Independence Ave SW &, 7th St SW, Washington, DC 20560, United States

Hirshhorn Museum

National Air and Space Museum

Launch into the history of flight by surrounding yourself with icons of air and space travel. The flagship building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C, exhibits aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, rockets, and other flight-related artifacts. 

National Museum of African American History and Culture

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a place where all Americans can learn about the richness and diversity of the African American experience, what it means to their lives, and how it helped us shape this nation.

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is the obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Father of the United States, victorious commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783 in the American Revolutionary War, and the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797. 

National Museum of Natural History

The world's most popular natural history museum is dedicated to understanding the natural world and our place in it. Delve into the fascinating story of our planet, from its fiery beginnings through billions of years of transformation, and explore life on Earth through exhibitions and activities, collection objects and research that happens in the lab and in the field. The museum is larger than 18 football fields and is home to the largest natural history collection in the world.

The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, films and video, audio recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps, and manuscripts in its collections. The Library is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.

The Supreme Court Building

The Supreme Court Building is the  landmark building of the Judicial branch of the United States Government. It houses the offices of the nine Supreme Court Justices. Daily schedule of the working court is available online and open to the public to attend. There is no reservation needed, all walk-in visitors are welcome to join hearings or admire the architecture of the building. Consider the popularity of each case, sometimes one may face wait time for sit in and watch hearings. Located on One First Street, NE Open to the public, Mo-Fri 9AM-3PM https://www.supremecourt.gov/

The National Zoo

Founded in 1889, the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute sits on 163 acres in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Park and is home to more than 2,100 animals representing almost 400 different species.

1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, USA

The White House

East Basin Drive Southwest, Washington, DC, USA

Jefferson Memorial

One of the most visually striking monuments, the Jefferson Memorial’s design was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome and is similar to the rotunda at the University of Virginia that Jefferson himself designed. A 19-foot bronze statue of Jefferson by Rudulph Evans stands inside, and Jefferson’s writings, including the Declaration of Independence, are carved into the walls.

2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW, Washington, DC 20002, USA

Lincoln Memorial

Since 1922, millions from around the globe have visited the Lincoln Memorial's main chamber, a space that is iconic from pop culture, literature, film, and U.S. currency. Here, you can see the iconic sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, read the words of the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, and gaze at murals high above, each element imbued with deep symbolism. You can also stand where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the "I Have a Dream" speech and see stunning views of the Reflecting Pool and other landmarks in Washington, DC.

The Lincoln Memorial undercroft invites you into a dramatic, previously unseen space beneath one of America’s most iconic monuments. This new 15,000‑square‑foot exhibit area reveals the massive concrete foundations that support the memorial and shares the story of how the Lincoln Memorial was built and how its meaning has evolved over the last century. While the main chamber is not ticketed, the museum and undercroft requires a ticket. 

5 Homefront Dr SW, Washington, DC 20004, USA

World War II Memorial

The World War II Memorial sits at the eastern end of the Reflecting Pool, across from the Lincoln Memorial and is dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II. Circular in shape, it consists of 56 granite pillars, each inscribed with the name of 
a US state or territory and the 
District of Columbia and a pair of small triumphal arches for the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, surrounding an oval plaza and fountain. On its short axis is a memorial wall of gold stars representing the fallen within its own reflecting pool, and opposite, a sloped and stepped entrance plaza leading into the oval from 17th Street. 

1964 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20004, USA

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial honors Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy and the struggle for freedom, equality, and justice. It covers four acres (1.6 ha) and includes the Stone of Hope, a granite statue of civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr. carved by sculptor Lei Yixin. The inspiration for the memorial design is a line from King's "I Have a Dream" speech: "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." 

900 Ohio Dr SW, Washington, DC 20024, USA

Korean War Veterans Memorial

The Korean War Veterans Memorial memorial was dedicated in 1995 by President Clinton, and includes 19 statues of soldiers sculpted by Frank Gaylord, each more than seven feet tall. The statues are reflected in a 164-foot wall of black granite, which bears the images of soldiers in uniform. The memorial is especially evocative at night.

5 Henry Bacon Dr NW, Washington, DC 20002, USA

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The memorial wall has a bold, eye-catching simplicity—it consists of the names of 58,272 servicemen who were killed or went missing during the Vietnam War, carved into walls of dark granite. It was created in 1982 by architect Maya Lin, who won a competition to design the memorial while still in college. The memorial also features the Three Servicemen statue, designed by Frederick Hart, and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial by Glenna Goodacre.

100 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, DC 20001, USA

United States Botanic Garden

One of the oldest botanic gardens in the country, this giant ¬“national greenhouse” on the Mall was initially conceived in 1816, and opened to the public in 1850. Set on three acres, the gardens consist of three parts: a conservatory containing around more than 4,000 plants, the National Garden outside, and Bartholdi Park across the street. Built in 1933, the Conservatory features almost 30,000 square feet of space and includes an orchid court, a desert garden, a children’s garden with activities, and an oversize jungle area in the center with a viewing balcony from which to observe the tropical plants and vines.

The National Garden includes a rose garden and an amphitheater made from the marble steps of the Capitol’s old east portico, a butterfly garden, and a water garden dedicated to the First Ladies of the United States, while Bartholdi Park has a spectacular, recently restored fountain as its centerpiece.

400 West Basin Dr SW, Washington, DC 20002, USA

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

Taking up more than seven acres, the FDR Memorial is one of the largest and most moving in Washington. Finished in 1997, it incorporates a number of different elements: statues of Roosevelt, his wife, and even his dog, Fala, as well as water features, a breadline scene depicting the Great Depression, and an inscription bearing FDR’s most famous words: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

3700 O St NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is a private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic institution of higher education in the United States and the oldest university in Washington, D.C.

GW University

GW University is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress as the Columbian College, it is the first university founded under Washington, D.C.'s jurisdiction and one of six federally chartered universities in the United States

2400 6th Street Northwest, Washington, DC, USA

Howard University

Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. 

4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA

American University

The American University is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90 acres on Ward Circle, in the Spring Valley and Tenleytown neighborhoods of Northwest D.C.

620 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20064, USA

The Catholic University of America

The Catholic University of America is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States.

3501 New York Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002, USA

United States National Arboretum

Visitors can bike, walk, or drive through the National Arboretum’s 446 acres to see dogwood and magnolia collections, a bonsai and penjing museum, and a grove of state trees. As at the Botanic Garden, remnants of the Capitol’s old east portico can be found here; marble columns stand among a reflecting pool near the center of the grounds. The arboretum is especially well known for its magnificent collection of azaleas, which typically bloom between April and May. The collection was threatened by a lack of funding in 2010 but was saved by an anonymous donation of $1 million. The Perennial Collection includes flowering peonies, daylilies, daffodils, and more; the National Herb Garden is home to holly, juniper, pansies, and more than 100 varieties of roses.

1300 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA

The National Museum of American History

Where else in the world can you find Dorothy Gale’s ruby slippers, John Bull’s train, the original Star-Spangled Banner, and Kermit the Frog in one place? The museum’s three floors hold regularly rotating special exhibitions and artifacts on display.

The first floor focuses on transportation, technology, science, and innovation. Inside the 26,000-square-foot exhibition “America on the Move,” 340 objects showcase the evolution of transportation in America, from the first car ever driven across the country, a 1903 Winton, to an interactive model of a Chicago commuter train.
On the second floor, don’t miss the Star-Spangled Banner gallery, which displays the flag sewn by Mary Young Pickersgill in a climate-controlled chamber. Also on the second floor are Thomas Edison’s 1879 light bulb and the original Greensboro lunch counter from the 1960 sit-ins. 

701 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20408, USA

National Archives

The government’s vast store of papers, photos, audio, video clips, and other historical records includes three crown jewels of the collection: the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Open since 1935, the building informally known as Archives 1 has the Charters of Freedom on display in the rotunda, where you can also view one of the original copies of the 1297 Magna Carta, as well as two large-scale murals by Barry Faulkner. In the Public Vaults permanent exhibit gallery, you’ll find telegrams composed by Abraham Lincoln and more.

4155 Linnean Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens

Marjorie Merriweather Post bought Hillwood in 1955 and soon decided her home would be a museum that would inspire and educate the public. Her northwest Washington, D.C. estate endowed the country with the most comprehensive collection of Russian imperial art outside of Russia, a distinguished 18th-century French decorative art collection, and twenty-five acres of serene landscaped gardens and natural woodlands for all to enjoy. Opened as a public institution in 1977, today Hillwood's allure stems from the equally fascinating parts that make up the whole. From the captivating life of Marjorie Post to the exquisitely maintained Mansion and Gardens, the experience of Hillwood outshines even the Fabergé Eggs.

12100 Glen Rd, Potomac, MD 20854, USA

Glenstone

Glenstone is a private contemporary art museum in Potomac, Maryland. The museum's exhibitions are drawn from a collection of about 1,300 works from post-World War II artists around the world. It is the largest private contemporary art museum in the United States, and is noted for its setting in a broad natural landscape.

Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20565, USA

National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art’s neoclassical West Building is home to one of the world’s best collections of paintings, sculpture, and more, dating from the 13th to the 20th century. The gallery’s I.M. Pei-designed East Building opened in 1978 and houses mostly modern and contemporary art on four levels.

The best way to enter the West Building is through the Mall entrance on Madison Drive, which leads into the building’s dramatic central rotunda. The French galleries, are home to some magnificent works by Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, and more. On the west side of the building, don’t miss Titian’s “Venus With a Mirror,” Botticelli’s “Madonna and Child,” and “Ginevra de’ Benci,” the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Western hemisphere.

The East Building is accessible via the Fourth Street entrance, or through an underground tunnel past the bookstore and Cascade Café on the concourse level (a light sculpture by Leo Villareal, “Multiverse,” adorns the passageway). Inside the 16,000-square-foot atrium, a mammoth Calder mobile hangs from the ceiling; elsewhere, works from Picasso, Pollock, Matisse, and Mondrian accompany pieces by living masters such as Chuck Close and Rachel Whiteread. Don’t miss the gallery’s Sculpture Garden, an elegant six-acre space with works by Louise Bourgeois and Sol LeWitt.

3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha.

The estate includes Washington's riverside Mansion, four gardens and historic outbuildings where enslaved people made tools and textiles, cared for livestock and processed food.

At the New Tomb, guests can visit the final resting place of George and Martha Washington, where wreath-laying ceremonies take place year-round. 

1703 32nd St NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA

Dumbarton Oaks

Dumbarton Oaks is a Harvard University research institute, library, museum, and garden located in Washington, DC. The institution is the legacy of Robert and Mildred Bliss, collectors of art and patrons of learning in the humanities. The museum houses world-class collections of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art, two areas of interest to the Blisses. A third revolves around the historic garden, which Mildred Bliss created in close collaboration with renowned landscape designer Beatrix Farrand. Since 1940, when the Blisses gifted the estate and collections to Harvard University, Dumbarton Oaks has supported research in Byzantine Studies. Later it embraced Pre-Columbian and Garden and Landscape Studies

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery is the tranquil resting place for more than 400,000 active duty service members, veterans and their families. Notable burials include President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; Pierre L’Enfant, the architect of Washington; boxer Joe Louis; author Dashiell Hammett; and former chief justice William Rehnquist.

1700 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA

The People’s House – a White House Experience

This cutting-edge educational experience is located just one block from the White House. It tells the story of the Executive Mansion, its inhabitants and the people who have dedicated their careers to its functions. It opened on September 23, 2024. Situated at 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue, the 33,000 sqft 3-floor site features exhibits and galleries bringing the White House and its history to life. Visitors can interact with a large-scale White House model, full scale replica of the Oval Office, recreation of the White House moments and dimensional galleries combining immersive media and inventive scenic representations. Passes are free but need to be booked on their website in advance.

1600 21st St NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA

Phillips Collection

Located in a red-brick former residence near Dupont Circle, this 91-year-old modern-art treasure trove is remarkable for its idiosyncratic approach—works are hung in diverse groups in order to “converse” with one another—as well as the quality of its collection. The crown jewel of the collection is Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party,” but you’ll also find works by Matisse, Monet, Klee, Whistler, Bonnard, Braque, and more.

3101 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA

Washington National Cathedral

The nation’s second-largest cathedral has hosted the funerals of countless presidents and Washington VIPs. There are multiple services daily, but the cathedral also hosts concerts, organ recitals, lectures, and tours of its magnificent Gothic architectural elements, including stained-glass windows, carvings and metalwork, and a grotesque of Darth Vader on the northwest tower. Special reservation-only Tour & Tea offerings include a tea in the Pilgrim Observation Gallery, which offers spectacular views of the city.

201 East Capitol St SE, Washington, DC 20003, USA

Folger Shakespeare Library

This independent research library boasts the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works, and hosts exhibitions on the writer’s life and times, including one of his first folios, accompanied by a touchscreen display. Open since 1932, the building features a Tudor-style interior and an Elizabethan theater.

8th St NW & G St NW, Washington, DC 20001, USA

American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery

The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, a majestic Greek Revival building in Penn Quarter, is home to both the American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. The museums take up opposite sides of the building, which boasts a central courtyard with a vast glass roof designed by Norman Foster.

When it opened in its current location in 1968, the American Art Museum was the first collection of its kind, bringing together works by three centuries of US artists. The museum’s galleries include a collection of folk art on the first floor; Civil War, antebellum, and American impressionism exhibits on the second; and an extensive collection of contemporary American art on the third floor, including works by Roy Lichtenstein, Christo, Nam June Paik, David Hockney, and others.

1661 Pennsylvania Ave NW #1, Washington, DC 20006, USA

Renwick Gallery

This gallery, adjacent to the White House, is home to the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection of contemporary craft and decorative art, one of the finest and most extensive collections of its kind.