Must-see attractions in Washington, DC

  • The Capitol, Washington, DC

    US Capitol

    Washington, DC

    Since 1800, this is where the legislative branch of American government (ie Congress) has met to write the country's laws.

  • National Air and Space Museum

    National Air and Space Museum

    Washington, DC

    The legendary exhibits at the National Air and Space Museum include the Wright brothers' flyer, Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St…

  • National Gallery of Art on the National Mall during spring in Washington D.C.

    National Gallery of Art

    Washington, DC

    Two buildings. Hundreds of masterpieces. Infinite enjoyment. It's easy to spend a full day at the National Gallery of Art, which showcases a whole range…

  • 500px Photo ID: 100166741 - Pre-dawn at the Lincoln Memorial. "In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever."

    Lincoln Memorial

    Washington, DC

    Anchoring the National Mall's west end is the hallowed shrine to Abraham Lincoln, who gazes across the Reflecting Pool beneath his neoclassical, Doric…

  • Vietnam Veterans Memorial

    Vietnam Veterans Memorial

    Washington, DC

    In a city of classic, white-marble monuments, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands out on the National Mall for its stark modernism. Designed by 21-year…

  • Cherry blossom season at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

    Jefferson Memorial

    Washington, DC

    Set on the south bank of the Tidal Basin amid the cherry trees, this memorial honors the third US president, political philosopher, drafter of the…

  • Main Reading Room, Library of Congress

    Library of Congress

    Washington, DC

    The world's largest library – with 164 million books, manuscripts, maps, photos, films and other items – awes in both scope and design. The centerpiece is…

  • National Archives facade.

    National Archives

    Washington, DC

    It's hard not to feel a little in awe of the big three documents in the Archives: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights…

  • Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi Public Statue Front of Indian Embassy Embassy Row Massachusetts Ave Washington DC.  Gandhi is walking to sea on salt march.  Dedicated September 2000,  Artist Gautam Pal; Shutterstock ID 302137574; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmore; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

    Embassy Row

    Washington, DC

    Want to take a trip around the world? Stroll northwest along Massachusetts Ave from Dupont Circle (the actual traffic circle) and you pass more than 40…

  • Phillips Collection

    Washington, DC

    The country's first modern-art museum (opened in 1921) houses a small but exquisite collection of European and American works. Renoir’s Luncheon of the…

  • Facade of Supreme Court.

    Supreme Court

    Washington, DC

    The highest court in the USA occupies a pseudo-Greek temple protected by 13,000lb bronze doors. Arrive early to watch arguments (periodic Monday through…

  • WASHINGTON - APRIL 12, 2015: Stage and seating of Ford's Theatre. The theater is infamous as the site of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination by John Wilkes Booth in 1865.
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    Ford’s Theatre

    Washington, DC

    On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln here. Free timed-entry tickets provide access to the site, which has four parts: the…

  • National Museum of Natural History, facade

    National Museum of Natural History

    Washington, DC

    Arguably the most popular of the Smithsonian museums, so crowds are pretty much guaranteed. Wave to Henry, the elephant who guards the rotunda, then zip…

  • Natural Musuem of American History

    National Museum of American History

    Washington, DC

    Containing all kinds of artifacts of the American experience, this museum has as its centerpiece the flag that flew over Baltimore's Fort McHenry during…

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    Union Station

    Washington, DC

    DC's main rail hub, a 1907 beaux-arts beauty designed by Daniel Burnham, is an eye popper. The Grand Concourse is patterned after the Roman Baths of…

  • The Jefferson Memorial reflected in Tidal Basin with cherry blossoms.

    Tidal Basin

    Washington, DC

    The 2-mile stroll around this constructed inlet incorporates the Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson memorials as well as the Floral Library…

  • National Postal Museum Building, Washington DC, United States; Shutterstock ID 134185841; Your name (First / Last): redownload; GL account no.: redownload; Netsuite department name: redownload; Full Product or Project name including edition: redownload

    National Postal Museum

    Washington, DC

    The Smithsonian-run Postal Museum is way cooler than you might think. Level 1 has exhibits on postal history from the Pony Express to modern times, where…

  • World War II Memorial

    National WWII Memorial

    Washington, DC

    Dedicated in 2004, this grandiose memorial honors the 16 million US soldiers who served in WWII. Groups of veterans regularly come here to pay their…

  • Anacostia Museum, museum of Afro-American history and culture, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; Shutterstock ID 257274409; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; Project no. or GL code: 56530; Network activity no. or Cost Centre: Online-Design; Product or Project: 65050/7529/Josh Vogel/LP.com Destination Galleries

    Anacostia Community Museum

    Washington, DC

    This Smithsonian museum has good rotating exhibitions on the experience of diverse and underserved communities in the USA. They typically focus on art …

  • WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30:  The entrance to the National Museum of the American Indian, as seen November 30, 2013, showcases the unusual curved architecture of the stone building.; Shutterstock ID 166031348; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; Project no. or GL code: 56530; Network activity no. or Cost Centre: Online-Design; Product or Project: 65050/7529/Josh Vogel/LP.com Destination Galleries

    National Museum of the American Indian

    Washington, DC

    Ensconced in an architecturally notable building clad in honey-colored limestone, this museum offers cultural artifacts, videos and audio recordings…

  • DC Sunrise from the Lincoln Memorial

    Washington Monument

    Washington, DC

    Peaking at 555ft (and 5in) and composed of 36,000 blocks of stone, the Washington Monument is the district's tallest structure. Political shenanigans…

  • National Museum of Women in the Arts

    Washington, DC

    The only US museum exclusively devoted to women’s artwork fills this Renaissance Revival mansion. Its collection – some 5500 works by 1000 female artists…

  • Exterior, U.S. Botanic Garden

    United States Botanic Garden

    Washington, DC

    Built to resemble London’s Crystal Palace, this garden's iron-and-glass greenhouse provides a beautiful setting to view orchids, ferns and cacti. When you…

  • Folger Shakespeare Library

    Washington, DC

    Bard-o-philes will be all aflutter here, as the library holds the world's largest collection of old Billy’s works. Stroll through the Great Hall to see a…

  • WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 16, 2014:  The statue of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his dog on the National Mall in autumn is a major tourist attraction.

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

    Washington, DC

    The 7.5-acre memorial pays tribute to the longest-serving president in US history. Visitors are taken through four red-granite areas that narrate FDR’s…

  • Martin Luther King Memorial at night

    Martin Luther King Jr Memorial

    Washington, DC

    Opened in 2011, this was the first Mall memorial to honor an African American. Sculptor Lei Yixin carved the piece, which is reminiscent in concept and…

  • Floral Library

    Washington, DC

    In spring, just steps from the fabled cherry blossoms surrounding the Tidal Basin, some 10,000 tulips explode in vibrant color in a sweet garden called…

  • WASHINGTON, USA - APRIL 10: People visit the Smithsonian Institution on April 10, 2014 in Washington DC. 18.9 million tourists visited capital of the United States in 2012.
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    Smithsonian Castle

    Washington, DC

    James Renwick designed this turreted, red-sandstone fairy-tale in 1855. Today the castle houses the Smithsonian Visitor Center, which makes a good first…

  • A visitor watches the Kingdom of Colors exhibition, an immersive visual experience from French filmmaker Thomas Blanchard and artist Oilhack, at the ARTECHOUSE gallery in Washington, DC on November 8, 2017..It all began as an accident. After hurting his wrist, artist Oilhack started mixing paints, oil and soap in a bowl, experiments that eventually morphed into brightly colored moving seascapes in a collaboration with fellow Frenchman Thomas Blanchard that Apple used to promote its iPhone X. In their US debut, the pair who form the WeAreColorful collaborative are bringing an immersive experience featuring 270-degree projections of their liquid mixtures that fill the main gallery space at Artechouse, a venue marrying art, science and technology in Washington. . / AFP PHOTO / Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION        (Photo credit should read ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
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    Artechouse

    Washington, DC

    Straddling technology, art and science, this 15,000-sq-ft, three-level state-of-the-art digital gallery mesmerizes with large-scale, interactive, multi…

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    Korean War Veterans Memorial

    Washington, DC

    Nineteen steel soldiers wander through clumps of juniper past a wall bearing images of the ‘Forgotten War’ that assemble, in the distance, into a panorama of…

  • WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 15:  The George Mason Memorial, seen on December 15, 2012 in Washington, DC, commemorates the contributions of an important Founding Father, George Mason.; Shutterstock ID 166296854; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; Project no. or GL code: 56530; Network activity no. or Cost Centre: Online-Design; Product or Project: 65050/7529/Josh Vogel/LP.com Destination Galleries

    George Mason Memorial

    Washington, DC

    This little oasis of flowers and fountains honors the famed statesman and author of the Commonwealth of Virginia Declaration of Rights (a forerunner to…

  • Blind Whino SW Arts Club

    Washington, DC

    Psychedelic designs cover the facade of this one-time Baptist church, alerting you to the fact that something different is going on here. The 15,000-sq-ft…

  • International Spy Museum, Washington DC

    International Spy Museum

    Washington, DC

    One of DC’s most popular museums, the International Spy Museum delivers fun, interactive exhibits portraying the flashy, over-the-top world of…

  • Glen Echo, Maryland, United States-July 22, 2021 1921 era Carousel in Glen Echo Park, Maryland; Shutterstock ID 2013394772; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Glen Echo Park

    Washington, DC

    This beautiful park 9 miles northwest of downtown has a huge carousel (per ride $1.25, operating May through September) and children’s shows by the Puppet…

  • Museum of the Bible

    Washington, DC

    This six-story museum explores the history and impact of the Bible through a mix of scholarly displays and theme-park-style exhibits. On the 4th floor,…

  • National Building Museum

    Washington, DC

    Devoted to architecture and urban design, the museum is housed in a magnificent 1887 edifice modeled after the Renaissance-era Palazzo Farnese in Rome…

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