Washington, D.C.

No reviews yetCity District of Columbia, United States

Daniel Chester French's seated statue of Abraham Lincoln has filled the Lincoln Memorial since its dedication in 1922, Washington, D.C., District of Columbia

The Washington Monument, completed in 1884, is a marble obelisk honoring the first US president, Washington, D.C., District of Columbia

The United States Capitol, home of Congress, stands at the eastern end of the National Mall, Washington, D.C., District of Columbia

The Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building is one of the most richly decorated interiors in Washington, Washington, D.C., District of Columbia

About Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., was established in the 1790s as the capital of the United States on land along the Potomac River. Its plan, drawn up by Pierre L'Enfant, laid out broad diagonal avenues and the National Mall, a long green space lined with monuments and museums. Beyond the federal core, it is a city of row-house neighborhoods with a lively food and music scene.

The Lincoln Memorial looks down the Reflecting Pool toward the Washington Monument, and around the Tidal Basin, memorials to Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. stand among the cherry trees. At the Mall's eastern end, the U.S. Capitol offers tours, and the Library of Congress has a remarkably ornate main reading room. The Supreme Court is next door, and Eastern Market brings a weekend food and craft scene to Capitol Hill. Most Smithsonian museums are free: the National Air and Space Museum displays historic aircraft and spacecraft, the National Museum of African American History and Culture traces centuries of history, and the National Museum of Natural History stands near the National Gallery of Art. Georgetown, with its brick sidewalks and waterfront, offers shopping and dining.

Washington suits families, history lovers and museum enthusiasts. Summer is hot and humid. The Metro is convenient, and Mount Vernon and Old Town Alexandria make easy side trips.

Best seasonLate March to early April for cherry blossoms, or September and October for mild weather.

Ideal stayThree to four days covers the Mall, Capitol Hill, several museums and Georgetown.

ArrivingReagan National is closest to downtown; Dulles and BWI handle more long-haul flights, and Amtrak arrives at Union Station.

WiserMap travel guideWashington DC Smithsonian Museums and Cherry BlossomsExplore Washington, D.C. with this guide to the National Mall memorials, free Smithsonian museums, the Capitol, Georgetown, cherry blossom season and the Metro.Read the guide

Why People Love Washington, D.C.: 12 Things to Discover

Memorials 3

Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool

Modeled on a Greek temple and dedicated in 1922, the memorial at the west end of the National Mall shelters Daniel Chester French'...

Washington Monument

Rising about 555 feet above the Mall, this marble obelisk honors the first president and remains the tallest structure in the city...

Tidal Basin memorials

A loop of about two miles around this man-made inlet links three of Washington's most affecting memorials. The domed Jefferson Mem...

Government 4

United States Capitol

Crowned by a cast-iron dome finished in 1866 and topped by the bronze Statue of Freedom, the Capitol is both a working legislature...

Library of Congress

The Thomas Jefferson Building, opened in 1897, is perhaps the most lavishly decorated public building in Washington. Its Great Hal...

Supreme Court and Eastern Market

Two different sides of Capitol Hill sit a short walk apart. The Supreme Court Building, completed in 1935 to a design by Cass Gilb...

White House and Lafayette Square

The president's residence is best seen from Lafayette Square to the north, a historic park with an equestrian statue of Andrew Jac...

Museums 4

National Air and Space Museum

The world's most visited aviation museum on the National Mall holds icons of flight such as the 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindber...

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Opened in 2016, this Smithsonian museum stands out on the Mall for its tiered bronze-colored lattice, inspired by Yoruba crowns an...

National Museum of Natural History and National Gallery of Art

Facing each other across the Mall, these free museums can fill a whole day. Natural History greets visitors with a huge African el...

National Archives Museum

In the domed Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights are di...

Neighborhoods 1

Georgetown

Founded as a tobacco port in 1751, decades before Washington itself, Georgetown keeps its cobbled lanes, brick Federal-style row h...

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