Museums, Memorials and Monuments in DC
Museums, Memorials and Monuments in DC
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For answers to questions commonly asked by visitors to Washington (like "How do I get a flag flown over the Capitol?") see our "what's the deal with…" page.
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A map of the Mall is available in Adobe PDF from the National Park Service. This is a large file.
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To see how to get around to see the sites, see How to Get Into, Around and Out of Washington, DC.
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Visit the web sites or call the numbers listed for the most up-to-date information.
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For maps and guidebooks, see our DC Books page
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From the Washingtonian- what's happening this month
| The Three Branches of National Government |
- Supreme Court
The Supreme Court building is open from 9 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. It is closed Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays. First Street and Maryland Avenue, NE. 202-647-3241 Metro: Union Station or Capitol South.
- United States Capitol
See the Capitol Visitor Center web site for information about tours of the Capitol and the Capitol Visitor Center.
See this list of allowed and prohibited items when visiting the Capitol.
You can also contact the Office of Visitor Services at 202-266-8000.
Make sure you visit
The Brumidi Corridors, first floor of the Senate wingThe Catafalque, Washington’s Tomb or what was supposed to be that. It is now the place they store the Lincoln catafalque which has been used for every person who has laid in state in the rotunda since it was used for Abraham Lincoln. It is kind of hard to find but it is directly beneath the center of the Capitol Dome. Just keep going down.
The Summerhouse, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted
Metro: Union Station or Capitol South. (Click here for a map of the Capitol complex.)
Special Congressional tours given by your Representative's staff can be arranged by calling your Representative's office: 202-225-3121.
- White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Open to school and youth groups and organized military and veterans groups Tuesday through Saturday from 7:45 am to 10:30 am. Guided Tours (reserved through Congressional offices) — Reserved tickets to the White House may be obtained through Congressional offices. However, tickets are limited and demand is heavy. Requests should be made to your Representative at least 30 days in advance. All White House visitors are encouraged to call the 24-hour tour line at 202-456-7041. Metro: McPherson Square. The White House Visitor Center is located on E Street NW, just east of 15th Street.
- A White House History
A virtual historical tour of the White House where you can view the rooms and furnishings, past and present.
| Museums, Memorials, Sites to See – most are free |
- From Wikipedia
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Washington DC museums and exhibits – list from Yahoo
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See Faculty Favorites on Hobnob Blog for a few places our faculty and authors like best in Washington, DC.
- African American Civil War Memorial
1200 U Street NW, Washington DC. Corner of Vermont Avenue, 10th St, and U Street NW. Metro: U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo
Alexandria, "the fun side of the Potomac," is a short Metro ride from DC, which has places to visit such as Mt. Vernon, Old Town, including Gadsby's Tavern (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison all ate here) and the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Alexandria was established as a town in 1749 and has numerous antique shops, art galleries and restored colonial homes. The City of Alexandria also has a site with information. Metro: Braddock Road or King Street
Alexandria (VA) Archeology Museum
Open Tuesday to Friday: 10 am to 3 pm; Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm; Sunday: 1 pm to 5 pm, Closed Mondays. Closed: New Year's Day, Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Located in the Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union Street, #327, Alexandria, Virginia. Phone: 703-838-4399.
Open daily, October through March from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm and April through September from 8:00 am until 7:00 pm. Tour sites include the Arlington National Cemetery Visitors Center, Kennedy Grave sites, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington House (Lee's Home), and the Robert E. Lee Memorial. Highly Recommended: Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – every hour on the hour; every half hour during the summer months. Metro: Arlington Cemetery. 703-692-0931
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The largest Roman Catholic church in the United States and North America, and one of the ten largest churches in the world. Open every day. April 1 – October 31, 7:00 am – 7:00 pm. November 1 – March 31, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm. 400 Michigan Avenue NE, Washington, DC, 202-526-8300. Metro: Brookland/CUA.
The USBG Conservatory is a special place in the evenings. During the summer, the Conservatory is open every other Tuesday until 8:00 p.m. Spend a few hours expanding your gardening knowledge and exploring the Conservatory at night. Activities at the Garden could include a lecture, guided tour, musical performance, or workshop. Some evening programs require pre-registration. Maryland Avenue and First Street, SW. Open daily, 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. 202-225-8333. Metro: Federal Center, SW or Capitol South.
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
202-622-2000, 14th and C Streets, SW. See how U.S. currency – at a rate of $30 million daily- postage and revenue stamps are printed. Real and counterfeit paper money and coins are on display. Public tours are conducted – see web site for current information. Tours last approximately 35 minutes. Admission is free. Tickets required. For 24 hour information 202-874-2330. Metro: Smithsonian.
Capital Children's Museum (renamed National Children's Museum)
Admission Fee charged. Closed until 2012. The new museum will be located at L'Enfant Plaza. Metro: L'Enfant Plaza
Follows the Potomac. Hiking, biking and more. The Billy Goat Trail is a 4-mile loop off the C&O Canal, and canal boat rides operate between April and November.
City Museum (of Washington, DC)
Exhibits closed, no fee for building and library admission. 801 K Street, NW. Sponsored by the Historical Society of Washington, DC. 202-383-1800. Metro: Mt. Vernon Square 7th St. – Convention Center
On the Mall just east of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, north of the Reflecting pool, south of Constitution Avenue.
Corcoran Gallery of Art Museum
17th Street and New York Avenue. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm and on Thursday, 10:00 am to 9:00 pm. 202-447-9709. Metro: Farragut West or Farragut North.
700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA. Open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Metro: Pentagon City
One of the oldest houses in DC, built in 1818 for Stephen Decatur. 1610 H Street NW, across the street from the White House. Open Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Sunday: Noon – 4:00 pm. Metro: McPherson Square
2201 C Street, NW. Tours are conducted Monday through Friday at 9:30 am, 10:30 am, & 3:00 pm. Tours are by reservation only. A virtual tour of the Diplomatic Reception rooms is available 202-647-3241. Metro: Foggy Bottom/GWU
This building was built in 1836 and since then has served as the headquarters for the Treasury Department. A tour (offered only on Saturdays) includes the history of the Treasury Department, the building's architecture history, the Andrew Johnson suite, where, in 1865, President Johnson conducted official business for 6 weeks after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the beautiful Salmon P. Chase suite, the Cash room (the site for Grant's inaugural reception), and the 1864 burglar proof vault. Entrance through Appointment Center doors located next to the White House on 15th street between F and G streets, NW. Metro: Metro Center or Federal Triangle or McPherson Square. Tours must be arranged through your Congressional office.
The Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection is housed in a nineteenth-century Federal-style mansion. Former owners Mildred and Robert Woods conveyed the house, gardens, and their collections to Harvard University. It is now a museum with collections of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art, as well as a research institution. The gardens were designed by the noted landscape gardener Beatrix Jones Farrand and are also open to the public.
1703 32nd Street, NW. Gardens open daily from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Museum open Tuesday through Sunday from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Both are closed on Federal Holidays and December 24, 25, and January 1. $ Admission fee to garden. 202-338-8278.
The memorial to Albert Einstein, situated in an elm and holly grove in the southwest corner of the National Academy of Science’s grounds at 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC, one block north of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
South bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. Open 24 hours daily. At the Swan Boathouse you can rent a paddle boat to cruise on the Basin.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
No public tours. Metro: Metro Center or Gallery Place/Chinatown.
201 East Capitol Street, SE (Behind the Library of Congress). This library has one of the world's finest collections of rare English Renaissance books and a large collection of Shakespeare's works. Plus, there are many programs and concerts at the Folger theatre. The building and gift shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm Tours are available Monday through Friday at 11:00 am, and Saturday at 11:00 am and 1:00 am Call for tour information and event times: 202-544-7077. Metro: Capitol South.
10th Street Between E and F Streets, NW. Building is open every day from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm with the exception of Christmas. 202-426-6924. Metro: Metro Center or Gallery Place/Chinatown.
Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America
The Monastery of Mount St. Sepulchre, designated a National Historic Site in 1991, has been a place of worship and pilgrimage for thousands of visitors since the church’s dedication in 1899.
Tours of the Monastery and shrines begin on the hour at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm. On Sundays, tours are at 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm. No tours are given between 12 noon – 1 pm and after 4 pm. Guided tours are only available of the interior of the Main Church. Tours of the gardens are self-guided. Guided tours last approximately 45 minutes. Groups of six or more must make reservations. The first part of the tour comprises the Upper Church and the second part the Lower Church, where the catacombs are located. 1400 Quincy Street NE, Washington, DC, 20017-3087, 202-636-4247.
In West Potomac Park near the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
Gunston Hall was the plantation home of George Mason (1725-1792), a senior statesman and well-known public figure in Colonial/Revolutionary War America. Author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, Mason was the first to call for such basic American liberties, freedom of the press, religious tolerance and the right to a trial by jury. Thomas Jefferson was influenced by his words when composing The Declaration of Independence, and Mason's ideas were also used as the model for many state constitutions, France's Declaration of the Rights of Man, and the United Nations Charter of the Rights of Man.
Today, Gunston Hall is a National Historic Landmark, located about 12 miles from Mount Vernon. Hours are 9:30 am – 5 pm everyday with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. $ Admission fee charged to Gunston Hall Plantation, children in kindergarten and younger-free. 703-550-9220
Founded by American collector and heiress to the Post cereal empire Marjorie Merriweather Post, Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is one of the premier art collector’s museums in the United States. The museum features the most comprehensive collection of Russian imperial art outside of Russia and a world-renowned collection of eighteenth-century French decorative art and furnishings. The collection includes Fabergé eggs, Russian porcelain, Russian Orthodox icons, Beauvais tapestries, and Sèvres porcelain. Encircled by woodlands, the twenty-five acre estate provides visitors a tranquil oasis of luscious formal gardens.
See the Visitors page for details. 4155 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-686-5807. Metro: Smithsonian. Metro: Hillwood is a mile-long walk from the Van Ness/UDC Metro Station.
America’s national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history. The Museum is closed only on Yom Kippur (October 8, 2011) and Christmas Day (December 25). See the Visitors page for details. 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, Washington, DC, 202-488–0400. Metro: Smithsonian.
Next to FBI Headquarters at 800 F Street NW, Washington, DC. Hours: see web site. $ Admission Fee charged. 202-654-0960, toll-free: 1-866-779-6873. Metro: Archives/Navy Memorial or Gallery Place/Chinatown.
James Madison Memorial Building
Between First and Second Streets SE on Independence Avenue. One of three buildings that make up the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill. Metro: Capitol South.
South bank of the Tidal Basin. Open 24 hours daily. At the Swan Boathouse you can rent a paddle boat to cruise on the Basin. A separate visit after 10:00 pm is highly recommended
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Free tours of the Kennedy Center are given by the Friends of the Kennedy Center from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday and 10 am to 1 pm, Saturday and Sunday. They depart from the parking plaza on Level A, and feature the Hall of States and Hall of Nations, the Center's main theaters, and dozens of paintings, sculptures, and other artworks given to the Center by foreign countries. For more information, call 202-416-8340. Metro: Foggy Bottom/GWU.
(Lists of Casualties from the Vietnam and Korean Wars)
Near the Lincoln Memorial in West Potomac Park at the foot of 23rd Street, NW. Open 24 hours daily.
Jefferson Building, First Street and Independence Avenue, SE. Public Tours are offered Monday through Saturday at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, and 3:30 pm (no 3:30 pm tour on Saturdays). These free tours are open to individuals and small groups with no more than 10 participants. No reservations or tickets are required. Madison Building. Groups of 10 people or more need reservations. 202-287-5458. Metro: Union Station or Capitol South.
West Potomac Park at the southern foot of 23rd Street, NW. Open 24 hours daily. 202-426-6895. A separate visit after 10:00 pm is highly recommended.
Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima)
The statue depicts Marines raising the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima. Just off the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Arlington.
Home of George Washington. Open to the public daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from March through October & at 4:00 pm from November through February. $ Admission Fee charged. 703-780-2000.
National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall
Open 10:00 am – 5:30 pm every day except Dec. 25. The most popular, i.e., crowded, museum in Washington. Independence Avenue & 7th Street, SW Metro: L'Enfant Plaza (across the street) or Smithsonian.
- Steven F. Udva-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport
Open 10:00 am – 5:30 pm every day except Dec. 25. A round-trip shuttle bus ($ fee charged) has been established between the museum's flagship building in Washington DC and the Udvar-Hazy Center. 14390 Air & Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, VA.
14th Street between Constitution Avenue and D Street, NW. Tanks filled with fish, frogs, alligators, sharks etc. Open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm except Thanksgiving and Christmas. $ Admission Fee charged. 202-377-2825. Metro: Federal Triangle.
3501 New York Avenue, NE. 444 acres of trees, shrubs and assorted plants in the northeast section of the District of Columbia. Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm every day except Christmas. Guide services for organized groups are available. Please make reservations for groups. Entrance: New York Avenue, NE. Metro: Stadium Armory on the blue or orange lines, then Bus number B-2, B-4, or B-5 to the intersection of Bladensburg Road and R Street, Walk east of R street 300 yards to the R street gate. 202-637-7000.
7th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW. Research Room is open Mon-Fri 9-5, Rotunda and Exhibit Hall are open in the Spring and Summer from 10-7 and Fall and Winter from 10-5:30. 202-523-3183. Metro: Archives/Navy Memorial
401 F Street, NW, between 4th and 5th streets. Wheelchair access at 4th and G streets. Museum Hours: Monday through Saturday 10-5, Sunday 11-5. Tours last 45 minutes and are offered Monday through Wednesday at 12:30 pm, and Thursday through Sunday at 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 1:30 pm. Reservations are not required for groups fewer than 10. Metro: Judiciary Square. 202-272-2448.
National Capital Trolley Museum
1313 Bonifant Road, Silver Spring. Open Saturdays and Sundays 10-5, varying hours on Thursdays and Fridays, closed Monday through Wednesday. 301-384-6088. Metro: Silver Spring
Maryland Route 32 and the Baltimore/Washington Parkway. Open M-F from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, 1st and 3rd Saturdays 10-2. 301-688-5849
6th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW. Open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sunday 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. 202-737-4215. Highly Recommended. Metro: Archives/Navy Memorial or Smithsonian.
National Geographic Museum at Explorers Hall
17th and M Streets, NW. Exhibits of famous scientific expeditions. M-Sat 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday 10 to 5. 202-857-7588. Metro: Farragut North.
National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II
At the intersection of New Jersey Avenue, Louisiana Avenue, and D Street in Washington, DC. Google map. Metro: Union Station.
The memorials and monuments on the National Mall are open daily from 8:00 am until 11:45 pm, every day except Christmas Day. Metro: Smithsonian.
National Museum of African Art
950 Independence Ave, SW 202-357-4600 Metro: Smithsonian
National Museum of Health and Medicine
Silver Spring, 202-782-2672 Metro:
National Museum of The American Indian
4th Street and Independence Ave, SW 202-633-1000 Metro: L'Enfant Plaza
National Museum of the Marine Corps
18900 Jefferson Davis Highway, Triangle, VA 22172, 877-635-1775. Open daily from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, every day except Christmas Day.
2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE in the Washington City Post Office Building on Capitol Hill (next to Union Station). Hours: 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. Closed on Christmas. General number is 202-357-2700, hearing impaired call 202-357-1729. Metro: Union Station.
National World War II Memorial
On the Mall at 18th Street, NW between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Open 24 hours daily. Metro: Smithsonian.
3001 Connecticut Avenue, NW. Grounds open 6 am to 8 pm April through October, 6 am to 6pm November through March. Buildings hours 10 am to 6 pm April through October, 10 am to 4:30 pm November through March. 202-673-4717. Hint if taking Metro: it's an easier walk – downhill – from the Cleveland Park station rather than the uphill walk from the Woodley Park/Zoo station.
On the DC-side of the George Washington parkway, just north of the I-395 overpass. Google map.
555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. $ Admission Fee charged. 888-639-7386. Metro: Archives/Navy Memorial, Gallery Place/Chinatown, or Smithsonian.
Now housing the American Architectural Foundation. 18th and New York Avenue, NW. Architectural exhibits. Served as James Madison's White House following the destruction of the real White House by the British in 1814. See web site for tour infromation. $ Admission Fee charged. 202-638-3105. Metro: Farragut West or Farragut North.
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Open Daily from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. National Park Service offers a tour of the bell tower with a splendid view of the city. The lines for this tour are normally much shorter than for the Washington Memorial. See web site for hours. Tours begin approximately every five minutes from the glass elevator at the northwest corner of the stage level of the Pavilion. The observation deck is exposed to the weather and the Tower may close in bad weather. 202-289-4224 Metro: Federal Triangle or Archives/Navy Memorial
Across the 14th Street Bridge in Virginia (I-395). our length is approximately 60 minutes and includes walking about one and a half miles of Pentagon corridors and several staircases. Visitors taking part in a Pentagon tour should wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Tours can be set up through your Congressional office or embassy. Sights to see: the Flag Corridor, the Hall of Heroes. 703-697-1776 Metro: Pentagon.
The nation's first museum of modern art with free Sunday concerts. 1600-1612 21st Street, NW. 202-387-2151. $ Admission Fee charged. Metro: DuPont Circle.
Pope John Paul II Cultural Center
Near Catholic University, 3900 Harewood Road NE, Washington, DC, 202-635-5400. Metro: Brookland/CUA.
Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences
Marian Koshland Science Museum. 6th and E Streets, NW. 202-334-1201, 1-888-567-4526 $ Admission Fee charged. Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown or Judiciary Square.
Most museums open daily from 10:00 am until 5:30 pm For specific information, call 202-357-1300. Metro: Smithsonian
Encyclopedia Smithsonian – features answers to frequently asked questions about the Smithsonian and links to Smithsonian resources from A to Z.
8th and F Streets, NW. Open every day 11:30 am to 7:00 pm except Christmas. 202-357-3111. Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown.
- The Anacostia Community Museum
2405 Martin Luther King Avenue, SE Metro: Anacostia, then take W3 or W3 bus
900 Jefferson Drive, SW Metro: Smithsonian
Jefferson Drive and 12th Street, SW Metro: Smithsonian
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Independence Avenue and 7th Street, SW Metro: Smithsonian
Independence Avenue & 7th Street, SW Metro: L'Enfant Plaza
4th Street between the Mall and Constitution Avenue, NW Metro: Archives/Navy Memorial
National Museum of African Art
950 Independence Avenue, SW Metro: Smithsonian
National Museum of American History
14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW. Call Smithsonian Visitor Information: 202-633-1000 (voice) or 202-357-1729 (TTY), Regular hours: Monday through Friday, 10 am to 5:30 pm, closed December 25. Metro: Smithsonian or Federal Triangle.
National Museum of Natural History
10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW. Call Smithsonian Visitor Information: 202-633-1000 (voice) or 202-357-1729 (TTY), Regular hours: Monday through Friday, 10 am to 5:30 pm, Summer hours 10 am to 7:30 pm, closed December 25. Metro: Smithsonian or Federal Triangle.
National Museum of The American Indian
4th Street and Independence Ave, SW 202-633-1000, Daily 10 am – 5:30 pm, closed December 25. Metro: L'Enfant Plaza
8th and F Streets, NW. Open daily 11:30 am to 7 pm, closed Christmas. 202-633-8300. Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown.
Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street, NW 202-357-2531. Metro: McPherson Square.
1050 Independence Avenue, SW 202-357-2700 Metro: Smithsonian
Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)
1000 Jefferson Drive, SW Metro: Smithsonian
11,000 textiles and 1,000 rugs. 2320 S Street, NW 202-667-0441. Metro: DuPont Circle.
A parking lot sits near the footbridge in Virginia, accessible only from the right hand lane of the northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway north of Arlington Cemetery. Google map. 703-289-2500 Metro: Rosslyn.
50 Massachusetts Ave NE Washington, DC 20002 202-371-9441 Metro: Union Station. A beautiful building, well worth a visit.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW (old 15th street between Maine Avenue and Independence Avenue). There is an entrance also on 14th street, next to the Bureau of Printing & Engraving. Open 7 days a week from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm Closed on Yom Kippur and Christmas. Permanent exhibition is recommended for ages 11 and up. Daniel's Story is recommended for ages 8 and up. The visit will take from an 1 1/2 to 3 hours. 202-488-0400 Metro: Smithsonian on the blue or orange lines, exit at 12th and Independence Avenue.
United States Naval Observatory
34th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, NW. See web site for tour information. Reservations online or by fax.
Located at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Hours for Visitors Center are Monday through Saturday, 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, and Sunday, noon to 5:00 pm. 202-737-2300. Metro: Archives/Navy Memorial
(Lists of Casualties from the Vietnam and Korean Wars)
Henry Bacon Drive and Constitution Avenue, NW, adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial. Always open. Constructed of black granite to honor all Americans who served in the Vietnam War. As a special tribute to those who did not return, the names of more than 58,000 who gave their lives or who remain missing are inscribed in the Memorial's walls. The names are in chronological order. A separate visit after 10:00 pm is highly recommended.
On the Mall at 15th Street, NW. Open daily 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, closed Christmas. 202-426-6841. Metro: Smithsonian
A stunning architectural work and fascinating place to tour. Gift shop is first-rate, too. Visitor information. 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-537-6200.
Bishop’s Garden at the National Cathedral – A much smaller gem, planned by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and Florence Brown Bratenahl. Located directly below the Cathedral on south side, with nooks and crannies where you can escape and enjoy a tranquil moment or two. Combine with visit the the Cathedral itself.
9th and M Streets, SE, on the banks of the Anacostia River. The original buildings date back to the 1800's and contain the National Museum of the US Navy, which is free and open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm weekdays and 10:00 am to 5:00 pm weekends. Docked near the Navy Museum is a real Vietnam-era destroyer, the USS Barry. Metro: Navy Yard
This grand 1805 house overlooking the Potomac River was a gift from George Washington to Eleanor "Nelly" Custis, granddaughter of Martha Washington (Nelly's brother, George Washington Parke Custis, built Arlington House), and her husband, Maj. Lawrence Lewis, the General's nephew. Dr. William Thornton, first architect of the U.S. Capitol, designed Woodlawn for the young couple. Woodlawn interprets the lives of the Lewis family as well as the numerous African-Americans, both free and enslaved, who lived and worked on this Virginia plantation.
Also located on the grounds of Woodlawn is the Pope-Leighey House , a “Usonian” house designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was moved to Woodlawn in 1965 in order to remove it from the path of a highway project.
Woodlawn is located at 9000 Richmond Hwy (US Rt. 1), at the intersection of Rt. 1 and VA Rt. 235 South, 3 miles from Mount Vernon. Both houses are open daily March-December from 10 am to 5 pm, and are closed during the months of January and February, except for Presidents' Day. 703-780-4000
TIP: If you can't make it south to Williamsburg, the Mount Vernon/Woodlawn/Gunston Hall triad is a good substitute. They offer excellent educational and interpretive programs on Colonial and early Federal American life, including children's programs, colonial crafts, family, and slave life. Woodlawn is just three miles from Mount Vernon, and Gunston Hall is approximately another 5 miles south down US Rt. 1 from Woodlawn.
On the Mall at 18th Street, NW between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Open 24 hours daily. Metro: Smithsonian
Also see our Visiting Washington, DC page
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