Made up of approximately 2000 members, including almost 200 Nobel Prize winners, these are the folks the government hits up for scientific advice (whether the government listens to them or not is, as you may have guessed, entirely up to the government). Inside, the NAS displays its impressive permanent art collection and hosts temporary art exhibitions, lectures and films. Download the useful Visitors Guide from the website before heading here and be sure to bring photo ID.

Transportation

  • metro: Orange, Silver, Blue Line to Foggy Bottom-GWU

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Albert Einstein Memorial

0.07 MILES

The grounds in front of the National Academy of Sciences feature DC’s most huggable monument: Robert Berks' bronze 1978 statue of Albert Einstein. The…

2. State Department

0.11 MILES

The headquarters of the American diplomatic corps is a forbidding, well-guarded edifice – modernist, monolithic and unfriendly. In stark contrast are the…

3. Federal Reserve

0.11 MILES

‘The Fed,’ is the Olympus of the Gods of the American Economy. Housed in a monolithic white building that closely resembles a Soviet ministry, it is…

4. Vietnam Veterans Memorial

0.12 MILES

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…

5. Vietnam Women's Memorial

0.17 MILES

The tree-ringed Vietnam Women's Memorial, showing female soldiers aiding a fallen combatant, was added to complement the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1993.

6. Three Servicemen Statue

0.17 MILES

In 1982, opponents of Maya Lin’s Vietnam memorial design insisted that a more traditional sculpture be added to the monument. As a result, sculptor…

7. Department of the Interior Museum

0.27 MILES

Responsible for managing the nation’s natural resources, the Department of the Interior operates this small museum to educate the public about its current…

8. Lincoln Memorial

0.29 MILES

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

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