First time in DC? If you’re looking to hit the major sites, check out our list of the most popular attractions in the Washington, DC region.
- National Museum of Natural History
- National Air & Space Museum
- National Museum of American History
- National Zoological Park
- Washington Monument
- Lincoln Memorial
- The U.S. Capitol Building
- World War II Memorial
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Arlington National Cemetery
- National Archives
Not a monument or memorial, but perhaps one of the most famous Washington, DC landmarks of all: The White House.
Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, there’s plenty to explore in and around America’s most famous house. For tours, please note you must make advance requests through your member of Congress.
Click here for more information.
Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, there’s plenty to explore in and around America’s most famous house. For tours, please note you must make advance requests through your member of Congress.
Click here for more information.
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Washington, DC’s unforgettable skyline is marked by some of the world’s most celebrated monuments and memorials. The fantastic temples, structures and statues that grace the green expanses of the National Mall and beyond tell fascinating stories through their history and design. Read on for more information about DC’s iconic landmarks.
The National Mall
Visiting “the Mall” is a must-do for any first-time visitor. Encompassing a two-mile swath of land from the Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial, this is the Washington you see in movies and in history books. In addition to perfect photo-ops for both the Washington Monument and Capitol building, you’ll also find several of the Smithsonian museums (including the Smithsonian Castle, a great place to start your morning and map out your sightseeing itinerary), the National Archives, National Gallery of Art and the U.S. Botanic Gardens. The National Mall has been the site of many famous festivals and protests, as well as home to a stunning fireworks display every Fourth of July.
Metro: Smithsonian For more information: http://www.nps.gov Click here for the official National Mall app. New! Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Officially dedicated on Oct. 16, 2011, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial takes its rightful place among America’s forefathers. The memorial shares a direct line of sight with the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials and is the first national memorial to honor a non-president and a man of color. The memorial was designed as a lasting tribute to Dr. King’s legacy and will forever serve as a monument to the freedom, opportunity and justice for which he stood. The centerpiece of the memorial is a 30-foot statue of the famous civil rights leader carved from the “Stone of Hope.” A crescent-shaped stone wall features a number of engraved quotations from his sermons and public addresses.
Metro: Smithsonian For more information: http://www.nps.gov/mlkm/index.htm The Washington Monument Perhaps the most recognizable of all the iconic sites in DC, the Washington Monument towers above the National Mall at 555 1/8 feet (though, contrary to popular belief, it is not the tallest building in the city). The Washington Monument was built as a powerful tribute to the country’s first president, George Washington. The marble monument was made to look like an Egyptian obelisk, a design often used in that country to pay tribute to kings and pharaohs. You’ll notice that the Washington Monument appears to be two different shades of white. That’s because construction halted during the Civil War when funding ran out. When it resumed in 1879, marble was imported from a different state. **The Washington Monument is currently closed for renovations as a result of earthquake damage in August 2011. However, the memorial is still a great place to gaze upon and take photos. Metro: Smithsonian For more information: http://www.nps.gov/wamo/index.htm Lincoln Memorial Another of DC’s instantly recognizable landmarks, the Lincoln Memorial honors the nation’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. Dedicated in 1922, architect Henry Bacon designed the Greek-inspired temple. The Lincoln statue, which tops out at 19 feet, was sculpted by Daniel Chester French, the chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts. Above the temple’s 38 columns are the names of the 36 states that were in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death in 1865. Murals sculpted by Jules Guerin adorn the temple’s inner walls. Emancipation is engraved on the south wall and hangs above the inscription of the Gettysburg Address. Unification is on the north wall, above Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address.
Metro: Foggy Bottom-GWU For more information: http://www.nps.gov/linc/index.htm Click here for the Lincoln Memorial’s fun, interactive site. Thomas Jefferson Memorial With a memorable form reminiscent of the famous Pantheon in Italy, the memorial to the third president took only nine years to complete and was dedicated in 1943. Architect John Russell Pope incorporated one of Jefferson’s favorite design elements, the rotunda, into the memorial design. Jefferson stands proudly at 19 feet tall under the rotunda surrounded by engraved passages from the Declaration of Independence and other famous works by the president.
Metro: Smithsonian For more information: http://www.nps.gov/thje/index.htm |
