FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10, 2007

CELEBRATE PRESIDENTS DAY IN DC

There's no better place to celebrate Presidents Day than in DC, where you can pay tribute to America's founding fathers at beautiful monuments and memorials and catch a glimpse of today's political power players at work and at play throughout the city.

Start your presidential adventure with a visit to powerful places like the Lincoln Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. Be sure to contact your senator or congressperson to request a tour of the White House, or stop by the White House Visitors Center for an inside look at the country's highest elected office. For an off-beat presidential adventure, head to the bucolic 88-acre Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Island, located across from the Georgetown Waterfront, or unwind in the Lyndon Johnson Memorial Grove, just minutes from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Or, venture into DC's Dupont Circle neighborhood to visit DC's only presidential residence, the Woodrow Wilson House Museum, where the former First Couple lived after Wilson's final term in the White House. A special exhibition, The Presidential Dish: Mrs. Woodrow Wilson and the White House China Room, is on view through Aug. 4, 2008 honoring the 90th anniversary of First Lady Bolling Wilson's creation of the White House China Room. Visitors can see a replica of the "Presidential Collection Room" as it was in 1917 and view more than 130 pieces of porcelains in carefully designed casework with engraved plaques that indicate which china was used by which president.

For another presidential-themed exhibition, head to the National Archives' exhibition, Running for Office: Candidates, Campaigns, and the Cartoons of Clifford Berryman, in the Lawrence F. O'Brien Gallery. On view Feb. 8-Aug. 1, 2008, the collection of 41 exceptional pen-and-ink drawings highlights timeless aspects of the American campaign and election process. Although faces and personalities change, Berryman's cartoons illustrate how the political process in our democracy has remained remarkably consistent. The cartoons provide relevant commentary and insight into the campaigns and elections of today.

Lincoln buffs won't want want to miss a chance to follow in the footsteps of Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage), who searches for the truth about the assassination in National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Log on to trailstotreasure.com to view the Lincoln-related sites featured in the film and linked thematically to the assassination, including Ford's Theatre, Congressional Cemetery and Petersen House.

Although one of DC's best-known repositories for presidential artifacts, the National Museum of American History, remains closed for renovations through summer 2008, you can view objects from its collection - including Abraham Lincoln's top hat and Thomas Jefferson's Bible - in a special exhibition, Treasures of American History at the National Air and Space Museum. For another presidential experience, view the only complete collection of presidential portraits outside of the White House at the National Portrait Gallery. Or, cozy up next to a wax likeness of Abe Lincoln in a replica of the Presidential Box at Ford's Theatre or sit behind the desk in the "Oval Office" at Madame Tussauds Washington, DC. Pose for photos with Ronald Reagan, George Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, George Washington, John F. Kennedy and other famous faces.

You can also honor the presidents with a visit to George Washington's magnificent Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, located just south of the District. On Feb. 18, Mount Vernon celebrates George Washington's 275th Birthday and Presidents Day with free admission to the home and gardens. A wreath-laying ceremony at 10am is followed by a patriotic performance by the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. At 1:30pm, catch a parade featuring colonial music and Mount Vernon's heritage breed animals.

The charming northern Virginia community of Old Town Alexandria celebrates Presidents Day on Feb. 18 with its annual George Washington's Birthday Celebration. Among the day's highlights is a festive parade, stepping off at 1pm on South Saint Asaph Street at Wilkes Street. Visitors can also enjoy free admission to several attractions, including the Lyceum, Christ Church, Gadsby's Tavern Museum, Friendship Firehouse Museum, Carlyle House, The Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum and the Lee-Fendall House Museum. Come early to attend the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Revolution, beginning at 11am at the Courtyard behind the Old Presbyterian Meeting House.

Washington, DC's annual Holiday Homecoming celebration extends through the end of February, making for value-filled Presidents Day weekend getaways starting at just $109 per night. Visit dcinspires.com to check rates and availability.

For a taste of the luxe life, visitors can also book an exclusive "Powerful Presidents" package at the Mandarin Oriental. Available Feb. 15 - 24, 2008, the packages are designed to impress with a host of upscale amenities all starting with the letter "P": a premier water view room, pre-theatre dinner for two, a presidential pastry treat, parking and a pampering experience at the spa. Rates start at $530 per night. For reservations, call 1-888-888-1778 or visit mandarinoriental.com.

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About Destination DC: Destination DC, the lead destination marketing organization for the nation's capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization of more than 1,000 businesses committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. Destinationdc.com