Attractions
National Mall
Extending for over two miles from the U.S. Capitol to the Potomac River, the tree-lined grassy strip known as the National Mall is the central hub of tourist activity in the city, containing many of Washington DC's most famous attractions. It is home to the tapering Washington Monument, the Lincoln, Roosevelt and Jefferson Memorials, the Capitol, White House, the museums of the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Gallery of Art. The Mall is at the heart of the city's social life, the site for many celebrations and festivals throughout the year, and used by scores of joggers, picnickers, food vendors and strollers daily. The Tidal Basin, a beautiful lake famous for its spring show of blossoming Japanese cherry trees, lies to the south.
Telephone: (202) 426 6841 (Visitor information)
E-mail: national_mall@nps.gov
Web site: www.nps.gov/nama
Transport: Smithsonian metro station
Openingtime: The park is open 24 hours daily
Admission: Free
US Capitol
The heart of American government is also Washington, DC’s most prominent landmark, the U.S. Capitol, which is located on the top of Capitol Hill, its giant white dome visible from all over the city. It is the city’s top tourist attraction, as well as the most recognized symbol of democracy, and contains the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. Under the magnificent dome, U.S. governmental policy is shaped and the law of the land is practiced. The interior is richly embellished, with hundreds of statues filling Statuary Hall in honor of important people in the country’s history, while paintings and murals decorate the hallways and walls of the Rotunda, depicting 400 years of American history. The enormous circular hall capped by the 180ft (55m) high dome is the hub of the Capitol, with a symbolic fresco masterpiece at its centr. The Rotunda links the north and south wings, the two halves of the Capitol that contain the Senate and House of Representatives respectively, and flags flying over either wing indicate which part of Congress is in session.
Address: Capitol Hill
Telephone: (202) 224 3121 (general information), (202) 225 6827 (tour information)
Web site: www.aoc.gov
Transport: Union Station Metro, Federal Center NW or Capitol South stations are all within walking distance
Openingtime: Open Monday to Saturday 9am and 4.30pm. Closed Christmas Day and Thanksgiving. Access is by guided tour only, every 30 minutes and tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to increased security it is advised that all visitors phone ahead for up to date information regarding tours
Admission: Free
Washington Monument
In recognition of his leadership in the fight for American independence, George Washington earned the title ‘Father of the Nation’, and was the first president of the United States. The Washington Monument was built in memory of this great leader. As the tallest structure in the city, situated at the western end of the Mall, it offers 360-degree panoramic vistas with some of the most familiar sights in the world in view, including the White House, U.S. Capitol, Smithsonian museums and the Lincoln Memorial. Constructed out of loose granite blocks without the use of cement to hold them together, the monument is the tallest freestanding masonry structure in the world, a 555ft (169m) marble obelisk that stood uncompleted for 37 years. A change in the color of stone is visible about halfway up and marks the two building phases. In 1888 a steam elevator transported visitors to the top, a 20-minute ride that was restricted, for safety reasons, to men only. Women could walk up the 897 stairs. Today climbing the steps is prohibited, but a free 70-second elevator conveys visitors to the gallery that provides unparalleled views of Washington, DC and across the Potomac River.
Address: 15th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Telephone: (202) 426 6841 (park information), or to book advance tickets (877) 444 6777
Website: www.nps.gov/wamo
Transport: Smithsonian metro station
Openingtime: The monument is open daily 9am to 5pm. The ticket kiosk in the grounds is open daily 8.30am to 4.30pm, but as a limited number of first-come, first-serve tickets are obtainable daily, it is advisable to queue from early on
Admission: Although admission is free, a ticket is required to enter the monument and ascend to the top. Advance ticket reservations are subject to a $1.50 fee per ticket and a handling charge of $0.50 per order
Lincoln Memorial
The grandiose Lincoln Memorial is a tribute to the 16th U.S. president who preserved the Union during the Civil War and ended slavery. It also serves as a Civil War memorial, symbolizing the idea of Freedom and American Democracy. The use of classical architecture, modeled on a Greek temple, is to remind people of the ancient Greeks who were the first modern culture to have a democratic government. In the center of the memorial, surrounded by 36 white columns representing the 36 states in Lincoln's Union, is a huge marble statue of Abraham Lincoln who, seated, stares out over the Reflecting Pool towards the Washington Monument and Capitol Hill. Carved in the walls of the memorial chamber around the statue are inscriptions of two of his most famous speeches, the Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address, and above each is a painted symbolic mural. The memorial is the site of numerous demonstrations committed to justice, most notably the Civil Rights march in 1963 when Martin Luther King delivered his classic 'I Have a Dream' speech. A bookshop and museum, detailing a photographic history of famous events that occurred on the steps, is nearby.
Address: 23rd Street
Telephone: (202) 426 6841 (park information), or (202) 426 6895
Web site: www.nps.gov/linc
Transport: Foggy Bottom metro station
Openingtime: Open daily 24 hours
Admission: Free
International Spy Museum
Washington’s newest museum, the International Spy Museum, features the largest collection of publicly displayed international espionage artifacts in the world. It is the result of years of planning and advice by former officials of the CIA, FBI and the KGB, as well as some of the nation’s top experts in intelligence. It aims to educate the public about espionage and its vital role and impact on historic and current events. Interactive exhibits cover the history of spying, famous spies, spying during the World Wars with an exhibit on unheeded intelligence that warned of the Pearl Harbor attack, sophisticated espionage techniques of the Cold War, and the latest spy trends and challenges of 21st century espionage. There is also a section dealing with high-tech gadgets such as bugs, tiny cameras and ingenious disguise techniques, with interactive stations exploring surveillance, disguises, code breaking, threat analysis and more. The museum complex includes a restaurant, spy-theme cafe and shop.
Address: 800 F Street; Telephone: (202) 393 7798
Web site: www.spymuseum.org
Transport: Gallery Place/Chinatown or National Archives/Navy memorial metro stations
Openingtime: Open daily, but times vary within the month, so visitors are advised to consult the Museum's Web site or phone for more information. The museum closes one hour after last admission
Admission: $16 (adults), $13 (children 5-11). Advance tickets recommended especially for weekends and holidays. TicketMaster offers advance tickets online (www.ticketmaster.com), by phone or at any TicketMaster office, but a service fee is charged
National Gallery of Art
Two buildings, the West and East Wings, make up the visually stunning National Gallery of Art that is the most popular art museum in North America. Together they house one of the world's leading collections of Western paintings, graphics and sculptures from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, and walking from the West wing to the East provides a near chronological display of European art. The West Wing, the original building, is a marble architectural work of art with a domed rotunda over a fountain that houses most of the permanent collection. More than 100 galleries display modern and contemporary art with masterpieces by famous artists arranged by nationality, and include what is considered to be the finest Renaissance collection outside of Italy, as well as an outstanding Impressionist collection. The gallery's newer addition is the ultramodern East Wing, composed of two glass-walled triangles, and is devoted to 20th century paintings and sculptures. The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden is a large park outside the museum, which features a huge central fountain with several of the museum's permanent collection of sculptures on display.
Address: 4th and Constitution Avenue
Telephone: (202) 737 4215
Web site: www.nga.gov
Transport: Smithsonian, Judiciary Square or National Archives/Navy Memorial metro stations
Openingtime: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 6pm
Admission: Free
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum hauntingly commemorates the discrimination and murder of millions of Jews by the Nazis, from 1933 to 1945. The permanent exhibition is divided into three floors, starting with the Nazi occupation of Poland, the Holocaust, and finally the after effects of the war and liberation of the camps, with a moving film in which Holocaust survivors recount their personal experiences. The Hall of Remembrance is a quiet meditative place with dozens of burning candles lit in memory of the victims. Exhibits vividly convey the scale and nature of the horrors of the Holocaust using films, voice recordings, personal belongings of Jewish victims, photographs and Nazi propaganda. The permanent exhibition’s graphic content is extremely disturbing and is not recommended for children under 11 years of age. A different section of the museum contains an exhibit designed for children, called ‘Daniel’s Story: Remember the Children’.
Address: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place
Telephone: (202) 488 0400; and (800) 400 9373 (advance tickets)
Web site: www.ushmm.org; Transport: Smithsonian metro station
Openingtime: Daily 10am to 5.30pm
Admission: Free. A ticket is necessary for the permanent exhibition. Advance tickets are recommended and can be purchased from TicketMaster online (www.tickets.com) or by phone, but a service fee is charged
