History & Heritage

The country’s history starts with our own history and heritage.

Holidays in the White House: First Family Traditions

Holidays at the White House are a family affair…with thousands of guests. Each December, the president and their family deck the White House’s halls and opens the doors for dozens of parties and public tours. It’s a big job to prepare the country’s most famous residence for a month of celebrations...

Visiting the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC

What is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and where is it? The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is situated on a four-acre site along the National Mall's Tidal Basin, adjacent to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memoria l and shares a direct line of sight between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials...

Guide to Visiting Arlington National Cemetery

What is Arlington National Cemetery? The Arlington National Cemetery is the country’s largest military cemetery and serves as the final resting place for more than 400,000 military veterans and their immediate family from the fronts of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as World Wars I and II, the...

8 Must-See Monuments & Memorials on the National Mall

According to the American Institute of Architects, half of Americans’ top 12 favorite architectural gems line the National Mall . There’s no denying the significance of the Mall for its symbols to American history and for its uniquely designed monuments. Check them all out here, then it's time to...

3 Days of African American History & Heritage in Washington, DC

Morning Start your day at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial . Opened in summer 2011, 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. It is the first federal memorial to honor a....

Visiting the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC

Where and what is the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History? The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is located at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW on the National Mall . The four-level museum opened on Sept. 24, 2016, becoming the...

12 Ways to Engage with African American History & Culture in Washington, DC

From the city's roots as a vibrant community for African Americans to the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture , Washington, DC is rich with African American history. Check out the numerous ways to engage with the vast and complicated history and...

3 Days in Washington, DC for Families

Morning Start your day at the Willard InterContinental for a historic breakfast in the same building where Abraham Lincoln used to stay and where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. completed his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Then visit any (or all) of DC's famous monuments and memorials on the Nat...

Visiting the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, DC

A visit to the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial is a solemn and powerful reminder of the very human cost of war. The memorial “conveys a combination of strength and vulnerability, of loss and renewal… through juxtaposition of granite and glass,” according to the National Park Service,...

Visiting the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC

Wander through three centuries of American art The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC is one of the largest and most expansive collections of American art in the world. The museum’s two locations, the main building in Penn Quarter and the Renwick Gallery located next to the White...