, seniors age 65+, and military with ID. Hours Tuesday–Thursday, guided tours at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. by reservation only; Friday and Saturday, open 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; optional guided tours Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Saturday at 10:30 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m.; no reservations required. Closed in August, around Thanksgiving and December 25, and some federal holidays.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Philanthropist David Lloyd Kreeger and his wife, Carmen, began collecting art in the early 1950s, primarily works from the 1850s to the 1970s, including Monet, Picasso, Renoir, Cézanne, Chagall, Gauguin, van Gogh, Kandinsky, Miró, Calder, Noguchi, Moore, David Smith, and Gene Davis. The site covers 5½ acres. In addition to arts fans, anyone interested in modern architecture should be certain to see this museum: Phillip Johnson designed it in 1963 as the Kreegers’ residence, museum, and recital hall all in one. It’s an architectural book of quotations, definitively postmodernist but alluding to Byzantine domes, Egyptian tombs, classical travertine facades, Middle Eastern window screens, and the Roman modular system. In addition to the modern art, the collection includes some traditional Asian and African pieces.
TOURING TIPS The main level of the museum, the sculpture terrace, and the restrooms are wheelchair accessible, but the lower galleries are down a staircase. Some wheelchairs are available by arrangement. No food available on site.
IF YOU LIKE THIS Though public transportation to the Kreeger is a little tedious, the collection is among the three best in the area: see also profiles of the Hirshhorn Museum and Glenstone.
Library of Congress 
Location First St. SE, on Capitol Hill. Nearest Metro stations Capitol South or Union Station. Contact 202-707-8000; loc.gov. Admission Free. Hours Exhibition areas in the Jefferson Building are open Monday–Saturday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. The library is closed Sundays, federal holidays, Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS The Library of Congress—the largest library in the world—comprises three buildings, the Jefferson, Madison, and Adams Buildings; but the main exhibitions, and the wow factor, are at Jefferson. To get the most out of your visit, start with the 12-minute video at the Jefferson’s visitor center, then take one of the guided tours. After the tour, which lasts about an hour, you can look at other exhibits in the Jefferson and Madison Buildings on your own. Because it’s a lecture tour, it may not be suitable for young children or visitors on a tight schedule. But you should at least go in to admire the Jefferson Building itself; it’s a masterpiece, filled with allegorical murals, statuary, mosaics, memorials, and the incredible domed Reading Room, famous from the opening sequence of All the President’s Men.
In the spring of 1997, a permanent exhibit called “American Treasures of the Library of Congress” marked the reopening of the Thomas Jefferson Building, under renovation since 1984. The rotating exhibition in the Great Hall features 200 of the library’s rarest and most significant items, such as Thomas Jefferson’s rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincoln’s first and second drafts of the Gettysburg Address, a Gutenberg Bible, Wilbur Wright’s telegram to his father announcing the first heavier-than-air flight, and Bernard Hermann’s manuscript score for the film classic Citizen Kane. And political junkies should check out the ongoing exhibition of The Washington Post’s longtime political cartoonist Herblock.
Library materials available here go way beyond books. For instance, the Library of Congress has an extensive collection of recorded music, broadcast material, and films. For musical material, go to the Recorded Sound Reference Center, located on the first floor of the Madison Building, where helpful librarians are ready to assist.
TOURING TIPS Free guided tours are offered Monday–Friday on the half hour from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. On federal holidays, the first tour is at 9:30 a.m. Although the most famous exhibits and elaborate design are in the Jefferson Building, both the Madison and Adams Buildings are open weekdays until 9:30 p.m., so if you have particular exhibits in mind, you can linger. There are also a couple of snack bars, and a summertime lunch café in the courtyard of the Jefferson Building. The sixth-floor cafeteria in the Madison Building is popular with congressional staffers, and it’s a good deal for visitors, who can grab a cheap bite to eat here from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. while enjoying a million-dollar view.
Lincoln Memorial 
Location At the west end of the Mall. Nearest Metro stations Smithsonian or Foggy Bottom–GWU. Contact 202-426-6841; nps.gov/linc. Admission Free. Hours Always open; rangers on duty 9:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m., except December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Almost everyone knows what the Lincoln Memorial looks like from the outside; it’s on the back of the $5 bill and most pennies. But that doesn’t give you any sense of the awe this monument inspires among its visitors, white and black Americans in particular. The contemplative, almost otherworldly Lincoln is 19 feet tall (he would be 28 feet tall standing up). The beautifully restored murals—60 feet wide, 12 feet tall, and 37 feet above some of Lincoln’s most important quotations—are neoclassical allegories, with angels, muses, and goddesses representing Unification (on the north wall) and Emancipation (on the south). The Angel of Truth strikes the shackles from a slave, as Justice and Immortality stand as witnesses. Some of the most historic moments of the civil rights struggle took place on the steps: Soprano Marian Anderson sang here in 1939 after being barred from DAR Constitution Hall. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech here in 1963 (look for the five lines from that speech carved into the steps). President Obama’s Inauguration kicked off here with an all-star concert that drew nearly 400,000.
TOURING TIPS Rangers offer interpretive tours every hour on the hour between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m., and there is so much symbolism built into the memorial that it is worth hearing. The Legacy of Lincoln museum in the memorial’s basement deserves a brief peek. You’ll find exhibits about demonstrations held at the memorial and a video recounting the building’s history. No food available on site, though there are rest-rooms in the circle. After a $34-million renovation, the reflecting pool is once again the impressive sight it was on those occasions. At night, facing west across the Potomac River, you can see the eternal flame at John F. Kennedy’s grave.
IF YOU LIKE THIS Make your next stop the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, profiled.
Location 1001 F St. NW. Nearest Metro stations Metro Center or Gallery Place–Chinatown. Contact 202-942-7300; madametussaudsdc.com. Admission $21.20 ages 13 and over, $17 ages 4–12. Note: Discounted tickets available online. Hours Vary; check the website for the time of your visit.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS If you’ve seen one Madame Tussauds—and with 17 locations worldwide, it’s getting a lot easier to do—you’ve pretty much seen them all, so there aren’t many surprises here. However, the Washington outpost does have one advantage over some of the other establishments: lots of room between figures—and not so many historical artifacts—so visitors are not just invited but actively encouraged to take each others’ photos with the stars. In some cases there are special setups, such as the empty seat alongside President Lincoln in his box at Ford’s Theatre, the “Oval Office desk,” the Rat Pack cocktail bar, and an armchair over which Julia Roberts is bending. The hottest ticket recently has been the newly installed Prince William and Kate, followed closely by an impressively suave Johnny Depp. It’s not a large collection, but it apparently is irresistible. There is an intriguing description of how the figures are made, but there is no “chamber of horrors,” unless you count the emaciated figure of Madonna.
TOURING TIPS Make sure your cell phone is charged up; even if you didn’t bring a camera, you’re likely to find someone you’d like to have your picture snapped with. Madame Tussauds and the Crime Museum nearby (see profile) offer a two-day discounted combo ticket. If you can travel midweek, the online discounts are even better.
Location Southwest of the Mall on the Tidal Basin. Nearest Metro station Smithsonian. Contact 202-426-6821; nps.gov/mlkm. Admission Free. Hours Open 24 hours; staffed daily, 9:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This is one of the new generation of walk-through sites, symbolizing Reverend King’s personal journey, as well as that of the civil rights struggle in general, with markers of sorrow, inscriptions from some of his speeches, and the culminating stature of Reverend King emerging from the Stone of Hope. Depending on how you approach the site, you may not even see his face at first, which adds to the impact; and some people find his expression as stern as thoughtful, but it is definitely impressive. How much you like this park probably depends on your personal experiences or interest in the history of the civil rights movement: Some find it overwhelmingly moving.
TOURING TIPS The official address of this park is 1964 Independence Avenue SW, recalling the year of the signing of the Civil Rights Act, but this is one of those Washington landmarks that is harder to find by GPS (or car at all) than on foot, because much of the traffic around West Potomac Park is one-way and parking is extremely scarce (though some is reserved for handicapped vehicles). On a map, look for the intersection of Independence Avenue and West Basin Drive SW. The memorial site is on the opposite side of the Tidal Basin from the Jefferson Memorial, on a line between FDR Memorial and the DC War Memorial. Remember that during cherry blossom season, the entire area will be mobbed. There is a bookstore but no food available on site.
IF YOU LIKE THIS This could be thought of as part of a personal tour of freedom, because it lies along a path from three major presidential memorials—Lincoln, FDR, and Jefferson. In fact, the major “mountain” of the statuary is cleft so that the Jefferson Memorial, symbol of the Declaration of Independence, can be seen across the Tidal Basin.
Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens 
Location 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy./George Washington Pkwy., Alexandria, VA, about 16 miles south of Washington. No Metro access. Contact 703-780-2000; mountvernon.org. Admission $17 ages 12–61; $16 seniors age 62+, $8 children ages 6–11, free for children age 5 and under. Note: Advance tickets are timed. Hours Vary; check website for days of your trip. Open 365 days, though some sites or tours may be closed seasonally.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Folks on a quick trip to Washington may not have time to visit Mount Vernon. There are so many parts of the complex now that touring takes nearly a whole day—it’s an odd mix of old and new. The 30-acre plantation includes a four-acre colonial-style farm site where visitors can view costumed interpreters using 18th-century farm methods and tools, and see hogs, mules, horses, cattle, oxen, and sheep (though this is not a petting zoo). George and Martha’s tomb is here, as well as a working blacksmith’s shop and a 1770 grist mill and rye distillery 3 miles away (you’ll need a car). Historic interpreters are stationed throughout the estate and mansion to answer questions and give visitors an overview of the property and Washington’s life. On the other hand, one of the major attractions is the $110 million, state-of-the-art visitor center, with its several real-life models of Washington based on forensic and computer-modeling advances, videos, 23 galleries of artifacts, and interactive exhibits.
TOURING TIPS There are a number of special tours, some seasonal, such as landscape and garden tours; a 30-minute “Slave Life” tour of slave quarters and workplaces (and burial ground); a behind-the-scenes mansion tour; a “National Treasure II” tour, which highlights places used in the filming of the movie; and even a tour that focuses on the dogs of Mount Vernon. Most tours are $5. From April through October, there are 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. wreath-laying ceremonies at the tomb. During the holiday season, the decorated mansion’s seldom-seen third floor is open to the public with dinner by candlelight, but not surprisingly, these reservations are very popular, so plan well in advance. Also note that there are a variety of package tickets that add on a brief river cruise, audio tour, discount at the shops, etc.
Gray Line bus tours has two package tours: a 4-hour version ($47.50 adults) and a 9-hour version that includes stops at Arlington Cemetery and some of the memorials ($66 adults); visit grayline.com for details. Although the nearest Metro station is Huntington, about 7.5 miles away, there is a Fairfax Connector bus; see fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/routes for information.
IF YOU LIKE THIS Visit Woodlawn Plantation, 3 miles away, which was built by the Custis granddaughter George and Martha raised (see its description under “Virginia Suburbs,”). Visit Old Town Alexandria (see profile) to walk in Washington’s footsteps. Stopping at Gadsby’s Tavern is also appropriate—that’s what George used to do.
National Air and Space Museum (a Smithsonian museum) 
Location Sixth St. SW at Independence Ave., on the Mall. Nearest Metro stations Smithsonian or L’Enfant Plaza. Contact 202-357-2214 or 202-633-1000 (TDD); nasm.si.edu. Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, VA. No Metro access. Contact 703-572-4118; nasm.si.edu. Admission Free. Hours September–March: daily, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; April–Labor Day: daily, 10 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; closed December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This museum draws nearly 10 million visitors a year. At the Mall museum, visitors can touch a moon rock and gaze up at the Wright Brothers’ plane and the Spirit of St. Louis, which Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic in 1927. Everywhere you look is another full-size wonder.
In Space Hall, you can tour Skylab and check out the Apollo-Soyuz spacecraft. You can look through a 16-inch telescope, experience cockpit simulations of takeoff and landing at Reagan National Airport or even of aerial combat. Other icons on display include the Apollo II command module, space suits that flew to the moon, several other space captures, and early, more atmosphere-bound vehicles.
The museum’s other facility, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center outside Dulles International Airport, houses more than 80 aircraft and dozens of space artifacts, including the Space Shuttle Discovery, a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, and the Gemini VII space capsule, as well as its own flight simulators and IMAX theater. Its air-traffic-style observation tower has a 360-degree view. There is no shuttle service between the museums.
TOURING TIPS Though the museums are free, the IMAX theaters and planetarium shows are not ($9 ages 13–59, $8 for seniors, and $7.50 for children ages 2–12 at both museum sites); visit si.edu/imax for show choices and times. Also, the simulators and F-4 Phantom II interactive ride are $8, or $7 with an IMAX ticket purchase. The food court at the Mall location has a McDonald’s, Boston Market, and pizzeria. The Dulles location has a McDonald’s and a McCafe.
IF YOU LIKE THIS See the profile of Goddard Space Center.
Location Seventh St. between Pennsylvania and Constitution Aves. NW, adjoining the Mall. Nearest Metro stations Archives–Navy Memorial–Penn Quarter or Smithsonian. Contact 202-357-5450 or 866-272-6272; archives.gov/nae. Admission Free. Hours Daily, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (last admission at 5 p.m.); closed Thanksgiving and December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Thanks to a $13.5 million gift from David M. Rubenstein, owner of the original 1297 Magna Carta on display here, the Archives has a new, more accessible entrance plaza and a fine new gallery devoted to “Records of Rights,” documents ranging back to the Revolutionary War and related to women’s suffrage, slavery and civil rights, immigrant prejudice, union and labor injustice, and more. Just as impressive, the gallery, which sits right below the 75-foot-high magnificent Rotunda, where the Big Three of American government—the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights—are displayed, has a trompe l’oeil painting on the ceiling that makes it seem as if you are looking through the floor all the way to the Rotunda itself.
Don’t be surprised to find the real Rotunda somewhat dim and cool because of the fragility of the documents. (An elaborate, invisible security system lowers them into a deep, nuclear explosion-proof vault each night. Take that, Nicolas Cage!) Fortunately, you can still see the two immense murals, each 14 by 35 feet, that illustrate Jefferson’s presenting the Declaration to John Hancock and the Continental Congress, and James Madison’s offering the Constitution to Washington. Each is only a single canvas, so large a special studio above Grand Central Station in New York had to be constructed for their painting.
The general admission entrance is at Ninth Street NW and Constitution Avenue; you just get in line. However, this is one of those times when it’s worth making advance (think six weeks) arrangements to take a guided tour, not only because you see more, but also because having a reservation allows you to enter at Seventh and Constitution and avoid standing outside in the heat or cold (sometimes for as long as an hour). There is a “convenience fee” of $1.50, and the tours are offered weekdays at 9:45 a.m. (reserve on the website or by calling 877-444-6777). If you happen to be in Washington on July 4, you can catch costumed patriots reading the Declaration aloud on the steps. Also, if you have been bitten by the genealogical bug, and have the time to devote to it, this is a wonderful place to do research: Use the research entrance on Pennsylvania Avenue.
TOURING TIPS If you have a tour or timed-entry reservation, show up early; security here is understandably tight. Similarly, if there is any sort of national security alarm or natural disaster, the Archives are among the first facilities to lock down. Armed Forces personnel in uniform or with ID can skip the line and go to the Seventh and Constitution entrance. The café is open weekdays 10 a.m.–4 p.m. A few wheelchairs are available on a first-come basis.
IF YOU LIKE THIS Several of America’s treasured documents, such as drafts of the Declaration and Gettysburg Address, are on rotating display in the rotunda of the Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress (profiled) and the exhibition hall at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.
Location 401 F St. NW. Nearest Metro stations Judiciary Square or Archives–Navy Memorial–Penn Quarter. Contact 202-272-2448; nbm.org. Admission Free. Hours Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS The ideal way to visit this museum would be to walk in blindfolded, then have the blindfold removed. Rather unimposing on the outside, the Pension Building (as this museum is still known to many Washingtonians) offers one of the most imposing interiors in Washington, if not the world. The Great Hall measures 316 feet by 116 feet, and at its highest point the roof is 159 feet above the floor. Eight marbleized Corinthian columns adorn the interior. It’s worth seeing, even if all you do is poke your head inside the door. But if you’re interested in architecture and building construction, check out the permanent and temporary exhibits on the first and second floors. And the gift shop has some very nice cards, for those tired of the humorous Hallmark kind.
TOURING TIPS General tours are given daily at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 1:30 p.m.; special exhibition tours, even some ghost tours, are offered irregularly. The Courtyard Café is open weekdays, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. The museum has also set up an outdoor barbecue stand with live music in warm weather.
IF YOU LIKE THIS The District Architecture Center, 2 blocks away at 421 D Street NW, mounts exhibits of architectural interest in its Sigal Gallery (aiadac.com).
Location 8290 Colony Seven Rd., Annapolis Junction, MD, about 30 minutes north of Washington and east of Laurel, MD (Route 32 and Baltimore-Washington Parkway). No Metro access. Contact 301-688-5849; www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic_heritage/museum. Admission Free. Hours Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed federal holidays.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Tourists are barred from Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, across the river from Washington in suburban Virginia. Yet all is not lost for visitors lusting for a peek into the world of cloaks and daggers. The formerly ultra-hush-hush National Security Agency—now a fixture of nightly news, thanks to fugitive leaker Edward Snowden—operates this tiny museum dedicated to codes, ciphers, and spies in a former motel overlooking the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
All the displays are static; they include such items as rare books dating from 1526, Civil War signal flags, a cipher believed to have belonged to Thomas Jefferson, KGB spy paraphernalia, and the notorious Enigma, a German cipher machine (it looks like an ancient Underwood on steroids) whose code was “broken” by the Poles and British during World War II. (Spies, a film on code breaking during World War II, tells the story continuously on a TV in a small theater in the museum.) There is an extensive library of codebooks and deciphered cables and some artifacts of the Navajo “code talkers.”
Don’t miss the “bugged” Great Seal of the U.S. that hung in Spaso House, the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Moscow (the microphone-equipped seal was uncovered in 1952). The new high-tech room features spy devices used to guard against computer hackers. The adjoining open-air National Vigilance Park is more like a parking lot for two reconnaissance jets, a Vietnam-era Army RU-8D and a cold war–era Air Force C-130. Outside, you’ll also get a glimpse of the huge NSA headquarters complex from Route 32. NSA is called “The Puzzle Palace” for its secretiveness and worldwide electronic eavesdropping capability. The agency’s budget, by the way, is a secret.
TOURING TIPS There are vending machines on site, but be sure to carry plenty of change.
IF YOU LIKE THIS There is the International Spy Museum in Penn Quarter, of course; but real code addicts must see the sculpture called Antipodes in the Hirschhorn Sculpture Garden. Created by the artist whose Kryptos piece at CIA headquarters (featured in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code and Lost Symbol) has still only been three-quarters deciphered, Antipodes recreates the Kryptos encoding in English; the Cyrillic inscription on the other has been decoded.
National Gallery of Art 
Location Constitution Ave. NW between Third and Ninth Sts., on the Mall. Nearest Metro stations Archives–Navy Memorial–Penn Quarter, Judiciary Square, or Smithsonian. Contact 202-737-4215; nga.gov. Admission Free. Hours Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed December 25 and January 1. Note: All galleries of the East Building will be closed for renovation and expansion through 2016.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This world-class collection is a must-see for everyone, even if you only have time for a brief visit. The West Building, designed by classicist John Russell Pope and clad in pink Tennessee marble, features European and American art from the 13th through the 19th centuries. The heart of the collection was donated—and the building largely constructed—by financier Andrew Mellon. (Samuel Kress, the five-and-dime magnate, and the cable car/horse racing Wideners of Philadelphia are among other munificent donors.) This is where you find the heavy hitters: da Vinci, Rembrandt, Van Eyck, Vermeer, Raphael, Goya, Monet, Fra Lippo Lippi, El Greco, and David, just to name a few. Most of the museum’s paintings are hung in many small rooms, instead of a few big ones, designed to complement the installations: hand-finished plaster walls in the Renaissance galleries, paneling in the Dutch galleries, etc. In a very classic way, it is filled with plants, benches, and a garden courtyard where classical concerts are often presented, most often on Sundays at 6:30 p.m. The Micro Gallery, modeled after a system at the National Gallery in London, houses 13 computer stations that provide visitors with images and information on about 1,700 paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts; 650 artists; and more than 530 art-related subjects. You can even create a personal tour of the museum and print a map showing the locations of works of art you’ve selected.
Mellon’s son Paul and daughter Alisa Bruce continued this august tradition by donating more than a thousand major pieces; more impressively, they financed the construction of I. M. Pei’s East Building (not “East Wing”) to house more contemporary art. Outside, the popular 1978 building consists of unadorned vertical planes. Inside, it’s bright, airy, and spacious—a series of triangles. Look for art by modern masters, such as Picasso, Matisse, Mondrian, Miró, Magritte, Warhol, Lichtenstein, and Rauschenberg. The exhibits change constantly, so there’s no telling which of these is on display.
The 6-acre National Gallery Sculpture Garden on the Mall side of the West Building holds works from the gallery’s permanent collection, as well as temporary exhibits. In summer there’s free jazz on Friday evenings; in winter the central pool serves as a public ice-skating rink. The Art Deco subway gate arching over the Pavilion Café (one of the Mall’s nicest dining spots) is from the Paris Metro. The gleaming pyramids between the museum wings create a natural playground.
TOURING TIPS Free tours and gallery talks are offered throughout the day; check at the desk. Tours are also available in more than a dozen foreign languages; call 202-842-6247 or check “Today’s Events” on the website. Security is particularly tight here: No luggage, backpacks, or book bags allowed. No phone calls are allowed in the galleries. Occasionally, temporary exhibits (such as a van Gogh show) are extremely popular and may require a free or “timed ticket” that admits you on a certain day at a specific hour; some are available as much as a month before a show opens. However, a number of tickets are set aside every day for distribution that day only. In addition to the Pavilion Café, the Concourse houses the Cascade Café/Buffet, a cafeteria with a waterfall wall. The more elegant (and quiet) Garden Court restaurant near the West Building museum shop often has special menus to complement exhibits—Provençal fare for a Cézanne show, Catalan for Joan Miró, traditional British fare for a Pre-Raphaelites exhibit, Russian for the Ballet Russes, etc.
Although the East Building galleries are closed, the atrium, with its iconic Calder mobile, remains open, with access to the underground Concourse, the walkway to the West Building, and the Cascade Café.
IF YOU LIKE THIS The fine art of the last 500 years by women is showcased at the much less hectic National Museum of Women in the Arts, profiled.
Location 17th and M Sts. NW, 4 blocks north of the White House. Nearest Metro stations Farragut North, Dupont Circle, or Farragut West. Contact 202-857-7700; nationalgeographic.com/museum. Admission Adults $11, seniors, military, students, and ages 5–12 $9. Hours Daily, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Walking through these halls is something like flipping through a couple of National Geographic magazines. Located on the first floor of the National Geographic Society’s headquarters, this small collection of exhibits showcases weather, geography, astronomy, biology, exploration, and space science. Temporary exhibits range from huge-scale models of Crusades-era castles under siege to imaginary monsters and manipulated photographs. The society also hosts concerts, films (both documentary and 3-D thrillers on dinosaurs and the like), and ethnic cultural events.
TOURING TIPS The admission fee is for the special exhibits. If you only want to browse the lobby exhibits (usually photography or interactive info) and the intriguing museum shop (which offers books, ethnic clothes and jewelry, travel gear, videos, maps, and magazines), you can enter free. The 3-D theater has a $7 ticket, but the combined entry/movie ticket saves you a couple of bucks. The courtyard on M Street, a great spot for a brown-bag lunch, is filled with whimsical animal sculptures. Note that the museum sometimes closes early the night before holidays.
Location Ninth St. and Independence Ave. SW, on the Mall. Nearest Metro station Smithsonian. Contact 202-633-4600 or 202-357-4814 (TDD); www.nmafa.si.edu. Admission Free. Hours Daily, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; closed December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This elegant subterranean museum is paired with the Sackler Gallery, a museum of Asian art, and separated by an above-ground garden. Inside is an extensive collection of African art in a wide range of media, including sculpture, masks, household and personal items, and religious objects. The museum also mounts special exhibitions. Intellectually, this museum transports museum-goers far away from the Mall. It’s a good destination for older children, teens, and adults looking for some non-European cultural history and art, and it’s a great alternative on hot or crowded days.
TOURING TIPS Ask at the information desk if there are any gallery tours scheduled. If you don’t have to take the elevator, don’t; there are artworks all around the staircase. Don’t miss the excellent museum shop, where you’ll find textiles, jewelry, scarves and sashes, wood carvings, and a wide selection of African music on CD and DVD. No food available on site.
National Museum of American History (a Smithsonian museum) 
Location 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW, on the Mall. Nearest Metro stations Smithsonian or Federal Triangle. Contact 202-633-1000 or 202-357-1563 (TDD); americanhistory.si.edu. Admission Free. Hours Daily, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; extended summer and holiday hours depend on budget constraints; closed December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS After a two-year renovation, this irresistibly eclectic museum—affectionately nicknamed “the nation’s attic,” its entire collection tops 3 million items—gives full due to such treasures as the original 30-by-42-foot Star-Spangled Banner (the veteran of an eight-year conservation, it was one of the prime inspirations for the renovation and atrium-opening of the museum, and now has its own gallery on the second floor), the desk on which Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, centuries of military uniforms and weapons, steam locomotives, printing presses, a Model T Ford, children’s toys from past decades, a pendulum three stories high that shows how the Earth rotates, a collection of ball gowns worn by First Ladies, letters by George Washington, a group of roots community exhibits, a house in which five families lived over a period of two centuries, and a pair of Dorothy’s ruby slippers (spoiler alert: there were three altogether). Just the collection of television objects and ephemera alone is stupefying: Fonzie’s jacket, one of Mr. Rogers’s sweaters, Archie Bunker’s chair, the 60 Minutes stopwatch, the Lone Ranger’s mask, Jim Henson’s original Oscar the Grouch and Kermit the Frog, and the (real) kitchen, pots, pans, and all, from Julia Child’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, home, where she began her TV career. No doubt the knife that gave her that infamous on-camera cut is there too. A new five-story-high atrium floods the museum with light, and thanks to the glass staircase and a panoramic window, you can see all the way through the museum from Constitution Avenue to the Mall and down to the Washington Monument. If you can’t find something of interest here, you may need mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. For a lot of people, this ranks as their favorite Mall museum. No wonder—it offers viewers a dizzying array of history, nostalgia, technology, and culture. And kids love it. It’s a must-see for virtually all visitors.
The Hall of Musical Instruments houses a Stradivarius quartet of ornamented instruments. There’s a science lab on the first floor with experiments every half hour, a statue of George Washington as a Roman general, and a single Dumbo flying car. The spectacular dollhouse on the third floor, donated in 1951, had already had 50 years of care and furnishing. The array of fully rigged model ships on the first floor is a child-pleaser too. The Hall of Transportation in the museum’s east wing features an excellent collection of cars, trains, trolleys, and motorcycles that will fascinate all ages.
TOURING TIPS Check at the information desk for a schedule of tours (usually daily at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.), demonstrations, concerts, lectures, films, and other activities put on by the museum staff. The Constitution Cafe (with a vintage ice cream parlor, no less) is on the first floor and a nicer-than-usual food court is on the lower level.
IF YOU LIKE THIS If the machinery is the stuff that fascinates you (or your kids), and it’s convenient enough, consider adding the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum in Alexandria to your itinerary (invent.org).
Location Fourth St. and Independence Ave. SW, on the Mall. Nearest Metro stations Federal Center or L’Enfant Plaza. Contact 202-633-1000 or 202-633-5285 (TDD); nmai.si.edu. Admission Free. Hours Daily, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; closed December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This newest Smithsonian museum (at least until the Museum of African-American History opens) is an undulating four-story landmark and clearly the Mall’s first 21st-century museum design, in that it refers outside to what it holds inside. Architecturally, it honors traditional methods of worship and natural conservation as well as showcases arts and traditional crafts. It sits on a 4.25-acre site with natural rock formations and native plants set in a forest, wetlands, meadowlands, and croplands. Here the term “American Indian” means much more than those of the United States; it also includes indigenous tribes from Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America (though they’re less heavily represented). The exhibits are relatively small, but the shop is very alluring, stocked with silver and turquoise (not knockoffs, the real thing), wood carvings, feather masks, fine pottery and glass, and ivory and stone carvings.
TOURING TIPS The museum’s Mitsitam Café, an upscale cafeteria featuring regional American dishes from salmon and tacos to venison and bison, is one of the best around the Mall, so at lunchtime it’s filled with federal workers as well as tourists.
Location 3500 Linden Ln., Silver Spring, MD. Nearest Metro station Silver Spring (15-minute walk). Contact 202-782-2200; medicalmuseum.mil. Admission Free. Hours Daily, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; closed December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Ever since TV became fascinated with forensic medicine, this museum—which dates back to the Civil War, though it’s in a brand-new building—figured out the way to a kid’s heart is through his, um, heart. Excellent exhibits on the human body make this museum a worthwhile destination. Although there are still plenty of bottled human organs, skeletons, and graphic illustrations of the effects of disfiguring diseases, the emphasis has shifted from the bizarre to education. Exhibits on Civil War medicine and an extensive microscope collection (including huge electron microscopes) will probably have more appeal to physicians, scientists, and other health professionals (unless you’re addicted to forensic-thriller TV or slasher films). Currently, a special exhibit focuses on Lincoln’s demise and deconstruction, so to speak.
TOURING TIPS No food available on site. Tours are offered to groups only, but perhaps you can tag along.
IF YOU LIKE THIS … but you are a little on the squeamish side, stick to the CSI-style playroom at the Crime Museum, profiled.
National Museum of Natural History (a Smithsonian museum) 
Location Tenth St. NW and Constitution Ave., on the Mall. Nearest Metro stations Smithsonian, Archives–Navy Memorial–Penn Quarter, or Federal Triangle. Contact 202-633-1000 or 202-357-1729 (TDD); mnh.si.edu. Admission Free; IMAX admission $9 adults, $8 seniors, $7.50 ages 2–12; butterfly pavilion admission $6 adults, $5.50 age 60 and up, $5 ages 2–12. Hours Daily, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; open until 7:30 p.m. during the summer months and around selected holidays; closed December 25. Note: The Dinosaur Hall will be closed for renovation for 5 years beginning April 28, 2014.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Distinguished by its golden dome and the towering bull elephant in the rotunda, the Museum of Natural History is a Washington landmark, and another of the Mall’s biggest guns (in 2013, it outpaced even Air & Space in tourist traffic). Visitors of all ages and tastes will find fascinating things to see here, from a mummified cat to a 3-D IMAX film on anything from mastodons to a reconstruction of Jerusalem. It’s also comfortingly old-fashioned, with long halls filled with dioramas, display cases, and hanging specimens that reflect the Victorian obsession with collecting things. The Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals—home, most famously, to the supposedly cursed 45.52-carat Hope Diamond, but also to a blue diamond that may have inspired Titanic’s fictional “Heart of the Ocean” gem—features meteorites, emeralds, a 23,000-carat topaz, crystals, a walk-through mine, a re-creation of a cave, and a plate tectonics gallery showing how the Earth’s surface shifts. Plus, now it features the requisite interactive computers, animated graphics, film and video presentations, and hands-on exhibits. Re-imagined Neanderthal ancestors and the real-life Ice Age animals that dwarfed them are a major crowd draw.
The mammal hall was overhauled in 2003, with state-of-the-art dioramas. An even more impressive renovation, the 23,000-square-foot ocean hall, opened in the fall of 2008, combining oceanographic, sea life, and weather exhibits. Its unofficial mascot is the 45-foot replica of a North Atlantic right whale hanging overhead, a scale model of a real whale named Phoenix whom scientists have been tracking since her birth in 1987. (Right underneath her in a metal case is a 24-foot female giant squid, a real one; the male is nearby, and not so large.) The 1,500-gallon aquarium holds a living coral reef. Then there’s the great white shark—extinct, and a good thing too; the jaw alone, seen here, is six feet across. In addition to the big guys, animal and mineral, check out the little ones in the Insect Zoo, which features a wide array of bugs. (Some museums have shark feedings; here, it’s tarantulas.) Special exhibits are located on the ground level (Constitution Avenue entrance).
TOURING TIPS Check the website for highlight and exhibit tours throughout the week. On Tuesdays the live butterfly pavilion is free. The museum’s website has a handy guide to busier or quieter times; see how that matches your schedule. A full-service cafeteria and two light cafés are on site.
Location 1250 New York Ave. NW. Nearest Metro station Metro Center or McPherson Square. Contact 202-783-5000 or 800-222-7270; nmwa.org. Admission $10 adults, $8 seniors age 65 and up and students, free for visitors age 18 and under. Hours Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, noon–5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This groundbreaking gendercentric museum, the world’s single most important collection of art by women, has a permanent collection of more than 4,000 paintings and sculpture by women from the 16th century to the present: Georgia O’Keeffe, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, Frida Kahlo, Judy Chicago, and Helen Frankenthaler, to name a few. From the outside, it looks like any other office building along crowded New York Avenue. But inside the former Masonic Grand Lodge are striking architectural features, such as a crystal chandelier, a main hall and mezzanine, and the Grand Staircase. The second-floor balcony hosts temporary exhibits; the third floor is where you’ll find the permanent collection. The annex showcases sculpture and contemporary works by lesser-known women artists. This beautiful museum is only a little off the beaten path—a five-minute walk from the for-profit “museums” of Penn Quarter—and while it’s a shame it isn’t seen by more people, that does make it nice for visitors.
TOURING TIPS Admission is free the first Sunday of each month. Café on site.
Location Eighth and F Sts. NW. Nearest Metro stations Gallery Place–Chinatown or Archives–Navy Memorial–Penn Quarter. Contact 202-633-8300; americanart.si.edu/reynolds_center. Admission Free. Hours Daily, 11:30 a.m.–7 p.m.; closed December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS It may seem overwhelming, but this is another of Washington’s world-class stops—two of them, in fact. After a six-year, $283 million renovation, these twin institutions—now collectively known as the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, in honor of the philanthropist whose donations made the renovation possible (and who also paid for most of the new Mount Vernon museum and visitor center)—are housed in one of Washington’s great buildings: the 1836 Patent Office, which in Pierre L’Enfant’s plan for the city marks the central point between the White House and Capitol building. The original architect, Robert Mills, had studied with Jefferson, designed the Washington Monument, and took much of his inspiration from the Parthenon. At the time it was built, the third floor Great Room in the National Portrait Gallery was believed to be the largest room in the nation. In addition to being freed of such horrors as linoleum and fluorescent lights, and having its vaulted ceilings and skylights restored, the structure has been graced with a huge central courtyard covered by a glass ceiling and with a water walk running through it.
In its time, the building has housed the Declaration of Independence, Ben Franklin’s printing press, Matthew Perry’s Japanese mementos, and various inventions of the times (such as false teeth and sewing machines), along with several presidential inaugural balls—not to mention serving as a Union Army hospital, where volunteer nurse Walt Whitman tended the wounded and dying and wrote letters for them and poems about them. It was very nearly demolished in 1953 until preservationists prevailed, and now it’s one of the city’s most popular museums. Both museums are first-class and house a combination of permanent and shifting exhibitions (the Steven Spielberg and George Lucas collections of Norman Rockwell originals, portraits of Elvis, etc.). Among the must-sees are the Gilbert Stuart portrait of Washington in the Presidents gallery (Portrait Gallery), the model of the Statue of Liberty, a casting of the famous Clover Adams memorial, and the stunning “The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly,” a huge folk-art piece made of found materials, scavenged furniture, and chewing gum wrappers by illiterate handyman James Hampton; it was discovered in his rooms after his death.
TOURING TIPS Free MP3 and cell-phone tours are available. Highlights and “docent’s choice” tours are available at various times during the day; check the website. There is sometimes entertainment in the courtyard—in addition to the sight of barefoot kids playing in the water, that is. The shop is elegant and imaginative. The Courtyard Café has light fare and light alcohol as well.
National Postal Museum (a Smithsonian museum) 
Location Washington City Post Office building, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE, adjoining Union Station. Nearest Metro stations Union Station or Capitol. Contact 202-633-5555 or 202-633-9849 (TTD); postalmuseum.si.edu. Admission Free. Hours Daily, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; closed December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS It’s much more interesting than it sounds, even if you’re not one of America’s 20 million stamp collectors. Plus, the opening of a brand-new wing makes it officially the largest philatelic museum in the world, and its exhibits point up the social, historical, and technological impact of the U.S. postal system. Kids will love the real airplanes hanging from the ceiling in the atrium (going back to the 1911 biplane) and the 1851 mail coach, plus hands-on fun like the chance to sort mail on a train and track a letter from Kansas to Nairobi. One exhibit tells the story of Owney, the stray dog who became the mascot of the Railway Mail Service and rode thousands of miles around the country. Themes focus on the history of mail service, how the mail is moved, the social importance of letters, and the beauty and lore of stamps. Thirteen of the rarest and most valuable oddities in philatelic history, including the coveted “inverted Jenny” (an airplane) of 1918, are on display. There are stamps celebrating women and African Americans, and an exhibit being mounted for 2014 will show the evolution of the relationship between the U.S. and China through stamp art. There is even an exhibition of Hindenberg and Titanic memorabilia (“Fire and Ice”). Serious collectors can call in advance for appointments to see any stamp in the museum’s world-class collection or to use the extensive library.
TOURING TIPS Ask at the information desk about docent-led drop-in tours, usually held at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. No food available on site, but Union Station is just next door. The “Old Post Office,” as it’s known, is still operating—seven days a week!—and the lobby has an old-fashioned elegance worth a peek, even if you don’t need a stamp.
Location At 17th St. NW on the Mall, between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Nearest Metro station Smithsonian. Contact wwiimemorial.com and nps.gov/nwwm. Admission Free. Hours Always open; rangers on site daily except December 25. Note: The monument may be closed during July 4th celebrations.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS The “greatest generation”—the 16 million Americans who served in uniform during World War II—gets its due for its contributions in winning the most devastating war in human history (50 million people were killed). Two 43-foot arches, a 17-foot pillar for each state and territory, and 4,000 gold stars honor the more than 400,000 soldiers who died in the conflict. The assemblies of white granite surround a large pool, fountains, and a piazza located in a spectacular setting. However moving to some, the overall effect is cold and oddly stilted, even militaristic (and not in an appropriate way); so, your reaction to the monument will be strongly influenced not only by your interest in military history or any family participation in the war (or wars) but also by your reaction to the atmosphere.
TOURING TIPS Clean, modern, and air-conditioned restrooms—a scarce commodity on the Mall—are located behind the visitor center on the “Pacific” side of the memorial.
IF YOU LIKE THIS The Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial are both nearby (and far more approachable). In time, the memorial to General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower will be a short walk away.
National Zoological Park (a Smithsonian museum) 
Location 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. Nearest Metro stations Cleveland Park or Woodley Park–Zoo/Adams Morgan. Contact 202-673-4800 (24-hour recording) or 202-673-7800 (TDD); nationalzoo.si.edu. Admission Free. Hours April–October: Grounds open 6 a.m.–8 p.m. (last entrance at 7), buildings open 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; October–March: Grounds open 6 a.m.–6 p.m., buildings open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; closed December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This is an absolute stunner of a zoo, emphasizing the animals’ natural environments so that many roam large enclosures instead of pacing in cages. Two main paths link the many buildings and exhibits: Olmstead Walk, which passes all the animal houses, and the steeper Valley Trail, which includes all the aquatic exhibits. They add up to about 2 miles of trail. The zoo’s nonlinear layout and lack of sight lines make a map invaluable; pick one up at the Education Building near the entrance. The most popular exhibits include the recently renovated Asian elephant house; the great apes; the white tiger; the cheetahs; and the giant pandas, Tian Tian and Mei Xiang in their new 12,000-square-foot habitat, complete with Chinese-style “mist” and rocky landscapes. (Their famously photogenic first cub, stick ‘o butter Tai Shan, had to be returned to China, but his little sister Bao Bao is keeping the legend alive.) The panda habitat is part of the Asia Trail, also stocked with sloth bears, giant Japanese salamanders, otters, and the endangered clouded leopards.
The newest addition to the zoo’s environments is the American Trail, a five-year, $42 million showcase of American species, many of them endangered, including sea lions and seals, gray wolves, otters, beavers, ravens, pelicans, and, of course, an American bald eagle. For diversity and a good chance of seeing some animal activity, check out the Small Mammal House (with the irresistible sand cat), the invertebrate exhibit (kids can look through microscopes), and the huge outside bird cages (the condors look the size of Volkswagens).
Pollinarium, a lush garden housed in a 1,250-square-foot greenhouse, features hundreds of zebra long-wing butterflies. A glass-enclosed beehive gives an up-close glimpse of the activities of thousands of honeybees. Think Tank attempts to answer the question “Can animals think?” by studying problem-solving ability, brain size, and language. Amazonia is a 15,000-square-foot rain forest habitat. If you’re lucky—usually just before lunch—you might catch the orangutans barreling across their own private tramway in the air above Olmstead Walk.
TOURING TIPS Despite the fact that one Metro station is called Woodley Park/National Zoo, it’s downhill from the zoo entrance; take the Metro to Cleveland Park and walk down to the zoo for your visit, then take the easy way down to the Woodley Park station when you’re through. Plan to visit either early or later, because animals are least active in the middle of the day. Many sections of the paths winding through the zoo’s 163 acres are steep. During busy periods, some exhibits are subject to “controlled access” to prevent crowding; in other words, you may have to wait in line. If it is rainy, most of the indoor exhibits can be found along Olmstead Walk. Feedings, viewings, and demonstrations occur throughout the day at the cheetah, elephant, seal, and sea lion exhibits; check at the Education Building for times. After years of only the most basic concessionaire food, the zoo has opened several more inviting spots, notably the Seal Rock Café, which emphasizes sustainable seafood.
Location 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Nearest Metro stations Archives–Navy Memorial–Penn Quarter or Judiciary Square. Contact 888-6397386; newseum.org. Admission $22 adults, $13 ages 7–18, $18 age 65 and up. Hours Daily, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS The mission of this museum is literally right up front: the words of the First Amendment are chiseled into the facade of the striking glass and steel six-story museum, and there are 80 front pages culled from 600 newspapers worldwide on display every day. Among the major attractions are the studio from which George Stephanopoulos hosts This Week with … (and no, that view isn’t fake—it’s just one of the museum’s several extraordinary views of the Mall and government buildings); 15 theaters, including a 4-D film about the history of investigative reporting; a huge display of front pages from noteworthy events (the hanging of Jesse James, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the sinking of the Titanic, Nixon’s resignation, the 1890 “J’Acuse!” page, etc.); Pulitzer Prize–winning photographs; and special exhibits on loan from the FBI collection, starting with “G-Men and Journalists.” There are also more sobering displays, including a wall of honor listing journalists killed in the course of reporting (and some of the blood-stained reminders), a section of the Berlin Wall, and a piece of the transmission tower from the World Trade Center. A 100-foot crawl wall keeps you up-to-date with breaking news. Younger visitors will be thrilled by the interactive games (adults can play the ethics quiz as well) and the blue-wall video technology that allows them to play reporter (for an additional charge). Special exhibits range from the solemn to the silly, including Civil War journalism, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and one spotlighting that San Diego beacon of pride, “Anchorman” Ron Burgundy.
TOURING TIPS There is a food court, but the Newseum is also home to one of Washington’s celebrity restaurants, Wolfgang Puck’s Source. Do bring a camera; although you can’t take pictures of the exhibits, you should send home photos from the outdoor walkways of yourself with the Capitol in the background.
IF YOU LIKE THIS Look into tours of the Voice of America studios, near the east end of the Mall (insidevoa.com).
Old Post Office Tower and Pavilion 
Location 12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Nearest Metro stations Federal Triangle or Archives–Navy Memorial–Penn Quarter. Contact 202-606-8691 for the tower; oldpostofficedc.com or nps.gov/opot. Admission Free. Hours Labor Day–Memorial Day: Monday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–4:45 p.m.; Sunday and holidays, noon.–5:45 p.m. Memorial Day–Labor Day: Monday–Wednesday and Friday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–7:45 p.m.; Sunday and holidays, noon–5:45 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This fine old building, a Pennsylvania Avenue landmark once incomprehensibly slated for demolition, is being redeveloped by Donald Trump as a luxury hotel complex, but happily, his agreement with the National Park Service ensured that the 315-foot clock tower would remain open to the public. It offers a spectacular view of Washington, and through large plate glass windows, not tiny peepholes like those at the Washington Monument.
TOURING TIPS The National Park Service rangers on duty in the tower are a great source of advice about D.C. touring. Ask one to show you the lay of the land from the observation deck. Also, the tower houses the official U.S. Bells of Congress, a gift from Britain on the bicentennial of the Revolutionary War. (Now that’s good manners.) The bells are rung on Thursdays (hence the early closing) and for some commemorative occasions.
IF YOU LIKE THIS Walk across Pennsylvania Avenue and up 15th Street NW to the W Hotel and try to get a drink or snack on the rooftop POV lounge; it might even be a better view.
Location 8 miles south of Washington in Virginia. Nearest Metro station King Street. Contact 800-388-9119 or 703-746-3301 (the Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association); visitalexandriava.com. Admission Some historic sites charge about $5 for adults; discount Key to the City pass available. Hours Historic houses, shops, and the Torpedo Factory Art Center generally open by 10 a.m. and remain open through the afternoon, but many have seasonal hours; check individual websites. Note that many of these attractions may be closed on Mondays.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This is really a walking tour of a partially restored colonial port town on the Potomac River, featuring 18th-century buildings on cobblestone streets existing side by side with trendy shops, bars and restaurants, parks, and a huge art center.
As you exit the King Street Metro station, either board the free Old Town Trolley, which circulates between the station and the waterfront, or walk along King Street for a pleasant 25-minute stroll toward the river. The closer visitor center is at the Lyceum (201 South Washington Street; 703-838-4994), where two exhibition galleries and a museum of the area’s history are featured; from King Street, turn right onto Washington Street and walk a block. There’s a small museum featuring prints, documents, photographs, silver, furniture, and Civil War memorabilia. Farther down King on the left is Ramsay House, across from City Hall and the town square (221 King Street; 703-746-3301). Built in 1724 for city founder William Ramsay and now Alexandria’s official visitor center, it’s open daily except Thanksgiving, December 24, and January 2. Ramsay House is the best starting point for a walking tour of Old Town Alexandria, where you can pick up brochures, walking tours, and a $9 Key to the City pass that cuts your total admission to nine local attractions by two-thirds, and includes discounts at restaurants and shops.
Alexandria claims both George Washington and Robert E. Lee as native sons, so history buffs have a lot to see. Topping the list are several period revival houses that rival those in Georgetown, including the 1753 Georgian Paladian mansion Carlyle House, a living history museum at 121 North Fairfax Street ( 703-549-2997; nvrpa.org/park/carlyle_house_historic_park) where Washington not only slept but was also a frequent dinner guest and relation by marriage. Several times a year, re-enactors participate in events based on details from Washington’s diaries, among other sources. Washington celebrated his birthday at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum (134 North Royal Street; 703-838-4242), where you can dine in colonial splendor; and he attended services at Christ Church (118 North Washington Street; 703-544-5883). The Lee-Fendall House (614 Oronoco Street; 703-548-1789), built by a cousin of Revolutionary General and Virginia Governor Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee in 1785, remained in Lee family hands until 1902; it has been restored to period glory. (Googlers, save your fingers: “Light Horse” was Robert E. Lee’s father.) The newly restored four-story Stabler-Leadbetter Apothecary Museum (105–107 South Fairfax Street; 703-836-3713), where receipts show Martha Washington and James Monroe both purchased items, is also the site where in 1859 Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart, then at the U.S. Army, handed Colonel Robert E. Lee—then also an officer in the national force—his orders to quell John Brown’s insurrection at Harper’s Ferry.
The once tiny Alexandria Black History Museum has a new home at 902 Wythe Street, but it’s still partially under construction ( 703-746-4356; alexandriava.gov). All of the above are included in the Key to the City pass.
Less historic but quite popular is the Torpedo Factory Art Center at the foot of King Street. It features more than 150 painters, printmakers, sculptors, and other artists and craftspeople, and visitors can watch artists at work in their studios housed in the former munitions factory. A couple of blocks from the King Street Metro at 101 Callahan Street is the ziggurat-like George Washington National Masonic Memorial ( 703-683-2007; gwmemorial.org). You can browse two floors of exhibits featuring Washington and Masonic (including a 370-year-old Persian rug valued at $1 million) memorabilia for $5, but for $8, the guided tour, which features a view from the 333-foot tower and observation deck, is worth it. (Children 12 and under can take either tour for free.) Tours are given daily at 10 and 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 and 3 p.m.
TOURING TIPS Old Town Alexandria makes itself welcoming to tourists by running a free trolley service between the King Street Metro along King Street to the waterfront, bringing you within walking distance of almost everything. If you do drive to Alexandria, you can try parking in a two-hour metered space, putting in a little change, and going to a visitor center to pick up a pass that lets you park free for 24 hours; but you’ll likely have to use a garage.
IF YOU LIKE THIS Read the profile on Mount Vernon), though you will likely need at least two days to cover all this.
Location Near the south parking area of the Pentagon in Arlington, VA. Nearest Metro station Pentagon. Contact pentagonmemorial.org. Admission Free. Hours Always open.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This intentionally low-key memorial to those who were killed on 9/11 is designed to encourage visitors to meditate on the enormity of the attack and of the human toll. As you approach from the plaza, you step across the Zero Line, inscribed “September 11, 2001 9:37 a.m.” The border was cut from the original limestone walls and still shows scorch marks from the fire that followed the impact. There are 184 benches, one for each of those killed when Flight 777, traveling at a speed of 550 mph, struck the building. Under each bench, which resembles a jet wing, is a small pool; during the day they reflect sunlight and at night are lit from beneath the water. Each bench has been oriented so that if you read the name and you’re looking at the sky, he or she was actually on the airplane; if the viewpoint is the Pentagon, the victim was in the building. (There is a slab with all the names and years of birth, which is also a locator for benches.) There is a point-of-impact marker, and an “age wall” rises along an arc and reflects the ages of the victims, ranging from 3-year-old Dana Falkenberg, who was in a day care center, to 71-year-old John D. Yamnicky. Although this is obviously an emotionally loaded site that may have even deeper meaning for anyone who lost family or friends, its symbolism is subtle enough that young children should not be disturbed.
TOURING TIPS Paved walkways allow for wheelchair accessibility. There are no metal detectors or security checkpoints to pass through, as you are not allowed to enter the Pentagon itself; however, in addition to the usual prohibitions on alcohol, etc., visitors may not carry firearms, fireworks, or political or commercial brochures or posters. You are not allowed to take photographs of the Pentagon building itself either. Restrooms are open daily 7 a.m.–10 p.m. Like the Korean War Veterans Memorial, this is even more affecting after dark. There is an audio tour for download on the website; or you can call 202-741-1004 when you enter for a guide to points of interest.
Location 1600 21st St. NW. Nearest Metro station Dupont Circle. Contact 202-387-2151; phillipscollection.org. Admission Tuesday–Friday, free; Saturday and Sunday, $10 adults, $8 seniors and college students with ID; visitors under age 18 admitted free. Special exhibition tickets $12/$10 daily. Hours Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; closed July 4, Thanksgiving, December 24 and 25, and January 1.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Founded by Duncan Phillips, grandson of the founder of the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company, this was the first museum dedicated to modern art in the United States, and the complex still includes the family’s former mansion, as well as an airy, well-lit addition. The collection, which now includes more than 3,000 works, is too large for everything to be on display at once, so the art is constantly rotated, although what is probably its most famous painting, Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party, is a staple. Expect to see works by Monet, Picasso, Miró, Renoir, and Van Gogh, among other modern masters; there is a large room that was specifically designed by Phillips and Mark Rothko to house some of the artist’s signature large color works. The large and ornate Music Room is as spectacular as the art hanging on its walls. Although it isn’t free, it is easily as important a stop for art lovers as the Hirshhorn and the National Gallery of Art.
TOURING TIPS There are frequent classical concerts Saturdays at 4 p.m.; however, these are no longer free ($30 adults, $15 students). The café is unusually nice; open Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Although admission to the permanent collection is free during the week, a fire in 2010 damaged the mansion, so if you feel you can make a donation, it would be welcome.
Location Rock Creek Church Rd. and Upshur St. NW. No Metro access. Contact 202-829-0436; lincolncottage.org. Admission $15 adults, $5 ages 6–12. Hours Monday–Saturday, visitor center open 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sunday, visitor center open 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. April–October, hours extended one hour. Closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This Gothic Revival home—called a cottage and fairly simple, but with 34 rooms—served five chief executives, from James Buchanan to Chester A. Arthur, as a summer retreat; but the length of time Lincoln spent here (from June to November each year from 1862 to 1864), and the fact that several crucial historical events happened here, including the drafting of the Emancipation Proclamation, have indelibly linked it to the Civil War leader. The campus was the original Retired Soldiers’ Home, so the mural in the visitor center across the driveway shows both the President and his son Tad engaging the veterans. The visitor center also has an orientation video and a four-room exhibition center with interactive maps and anecdotes (the President once barely escaped assassination riding from the White House to the cottage, and a bullet hole in his stovepipe hat attests to it) and signed copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery.
In the cottage itself, guides provide part of the narration; dramatic readings and theatrical lighting provide the rest. (An elevator has been added to make most of the cottage accessible.)
TOURING TIPS Guided tours of the cottage are offered Monday–Saturday 10 a.m.–3 p.m. on the hour and Sunday 11 a.m.–3 p.m.; “Emancipation Tours” offered Tuesday and Saturday at 3 p.m. Limited food available on site. Of the several Lincoln-centric sites (Ford’s Theatre, the Lincoln Memorial, Museum of American History), this might be the last on the list, but only because of its limited accessibility.
If you do go, spend a few extra minutes in Rock Creek Cemetery just north of the main gate, where many cabinet members, congressmen, Supreme Court justices, and presidential relations (Henry Adams, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, etc.) are buried. Its most famous monument is the statue and grove dedicated to Adams and his wife, Clover, with the hooded figure by Saint-Gaudens often called “Grief” and landscape setting by famed architect Stanford White. St. Paul’s Church in the cemetery, built in 1712, is the only surviving colonial church in Washington; its 18-inch brick walls and stained glass windows have survived many trials.
(Closed for renovation through 2015) Smithsonian Institution Building (aka the Castle) 
Location 1000 Jefferson Dr. SW, on the Mall. Nearest Metro station Smithsonian. Contact 202-633-1000 or 202-357-1729 (TDD); si.edu. Admission Free. Hours Daily, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; closed December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This redbrick building—you can’t miss it—contains limited exhibits: The building—which inspired a Lego model, on display through summer 2014—is its own showpiece. Known as “the Castle” for obvious architectural reasons, it is the original Smithsonian museum, and was designed by James Renwick, who also designed St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York (and the nearby Renwick Gallery). It now serves as an information center that will help you save time and trouble and reduce the frustration of visiting the Smithsonian’s large and perplexing museum complex. It frequently mounts “souvenirs” and curios from the collections of the various museums. The restored Children’s Room is literally a child’s garden of delights. Among the many interactive exhibits is a map that lights up the location of each of the museums on the Mall, as well as other popular D.C. sights, when you press the corresponding button.
TOURING TIPS Food is available on site. Don’t forget to pay your respects to the museum’s founder, James Smithson, near the north entrance; his crypt is not fancy, but he deserves it.
Location 2118 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Nearest Metro station Dupont Circle. Contact 202-785-2040; societyofthecincinnati.org. Admission Free. Hours Tuesday–Saturday, 1–4 p.m.; closed federal holidays.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This 50-room Florentine-style mansion–cum–Revolutionary War museum on Embassy Row is a real stunner that few visitors ever see. Built in 1906 for diplomat Larz Anderson (at a cost of at least $20 million today), it’s a reflection of fabulous turn-of-the-century taste and wealth. But it has even more historical value: Anderson was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati, which was co-founded in 1783 by George Washington and whose members are descendants of French and American officers who served in the Revolutionary Army. Anderson not only collected Revolutionary War artifacts but also lined the walls with tapestries and paintings by Gilbert Stuart, John Trumbull, and so on. After his death, his widow donated the mansion to the society. Today the building serves the society as both headquarters and museum. (See the section “Best Inside Tours” for more on the exhibits.)
TOURING TIPS A little eye candy: This is the heart of what was once called “Millionaire’s Row,” now called Embassy Row, and the Indonesian Embassy at 2020 Massachusetts Avenue belonged to Evalyn Walsh McLean, the last private owner of the Hope Diamond. Take the 15-minute tour; it might be brief, but this could be the most impressive mansion you’ve ever seen; call 202-775-5306 for a reservation.
Location 1644 31st St. NW. No Metro access. Contact 202-965-0400; tudorplace.org. Admission $10 adults, $8 seniors age 62+ and military, $5 students ages 7–17, $2 children ages 6–12; garden admission only, $3. Hours Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sunday, noon–4 p.m.; closed the month of January, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and December 24–25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Martha Custis Peter, Martha Washington’s granddaughter, and her husband, Thomas Peter, began construction on this lovely stucco-faced neoclassical mansion in 1806 with the $8,000 she inherited from the first president. It was designed by William Thornton, who also designed the U.S. Capitol, and its circular domed portico is unique. Like nearby Dumbarton House, Tudor Place had a clear view of the burning of the town in 1814. Andrew Jackson visited here on the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, and Robert E. Lee, whose wife was Martha Custis’s niece, often slept here. Among the items, which constitute the greatest concentration of Washingtoniana outside Mount Vernon, are an affectionate note from George Washington to Martha that was found in a secret drawer of her desk, a miniature painting of George on ivory, swords, and antique toys. The grounds are lovely. (Here’s a funny bit of trivia: The Peter children were patriotically named America, Britannia Wellington, George Washington, and Columbia.)
TOURING TIPS Guided tours on the hour Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays on the hour from noon to 3 p.m. Tours are not recommended for children under age 6. No food available on site. The gardens are open daily, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; you cannot enter the house except just before each tour to buy your tickets, but you can pick up a free garden tour map and walk about.
Union Station 
Location Massachusetts Ave. and North Capitol St. NE. Nearest Metro station Union Station. Contact 202-289-1908; unionstationdc.com. Admission Free. Hours Always open; shops open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday, noon–6 p.m.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This Beaux-Arts palace must have made a suitably capital impression in its time, and it still does, if you look past all the money-making filler. The Main Hall, with a 90-foot barrel-vaulted ceiling, is breathtaking. Shops run the gamut: chic clothing stores, The Great Train Store, bookstores, Brookstone, the Nature Company—130 stores altogether. (See Part Seven: Shopping for more.) In the food court, you’ll find everything from sushi to ribs, while a nine-screen cinema complex offers solace on a rainy day. There are also several full-service restaurants, an international currency exchange, pick-up stands for sightseeing companies, and rental-car companies on site, not to mention Amtrak and Metro.
Location 100 Maryland Ave. SW (on the Mall near the U.S. Capitol). Nearest Metro station Federal Center SW. Contact 202-225-8333; usbg.gov. Admission Free. Hours Conservatory and garden: daily, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This permanent collection of tropical, subtropical, and desert plants, housed in a stunning, fully renovated, 38,000-square-foot greenhouse, is completely unlike any other attraction on the Mall. The Conservatory, a building that reflects the grand manner of Victorian architecture (even though it was constructed in the 1930s), houses a living museum on the Mall. The central jungle resembles an abandoned plantation in a tropical rain forest under a dome that rises to 93 feet. Other sections display orchids, ferns, cacti, and other types of plants in naturalistic settings. Its outdoor portion is Frederic Bartholdi Park (open from dawn until dusk), located across Independence Avenue from the Conservatory and named for the designer of the Statue of Liberty. The park features displays of bulbs, annuals, and perennials, sustainable plants, and more. The focal point is the 15-ton, 30-foot-tall cast-iron Bartholdi Fountain, originally exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia.
TOURING TIPS Skip it on a sweltering summer afternoon.
U.S. Capitol 
Location East end of the Mall; visitors entrance at East Capitol and First St. SE. Nearest Metro stations Capitol South or Union Station. Contact 202-225-6827 for a recording or 202-225-3121 for the Capitol switchboard; visitthecapitol.gov. AdmissionFree, but tickets required. Hours The building is open Monday–Saturday, 8:45 a.m.–3:30 p.m., and tours are conducted 8:50 a.m.–3:20 p.m.; visitor center open 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, December 25, January 1, and Inauguration Day.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS There is good news and bad news. After an eight-year construction project, the Capitol’s underground visitor center, which has a glorious skylight view of the Capitol dome, has made space for the many statues and artifacts that were in storage; it also has two videos on the history of the building. (The dome will be scaffolded for repairs through most of 2015, but this view will not be obstructed.) The visitor center, which houses a cafeteria, gift shop, rest-rooms, and exhibit spaces, is underground at the east plaza.
The downside is, in this security-conscious era, you can’t just walk in and tour the main Capitol building; you must have a pass. Only a few same-day passes are available at the “public walk-up” station near the information desk in the visitor center, and that can mean quite a wait, even if you show up at 8 a.m. The only safe way to reserve a space is to get a ticket from one of your senators or representatives or to reserve in advance online. But even if you’re able to obtain a ticket, the public tour takes visitors through only a small part of the Capitol: the Rotunda, Statuary Hall, and the Crypt. If you want to see Congress in session, or either of the galleries even when nothing is happening, you will need a gallery pass, but again, you’ll have to obtain one at the office of one of your Congress members. (International visitors should go to the House and Senate appointment desks upstairs in the visitor center.)
As for the statue atop the dome, whose costume is sometimes the source of disagreement, she is Freedom, who holds a sword in her right hand and a laurel wreath of victory in the left. Her shield bears 13 stripes, and the helmet, encircled with stars, is adorned with an eagle’s head, feathers, and talons. (It’s these decorations that have led to Freedom sometimes being identified as an American Indian maiden.) Just under 20 feet tall, she rises 300 feet above the east plaza. If a white light surrounds her, the House is in session, and if a red light is shining, the Senate is meeting. Two lights are suitably bicameral.
TOURING TIPS Not surprisingly, the Capitol is on constant security alert. Prohibited items include knives, pointed objects, pepper spray, duffel bags, backpacks, aerosol cans, bottles, food, and beverages.
(closed for renovation)
Location 2201 C St. NW. Nearest Metro station Foggy Bottom–GWU. Contact 202-647-3241, 202-736-4474 (TDD); receptiontours.state.gov. Admission Free, but reservations required. Hours Tours are given Monday–Friday at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 2:45 p.m. by advance reservation only; children under age 12 are not permitted.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS While the State Department goes about its important work in a building with architecture best described as “early airport,” the interiors on the eighth floor are something else entirely: A seriously fabulous collection of 18th- and early-19th-century fine and decorative arts fills stunning rooms that are used daily to receive visiting heads of state and foreign dignitaries. This is a tour for almost anyone: antiques and fine arts lovers, history buffs, and just casual visitors. It’s also a sight that the overwhelming majority of D.C. tourists miss. First-time visitors should make the effort to get reservations well in advance of their trip. Then forget about visiting the White House. (See “Best Inside Tours” for more information.)
TOURING TIPS Reservations are accepted up to 90 days in advance of your visit, and you should certainly try to get them a month in advance. A short, optional public affairs tour is offered after the 45-minute main tour.
IF YOU LIKE THIS Make an advance reservation for the Indonesian Embassy (see the profile of the Society of the Cincinnati).
Location Alongside the White House at the corner of 15th St. NW and Pennsylvania Ave. Nearest Metro stations McPherson Square, Farragut Square, or Federal Triangle. Contact treasury.gov/about/history/Pages/tours.aspx. Admission Free, but reservation required. Hours Tours Saturday only at 9, 9:45, 10:30, and 11:15 a.m. (except some holidays).
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Do not confuse this with the Bureau of Engraving: This is a much more imposing place. After an elaborate renovation, this Gilded Age beauty has been carried back to its glory days but given all the modern electrical and insulation services it had long needed. The renovation exposed a three-story cast iron ceiling dome with gilded trim, which had been obscured by a bank of elevators. Among the highlights of the tour are the Andrew Johnson Room, which was where Johnson ran the nation for six weeks after Lincoln’s assassination to allow Mary Todd Lincoln time to move out (the black hangings are gone, but a portrait of the dead president remains); the two-story Cash Room with its three enormous chandeliers and seven types of marble (it was originally a bank—Lincoln was among those who used it—and also served as the reception site for Grant’s inaugural); the Salmon P. Chase suite, which has two fabulous allegorical murals of “Treasury” and “Justice”; and diplomatic reception rooms.
TOURING TIPS Reservations can only be made through Congressional offices. If you get passes, be on time; you will not be able to join another tour if you are late. No strollers or backpacks allowed into the building.
Location 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW (15th St.), near the Mall between the Washington Monument and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Nearest Metro station Smithsonian. Contact 202-488-6100; ushmm.org. Admission Free; timed tickets for permanent exhibit March–September. Hours Daily, 10 a.m.–5:20 p.m. (until 6:30 p.m. weekdays around April and May); closed December 25 and Yom Kippur. Special comments For mature audiences.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS As its designers intended, this $168 million museum is ugly, forbidding, and grim—and it delivers a stern message about the evils of racial persecution. It also packs an emotional punch that may not fit some folks’ vacation plans. Technologically and emotionally, it’s a stunning experience: audiovisual displays, advanced computer technology, and a model of a Nazi death camp recreate one of the darkest periods in human history. But that’s not all: As part of the museum experience, visitors are cast as “victims” of Nazi brutality. Visitors receive an identity card of a real Holocaust victim matched to their gender and age—a demographic doppelgänger. The interior of the museum is relentlessly industrial and forbidding—pipes are exposed and rough surfaces of brick and concrete are cold and unwelcoming. Diagonal walls in the exhibition areas create a disorienting effect. Ghostly shapes pass overhead on glass-bottomed walkways, suggesting Nazi prison guards patrolling a camp. (Actually, they are visitors walking on footbridges linking the permanent exhibit spaces.) Every moment spent inside the museum is orchestrated to impart the horror of Nazi persecution. In fact, the primary, and essential, difference between this museum and the Holocaust Museum in New York is that in Manhattan, the mood is “We will survive.” This says, “We will never forget.”
According to Holocaust Museum officials, the main permanent exhibit is inappropriate for children under age 11—and we agree. In fact, almost everyone can pinpoint the spot where their throat begins to feel tight. However, a special exhibit on the museum’s first floor, “Daniel’s Story: Remember the Children,” is designed for visitors ages 8 and older. It gives a child’s perspective on the Holocaust, but without the shocking graphics of the permanent exhibit, and serves as a sort of kid’s parking lot while the adults continue.
While many exhibits focus on Jewish life prior to the Holocaust and the political and military events surrounding World War II, the most disturbing displays are graphic depictions of Nazi atrocities. Large TV screens scattered throughout the exhibits present still and motion pictures of Nazi leaders, storm troopers rounding up victims, and life inside Jewish ghettos. Some of the TV screens are located behind concrete barriers to prevent younger (and, inadvertently, shorter) visitors from seeing them. They show executions, medical experiments on Jewish prisoners, and suicide victims. It’s very strong stuff.
TOURING TIPS During the busiest months (generally March–August), the Holocaust Museum employs a same-day, time-ticket system to eliminate long lines at its permanent exhibits; no tickets are required for the special exhibitions. While the ticket office opens at 10 a.m., plan on getting in line no later than 9 a.m. A limited number of advance reservation tickets (with a $1 per pass fee) are available at the website (ushmm.org/visit) or by calling 877-80-USHMM (877-808-7466). Tours for the visually or hearing impaired can be arranged in advance. The museum annex on Raoul Wallenberg Place has a small deli/café that offers vegetarian and some prepackaged and certified kosher fare.
Location 3501 New York Ave. NE (near Bladensburg Rd.). No Metro access. Contact 202-245-2726; usna.usda.gov. Admission Free. Hours Grounds open Friday–Monday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed federal Monday holidays and December 25; information center open 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum is open 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS With 9 miles of roads and more than 3 miles of walking paths over 446 acres, the U.S. National Arboretum offers visitors an oasis of quiet and beauty for a drive or a stroll. Even people without green thumbs will marvel at the bonsai collection, whose dwarf trees are more like sculptures than plants. One specimen, a Japanese white pine, is 350 years old. In the spring, fields of azaleas are in bloom—although at press time, there was a proposal, and public opposition, to remove the azalea landscape. Flowering dogwood and mountain laurel bloom well into May. The world-class bonsai collection is a treat all year. Late July and August feature blooming aquatic plants. Folks with limited time who aren’t gardening enthusiasts, however, shouldn’t spend their touring hours on a visit.
TOURING TIPS A tram tour with recorded narration (including space for two wheelchairs) is offered at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m., with additional 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. tours mid-April through October. Tour tickets cost $4 adults, $3 seniors, $2 ages 4–16.
U.S. Supreme Court 
Location One First St. NE, across from the east front of the U.S. Capitol. Nearest Metro stations Union Station or Capitol South. Contact 202-479-3211; supremecourtus. gov. Admission Free. Hours Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; closed federal holidays.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This magnificent faux Greek temple is where the nine-member Supreme Court makes final interpretations of the U.S. Constitution and laws passed by Congress. There was probably a time when this was considered a stodgy site, but anyone who ever sees nightly television will know that it’s frequently the scene of robust debate inside and out. To see the Court in session, look for oral argument to be held Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays in two-week intervals from October through April; check the “A” section of The Washington Post for specifics. Plan on arriving no later than 9 a.m. to get in line. Two lines form: a regular line, for those wishing to hear some of the argument (one hour), and a 3-minute line for folks who just want to slip in for a few moments. When the court isn’t in session, free lectures are offered every hour on the half hour between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. An excellent 25-minute film explains the workings of the Supreme Court in more detail.
TOURING TIPS Bring quarters: you will have to place personal belongings like backpacks and cameras in coin-operated (quarters only) lockers. Security here is no-nonsense: visitors pass through two X-ray machines before entering the courtroom. Small children are not allowed in the courtroom during oral arguments. The cafeteria on the ground level is one of the better government eateries; it’s open for breakfast 7:30–10:30 a.m. and for lunch 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m., except at noon and 1 p.m. when only Court employees may enter. There is also a snack bar.
Location On the west end of the Mall near the Lincoln Memorial. Nearest Metro station Foggy Bottom–GWU. Contact 202-426-6841; nps.gov/vive. Admission Free. Hours Always open; staffed 9 a.m.–11:30 p.m.; closed December 25.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS “The Wall,” as it is known, is a black, V-shaped rift in the earth, nearly 494 feet long and ranging from 8 inches tall at its outer edges to 10 feet tall at its center. The design competition for the memorial, which was open to the public, was won by Maya Lin, then a 21-year-old in her third year at Yale. Both her concept and her inexperience were the subject of great controversy, though its quality is now almost universally recognized; nevertheless, to placate those veterans and their families who thought it too severe and abstract, an additional sculpture depicting three soldiers was also commissioned. The Wall was dedicated on Veterans Day, November 13, 1982. Fredrick Hart’s Three Servicemen sculpture, which now dominates the entrance to the memorial (and, in our opinion, compromises the concept visually), was dedicated two years later, also on Veterans Day. Tucked more inconspicuously to one side is a tribute to the women who served in Vietnam, sculpted by Glenna Goodacre and dedicated on Veterans Day in 1993.
TOURING TIPS At both ends of the Wall, visitors will find books that list the inscribed names and panel numbers to help them locate an inscription. No food available on site. At night this memorial is especially moving, as people light matches to search for names inscribed on the wall.
IF YOU LIKE THIS Especially after dark, cross the lawn to the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
Location On the Mall between 15th and 17th Sts. NW. Nearest Metro station Smithsonian. Contact 202-233-3520; nps.gov/wamo. Admission Free; timed tickets required. Hours Memorial Day–Labor Day: daily, 9 a.m.–10 p.m. (last entry 9:45 p.m.); 9 a.m.–5 p.m. in off-season (last entry 4:45); closed July 4 and December 25. Note: The monument has been closed since August 2011 because of earthquake damage; however, it is scheduled to reopen mid-2014.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS For most people, a first-time trip to Washington isn’t complete without an ascent of this famous landmark. But even icons have feet of, well, concrete, and to be frank, this one is somewhat overrated. The view is irrefutably grand—at the top you’re 500 feet up, and D.C.’s absence of other tall buildings (by law) guarantees a glorious, unobstructed view of Washington—but if it’s raining, it’s just gray. And most visitors are surprised by the cramped observation deck and small windows—you almost have to elbow your way over to see anything. The outlook from the Old Post Office Pavilion tower is better, and the one from the balconies at the Newseum nearly as fine. If you remember hoofing it down those 900 steps from the observation deck to the ground, as Eve does, forget it; they are no longer open to the public.
TOURING TIPS The ticket window at the Washington Monument Lodge on 15th Street is open 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and is first come, first served. However, in peak season, tickets can be exhausted early in the day. Ensure your place in the queue by reserving online at recreation.gov or calling 877-559-6777, with a nonrefundable service fee. No food or restrooms on site, but both are available at the lodge. Security limitations on what can be brought in are strict and extensive, but note that, unlike some places, there are no storage facilities available. The monument and grounds may be closed in thunderstorms, during periods of sustained high wind, or during security alerts.
IF YOU LIKE THIS See the profile of the Old Post Office Pavilion.
Location Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues NW. Nearest Metro station The Woodley Park–Zoo/Adams Morgan station is about a half-hour walk. Contact 202-537-6200 for guided-tour information; nationalcathedral.org. Admission $10 adults, $6 children, seniors, and members of the military; admission is free on Sundays, as well as on weekdays for those who visit to worship or pray. Hours Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., tours 10–11:15 a.m. and 1–3:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m., tours 10–11:15 a.m. and 1–3 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., tours 1–2:30 p.m.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS This massive 102-year-old Gothic cathedral, formally titled the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is the official seat of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States (and of the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington). There are 233 stained glass windows (including the great rose windows in the south transept, displaying scenes from the Book of Revelations, and in the west, showing the Creation), a 53-bell carillon (each bell, including the 12-toner, is carved with a Bible verse), a 10,250-pipe organ, nine chapels (many with fine murals or mosaics), dozens of wrought-iron gates, hundreds of elaborate carvings, and scores of gargoyles—including Darth Vader, devils, golfers, and caricatures of the famous and the humble. There’s even a piece of moon rock, brought back by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin aboard the Apollo 11, embedded in a glass bubble of what is called the Space Window. Those familiar with the Al Pacino movie The Devil’s Advocate will recognize the Frederick Hart carving Ex Nihilo in the west façade. It’s 0.1 mile from the nave to the high altar; the ceiling is 100 feet high, the central tower more than 300. Don’t miss the Bishop’s Garden, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and modeled on a medieval walled garden, or the Pilgrim Observation Gallery and a view of Washington from the highest vantage point in the city.
TOURING TIPS Docent-led highlights tours are offered daily and last about 30 minutes. The high tea and highlights tour is fabulous; see details under the “Best Inside Tours”. You can also visit the grave of Woodrow Wilson, the only president buried in Washington. Bring binoculars to view the fascinating stone carvings, as many are high up—such as the one that shows a young boy with a baseball bat and glove and his sister with a rag doll. The Cathedral isn’t well served by public transportation, but walking there takes you through safe, pleasant neighborhoods that are home to Washington’s elite: it’s about a half-hour stroll up Cathedral Avenue from the Woodley Park–Zoo/Adams Morgan Metro.
The White House 
Location 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Nearest Metro stations Federal Triangle, Farragut North, or McPherson Square. Contact 202-456-7041 or 202-456-2121 (TDD); whitehouse.gov. Admission Free, but reservations required. Hours Tours are scheduled Tuesday–Thursday, 7:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 7:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. (excluding federal holidays).
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS Though this is the Executive Mansion, home to the First Family, you have only a random chance of seeing any member thereof unless you luck into a news event or photo op—although the Obamas seem to be a little more visible than some of their predecessors. This 20-minute, hands-off tour passes through the ubiquitous metal detectors and into the East Wing lobby, with a glimpse of the Rose Garden. Then it’s up the stairs to the East Room, the Green Room, the Blue Room, the Red Room, and the State Dining Room, and out. It’s hard to dispute the emotional pull of the presidential residence or its sumptuous beauty, but if you’re on a first-time visit to Washington and on a limited schedule, consider visiting the White House on another trip, preferably in the fall or winter.
The visitor center, which is open 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m., except Thanksgiving, December 24, and January 1, is large and attractive, featuring lots of carpeting, places to sit, nice restrooms, static displays on the White House, a gift shop, and a video tour of the mansion. Note: At press time, the visitor center was closed for renovations; go to the Ellipse Visitors Pavilion just west of 15th and E Sts. NW.
TOURING TIPS Requests for tour passes must be submitted through one’s member of Congress and are accepted at least three weeks and up to six months (a much better idea) in advance; start early because tours include only 10 people at a time, and slots are filled on a first-come basis. (International visitors should contact their embassies about passes.) Note: White House tours may be subject to last-minute cancellation. All visitors should call the 24-hour Visitors Office information line at 202-456-7041 before arriving. Also read the list of prohibited items on the website. No food available on site. While you’re making advance reservations, check to see if your trip might coincide with a White House garden tour; that would give you another chance to get into the grounds.
Location 2340 E St. NW. Nearest Metro station Dupont Circle. Contact 202-387-4062; woodrowwilsonhouse.org. Admission $10 adults, $8 seniors 62+, $5 students, free age 12 and under. Hours Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed Mondays and federal holidays.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS After Woodrow Wilson left office in 1921, he became the only former president to retire in Washington, D.C., and he did so in this house. The tour starts with a 25-minute video narrated by Walter Cronkite that puts this underrated president in perspective and fires you up for the tour. Nearly every item in this handsome Georgian Revival town house is original, so visitors get an accurate picture of aristocratic life in the 1920s. On the tour you’ll see Wilson’s library (his books, however, went to the Library of Congress after his death), his bedroom (he so admired Lincoln’s seven-foot-long bed that he had one made for himself), his old movie projector, and beautiful furnishings. Among other curiosities are his medicine chest; rollout bed, like a cruise ship deck chair; electric “shock box” designed to treat his paralyzed muscles (he never fully recovered from a serious stroke); graphoscope (an antique movie projector), kangaroo-fur coat; six-piece Tiffany desk set; and a mosaic of St. Peter given to him by Pope Benedict XV. The basement kitchen is virtually unchanged from Wilson’s day, with original items, such as an ornate wooden icebox and a coal and gas–fired stove. Peek inside the pantry, still stocked with items from the 1920s, such as Kellogg’s Corn Flakes (“wonderfully flavored with malt, sugar, and salt”).
TOURING TIPS The house has its era’s worth of stairs, including a steep, narrow back staircase. Although there is an elevator (which is the upside of Wilson’s invalidism), some areas are not accessible; call for details. No food available on site. The gift shop has some unusual items. There is also a gallery that mounts special exhibitions, some surprisingly attractive, such as a collection of Presidential china.
IF YOU LIKE THIS See the profile of the Heurich House Mansion.
MARYLAND’S HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS are famous, and both Annapolis and Baltimore are easy day trips, but there are some attractions of special interest a little less centrally located.
Six Flags America in Bowie (sixflags.com/america) is the biggest amusement park nearby, with more than 100 attractions and thrill rides and a water park to boot. It’s accessible by public transportation: Take the Blue Line Metro to Largo Town Center, and take the C21 bus to the park (10–15 minutes). Among its attractions are a huge wave pool, the new Bonzai Pipelines water slide (riders drop through a trapdoor and are whisked down 250 feet at up to 40 mph), and nine roller coasters, including the 360-degree-spinning Ragin’ Cajun (part of a new Mardi Gras theme area), the superhero twins (the super-tall Superman: Ride of Steel and the Batwing “flying coaster”), and the old-school wooden coaster, the Wild One. Operating hours are seasonal, but it’s usually closed on Mondays. Tickets are about $60 adults and $40 kids; parking is $20.
An amusement park of an older, simpler time is Glen Echo Park (glenechopark.org), just inside the Beltway in the Palisades area of Bethesda, near Cabin John. A long-neglected family favorite, it has been renovated in recent years and now offers children’s theater with both live and (quite accomplished) marionette shows; a fine 1921 carousel ($1.25 per ride); a small viewing tower; and the Discovery Creek children’s recreational area, which has trees for climbing, some live animals, nature trails, and more. The Art Deco Spanish Ballroom hosts contra and folk dances on weekends. Glen Echo is also home to several artist studios (photography, glassblowing, pottery) and galleries and offers arts and crafts classes. There are sometimes ranger-led park tours. Admission to the park is free, although the theaters and dances may have fees. The park is open daily, 6 a.m.–1 a.m. (the next day), but the individual attractions have varying hours. The Clara Barton National Historic Site, the home and original office of the founder of the American Red Cross, is across the parking lot. A massive two-story stone and yellow wood building, it’s an architectural curiosity: The famously frugal Barton covered the ceilings (appropriately) with bandage muslin rather than the then-expensive plaster; cupboards are filled with needles and thread; and there is a stained glass window in the sitting room with two large red crosses. It’s open daily, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (closed federal holidays), with guided tours every hour on the hour (nps.gov/clba).
Although the log cabin home of former slave Reverend Josiah Hensen in North Bethesda—the abolitionist whose autobiography is believed to have inspired Uncle Tom’s Cabin—is currently only open on special occasions, work is underway to make it more accessible (montgomeryparks.org).
NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA SUBURBS are filled with historical sites, many that would be of special interest to families or veterans. Just off I-395 south on West Braddock Road is Fort Ward ( 703-838-4848; fortward.org), a well-preserved Civil War fort and living-history museum with frequent reenactments and exhibits portraying Washington and Alexandria in wartime.
Often overlooked in the Mount Vernon hoopla, in spite of its close connections (and collections, some of which came from Mount Vernon), is Woodlawn Plantation (9000 Richmond Highway/Route 1, Alexandria; woodlawn1805.org). Constructed in 1800–05 for Major Lawrence Lewis, George Washington’s nephew and social secretary, and his wife, Nelly Custis Lewis, Martha Washington’s granddaughter, the estate is only about 3 miles from Mount Vernon. The Lewises were married at Mount Vernon on Washington’s last birthday, in 1799, and he gave them 2,000 acres from the Mount Vernon estate on which to build a home (and engaged the architect of the U.S. Capitol to design it). The Palladian mansion, with a two-story central block and one-and-a-half-story wings, was sheathed in brick baked by slaves on the plantation grounds. The Lewises and Nelly’s brother were Washington’s executors, and there is plenty of Washingtoniana here, as well as a bedroom that was furnished for a visit from the Marquis de Lafayette in 1824.
A second major attraction at Woodlawn is the Pope-Leighey House (popeleighey1940.org), an intact Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian home, built in 1941 and moved from Falls Church to Woodlawn when highway construction threatened its preservation. Tiny but impressive, it is complete with all the furniture Wright designed for it and is constructed entirely of cypress, brick, glass, and concrete. The house is open from March to December.
The Claude Moore Colonial Farm at Turkey Run in McLean (6310 Georgetown Pike; 703-442-7557; 1771.org) is a living-history museum that re-creates a low-income tenant family farm just before the Revolutionary War. Staff dressed in period costumes answer questions as they work the land and do the chores, which change seasonally; they tend the turkeys and hogs, spin flax into thread, and do the mending. Visitors are encouraged to pitch in and/or to dress the part. Open April–mid-December, Wednesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
If you head toward the big Leesburg Outlet Malls and the historical town of Leesburg, stop by Oatlands Historic House and Gardens (20850 Oatlands Plantation Road, Leesburg; oatlands.org). This 1798 wheat plantation features a stuccoed-brick Federal mansion with an octagonal family room, half-octagonal interior stairs at either end, and a grand portico (the mansion is closed to the public January through March). Sunday afternoon tea is a popular treat. Open daily April through December, except Thanksgiving and December 24 and 25.
The National Museum of the Marine Corps, near the Marine Corps base in Quantico and dedicated in November 2006 by President George W. Bush, has a striking design that echoes the famous Iwo Jima flag-raising memorial, only in abstract, angular steel. The 210-foot “mast” also evokes the image of a sword half-pulled from its sheath, cannons poised for firing, and aircraft takeoffs—all scenarios familiar to members of the nearly 250-year-old corps. Exhibits range from Civil War photos, sniper rifles, and medals of honor to a World War II Curtiss Jenny, a Huey helicopter, a supersonic jet, and a Persian Gulf tank. There are several hands-on and immersion opportunities: target ranges, flight simulators, and a cold-air room that recalls the wintry environment of the Korean War. You can also go through a mini–boot camp or be immersed in the sound of troops approaching that Iwo Jima beachhead. The museum incorporates artifacts from the former Marine Corps Center at the Washington Navy Yard and the Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum at Quantico.
Finally, if you have thrill-seekers in the party, King’s Dominion, a 400-acre amusement park with 15 roller coasters, several highly rated among adrenaline freaks, is about 75 miles south of Washington on I-95. If the Drop Tower, with its 372-foot, 72-mph fall doesn’t shut the kids up, nothing will. Are you there yet?
IF YOU’VE GOT THE TIME, OR IF YOUR VISIT to Washington is a repeat trip, consider exploring the region farther outside the city. With mountains to the west and the Chesapeake Bay to the east, there’s plenty to see. Furthermore, a look at something that’s not made of marble or granite can be a welcome relief to eyes wearied by the constant onslaught of Washington edifices and office buildings.
In addition to the day or even overnight trip destinations below, wine lovers should note that both Maryland and Virginia have thriving wine industries, Virginia in particular, and quite a few of the wineries are an easy and picturesque drive away. To see some of the possible tour routes—and this might be a good time to hire a driver and make a party of it—and tasting room hours, go to virginiawine.org or marylandwine.com.
Maryland’s capital for more than 300 years, Annapolis is more than a quaint little town on the Chesapeake Bay: it’s one of the biggest yachting centers in the United States. Often called the sailing capital of the country, it welcomes 10,000 boats a year—and it has also become a major bedroom community or weekend retreat for well-off Washingtonians. Acres and acres of sailboats fill its marinas. A steady parade of sailboats moves past the City Dock during the sailing season, April through late fall. (If you want to try it yourself, you can take a harbor cruise aboard the two-masted schooner Woodwind; 410-263-7837 or schoonerwoodwind.com). You’ll see oyster and crab boats that work the bay, in addition to pleasure boats, cruise ships, and old sailing ships. Annapolis has a fine old state office building and is home to the U.S. Naval Academy (John Paul Jones is buried in the huge century-old chapel) and the even older fine-arts college of St. John’s, whose domed 1742 McDowell Hall was admired by Thomas Jefferson. The two schools are old rivals, particularly when it comes to croquet; a high-level match takes place at St. John’s every April, the local equivalent of the Harvard-Yale football game.
The historic area of town, from State Circle down to the harbor, is a rapidly upscaling area with fine and casual restaurants, shops, bars, and music clubs. (The Annapolis Bookstore, an old house with lots of nooks and crannies, as well as rare and unusual books and a pussycat-in-residence, and the Ram’s Head Tavern, home of fine music and oyster shooters, are favorites of Eve.) The Banneker-Douglass Museum documents the history of African Americans in Maryland. It includes a reproduction of the September 29, 1767, newspaper notice advertising a shipment of slaves including Kunta Kinte. The Annapolis Maritime Museum across the harbor bridge in Eastport also operates tours of the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse at the mouth of the South River. The town is about a one-hour drive from Washington on US 50; parking can be tough, but most of the time you can park at the Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and take a free shuttle to City Dock.
Steamed crabs, H. L. Mencken, the Orioles baseball team (or the NFL Ravens), and the National Aquarium are just a few of the reasons Washingtonians trek north one hour on a regular basis to this industrial city on the Chesapeake Bay, affectionately known as Charm City.
Day-trippers can explore Inner Harbor, a short walk away from the Orioles Park at Camden Yards, dominated by a bi-level shopping mall that’s heavy on restaurants and boutiques, and where you can often sign up for a paddleboat ride on a dragon-shaped boat or tour a visiting tall ship. The U.S.S. Constellation, the 1854 sloop-of-war, is one of several historic vessels you can tour. The very fine National Aquarium across the harbor (you can walk around or take a water taxi) features a tropical rain forest and a sea mammal pavilion.
unofficial TIP
If you plan to see several of these attractions, look into purchasing a discounted Harbor Pass in advance (baltimore.org).
Kids will love the Maryland Science Center (with its IMAX theater) and Port Discovery Children’s Museum, also on the Harbor; the Constellation, the last Civil War fighting vessel afloat; the Top of the World observation tower; and nearby Fort McHenry, where Francis Scott Key wrote the national anthem from a ship anchored offshore. (The Federal Hill neighborhood is another booming residential and restaurant neighborhood.) On the Aquarium side of the Harbor are the old Little Italy, with its old-style family restaurants and Heavy Seas Beer restaurant and brewery, and the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House, where the flag was stitched. The Fells Point neighborhood offers Pier Six Pavilion, site of summer concerts and a restaurant center; the Power Plant Live! entertainment complex; and a group of upscale restaurants. Art lovers should stop into the American Visionary Art Museum alongside the Science Center, and more serious art lovers should check out the Walters Art Gallery in the burgeoning Mount Vernon arts-and-entertainment neighborhood and the Baltimore Museum of Art uptown. One of Eve’s personal favorites is Evergreen Museum, the vacation home of a railroad tycoon and a treasure trove of decorative arts, including sets for Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes. Other Baltimore attractions near the Inner Harbor and Orioles Stadium include the B&O Railroad Museum, the Edgar Allan Poe House, and the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum.
This restored 19th-century town, at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers in West Virginia, offers visitors history and natural beauty in equal doses—one reason that hikers, bikers, kayakers, and tubers pack the parking lots. At the park’s visitor center, you can see a film about radical abolitionist John Brown’s 1859 raid on a U.S. armory here, an event that was a catalyst for the Civil War. Then you can tour a renovated blacksmith’s shop, ready-made clothing store, and general store. The winding main road climbs past taverns and boutiques to a glorious hilltop view. A short hike to Jefferson Rock is rewarded with a spectacular mountain view of three states (Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia), as well as the two rivers. Thomas Jefferson said the view was “worth a voyage across the Atlantic.” Luckily, the trip by car from Washington is only about 90 minutes (don’t miss the lovely village of Hillsborough or Breaux Vineyards), and this is one of the destinations accessible by MARC train.
From the number of battlefield sites, it would seem that the entire Civil War was fought in nearby Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania—which is not all that far from the truth. Visitors with an interest in history and beautiful countryside can tour a number of Civil War sites within a day’s drive of Washington. Several of the larger touring companies, such as Gray Line, offer bus excursions to some of these sites.
One of the closest Civil War museums is at Fort Ward, a 40-acre site just south of King Street and Interstate 395 in Alexandria (4801 West Braddock Street; 703-838-4848), which is often staffed by volunteer reenactors. Ball’s Bluff in Leesburg is one of Loudoun County’s largest battlefields, with a 1-mile walking trail, interpretive signs, and a military cemetery.
Gettysburg, where the Union turned the tide against the South, is about two hours north of D.C. While the overdeveloped town is a testament to tourist schlock gone wild, the National Battlefield Park features a museum, a tower that gives sightseers an aerial view of the battlefield, and many acres of rolling countryside dotted with monuments, memorials, and stone fences. It’s a popular tourist destination and worth the drive. In summer, there are kid’s programs that include learning marching formation and the discomforts of 19th-century soldiering.
The first battle of the Civil War took place at Bull Run near Manassas, on the fringe of today’s Virginia suburbs. The Manassas National Battlefield Park features a visitor center, a museum, and miles of trails on the grounds.
The Confederate victory set the stage for the next major battle, at Antietam, across the Potomac River in Maryland. Antietam National Battlefield, near Sharpsburg, is the site of the bloodiest day of the Civil War: on September 17, 1862, there were 12,410 Union and 10,700 Confederate casualties in General Robert E. Lee’s failed attempt to penetrate the North. The battlefield, about a 90-minute drive from Washington, is 15 miles west of Frederick, Maryland.
A number of later Union campaigns are commemorated at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park in Virginia, halfway between Washington and Richmond. Included in the park are the battlefields of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania. The park is about an hour’s drive south of D.C.
