Monuments, Memorials, Hotels and Restaurants in DC
Monuments
African American Civil War Memorial and Museum
1200 U Street, NW
A Wall of Honor lists the names of 209,145 United States Colored Troops who served in the Civil War. The museum explores the African American struggle for freedom in the United States. Museum is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Not to be confused with the Smithsonian NMAAHC, below)
Arlington National Cemetery
Across the Memorial Bridge from D.C.
This is America's largest burial ground with the graves of President John F. Kennedy, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, world champion boxer Joe Louis and the Tomb of the Unknowns. Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
DC War Memorial
National Mall, west of 17th St. and Independence Ave. SW
This lesser-known memorial commemorates the 26,000 citizens of Washington, D.C., who served in World War I.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
West Potomac Park near Lincoln Memorial on Ohio Drive, SW
This memorial is divided into four outdoor galleries, one for each of FDR's terms in office from 1933 to 1945. Several sculptures depict the 32nd president. Hours are 8 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
George Mason Memorial
900 Ohio Drive, in East Potomac Park, SW
Monument to the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which inspired Thomas Jefferson while drafting the Declaration of Independence.
Iwo Jima Memorial
Marshall Drive, next to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
This memorial, also known as the United States Marine Corps War Memorial, is dedicated to the marines who gave their lives during one of the most historic battles of World War II, the battle of Iwo Jima.
Jefferson Memorial
15th Street, SW
This dome-shaped rotunda honors the nation's third president. The 19-foot bronze statue of Jefferson is located on the Tidal Basin, surrounded by a grove of trees, making it especially beautiful during Cherry Blossom season in the spring. Hours are 8 a.m. to midnight daily.
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Daniel French Drive and Independence Avenue, SW
Our nation honors those who were killed, captured, wounded or remain missing in action during the Korean War (1950-1953). Nineteen statues are supported by a granite wall with 2,400 faces of land, sea and air support troops. A Pool of Remembrance lists the names of the lost Allied Forces. Hours are 8 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
Lincoln Memorial
23rd Street between Constitution and Independence Avenues, NW
This memorial was dedicated in 1922 to honor President Abraham Lincoln. Thirty-eight Grecian columns surround a statue of Lincoln seated on a 10-foot high marble base. The statue is surrounded by engraved readings of the Gettysburg address, his second inaugural address and murals by French painter Jules Guerin. Hours are 8 a.m. to midnight.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
For GPS navigation, use 1850 West Basin Drive SW, Washington, D.C. 20024
From Smithsonian Metro, it's a 15-20 minute walk following Independence Avenue to the west.
This memorial honors Dr. King's legacy and the struggle for freedom, equality, and justice.
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
Judiciary Square at E Street, NW, between 4th and 5th Streets
This monument honors the service and sacrifice of federal, state and local law enforcers. A marble wall is inscribed with the names of more than 17,000 officers who have been killed in the line of duty since the first known death in 1792.
Pentagon Memorial
I-395 at Boundary Channel Drive, Washington D.C.
The memorial honors the 184 lives lost in the Pentagon and on American Airlines Flight 77 during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial includes a park and gateway spanning about two acres.
Theodore Roosevelt Island
George Washington Memorial Parkway, Washington, D.C.
A 91-acre wilderness preserve serves as a memorial to the nation's 26th president, honoring his contributions to conservation of public lands for forests, national parks, wildlife and bird refuges, and monuments.
United States Air Force Memorial
One Air Force Memorial Drive, Arlington, Va.
This is the newest memorial in the Washington, D.C. area, completed in September 2006. The memorial honors the millions of men and women who have served in the United States Air Force. Open 24 hours.
U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW
The museum serves as a memorial to the millions of people who were murdered during the Holocaust. Open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day, except Yom Kippur and Christmas Day. Timed passes are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
United States Navy Memorial
701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, between 7th and 9th Streets.
The memorial commemorates U. S. Naval history and honors all who have served in the sea services. Open 24 hours.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Constitution Avenue and Henry Bacon Drive, NW
A V-shaped granite wall is inscribed with the names of the 58,209 Americans missing or killed in the Vietnam War. Across the lawn is a life-size bronze sculpture of three young servicemen. Hours are 8 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
Washington Monument
Constitution Avenue and 15th Street, NW.
The memorial to George Washington, our nation's first president, took 40 years to complete its original construction due to lack of funds, but was finally dedicated in 1885. It has recently been refurbished to its original splendor. For free tickets, go to the kiosk on the Washington Monument grounds at 15th Street and Madison Drive. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. daily except for Dec. 25.
Women in Vietnam Memorial
Constitution Avenue and Henry Bacon Drive, NW
This sculpture depicts three women in the military with a wounded soldier to honor the women who served in the Vietnam War. The sculpture was dedicated in 1993 as part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
World War II Memorial
17th Street, between Constitution and Independence Avenues
This beautiful structure serves as a peaceful place to remember those who served our country during World War II. The memorial is open 24 hours a day.
Museums
The National Gallery of Art
Located between 3rd and 9th Streets along Constitution Avenue NW
Consisting of John Russell Pope's East Building, I.M.Pei's East Building, and the Sculpture Garden, the gallery is separately administrated from the other Smithsonian museums and has slightly different hours. The collection is focused mostly on European and American art from the Renaissance to the present, as well as major traveling exhibitions.
Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)
1000 Jefferson Drive SW, Washington, D.C.
This historic building is a good place to start your tour of the museums. The Smithsonian Information Center is located here and you can find a map and schedule of events.
Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building
900 Jefferson Drive SW, Washington, D.C.
This historic building was the original home of the National Museum.
Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum
7th and Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C.
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, VA
This impressive museum displays the largest collection of air and spacecraft in the world as well as smaller items like instruments, memorabilia and clothing. There are IMAX films and planetarium shows several times a day. In 2003, the Museum opened a second location, the Udvar-Hazy Center: "Two large hangars display thousands of aviation and space artifacts, including a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a Concorde, and the Space Shuttle Discovery."
Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Independence Ave. and 7th St. SW, Washington, D.C.
The Smithsonian's museum of modern and contemporary art includes arts of traditional historical themes and collections addressing emotion, abstraction, politics, process, religion and economics.
Smithsonian Freer Gallery & Sackler Gallery
1050 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C.
The Freer Gallery art museum features a world-renowned collection of art from China, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia, and the Near East. The Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Auditorium provides free programs, including performances of Asian music and dance, films, lectures, chamber music and dramatic presentations.
The Sackler Gallery collection includes Chinese bronzes, jades, paintings and lacquerware, ancient Near Eastern ceramics and metalware, and sculpture from Asia. This unique building is connected underground to the Freer Gallery of Art.
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
15th St. and Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC
Highlights include: Harriet Tubman's hymnal; Nat Turner’s bible; A plantation cabin from South Carolina; Guard tower from Angola Prison; Michael Jackson's fedora; and works by prolific artists such as Charles Alston, Elizabeth Catlett, Romare Bearden, and Henry O. Tanner.
Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
950 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C.
The collection includes ancient as well as contemporary works from Africa. There are special events, storytelling, demonstrations and children's programs.
Smithsonian Natural History Museum
10th St. and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
At this family favorite museum, you will see a variety of artifacts, including an 80-foot dinosaur skeleton, a life-size model of a blue whale, an enormous prehistoric white shark, and a 45-and-a-half carat jewel known as the Hope Diamond.
Smithsonian American History Museum
12th to 14th Sts. NW, Washington, D.C.
The museum collects and preserves more than three million artifacts of American history and culture, from the War of Independence to the present day.
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
4th St. and Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C.
The newest museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., showcases Native American objects from ancient pre-Columbian civilizations through the 21st century.
Smithsonian S. Dillon Ripley Center
1100 Jefferson Drive, SW Washington, D.C.
This facility houses the Smithsonian Associates, the Discovery Theater, and the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service.
The following museums are located in Washington, D.C., but not on the National Mall:
National Zoo
Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C. The National Zoo is a part of the Smithsonian Institution with more than 435 different species of animals.
Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum
1901 Fort Place SE, Washington, D.C.
This small museum focuses on African-American culture. Exhibits rotate and feature regional and national topics.
Smithsonian National Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave. NE, Washington, D.C.
The museum displays the largest stamp collection in the world and examines the development of the postal system using interactive displays.
Smithsonian Renwick Gallery
70 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C.
The building was the original site of the Corcoran Gallery and is furnished with American crafts and contemporary arts from the 19th to 21st centuries. The museum features unique works of art in an impressive setting across the street from the White House.
National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum
8th and F Streets NW, Washington, D.C.
This restored historic building houses two museums in one building. The National Portrait Gallery presents six permanent exhibitions of nearly 20,000 works. The Smithsonian American Art Museum is the home of the largest collection of American art in the world, including more than 41,000 artworks.
U.S. Capitol
Location and Hours
The Capitol Visitor Center, the new main entrance to the U.S. Capitol, is located below the East Plaza of the Capitol between Constitution and Independence Avenues.
The visitor center is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Inauguration Day.
Visitors with official business appointments may enter the visitor center as early as 7:15 a.m.
Guided Tours of the Capitol
Guided tours of the Capitol begin at the Orientation Theaters on the lower level of the Capitol Visitor Center. "Out of Many, One," a 13-minute film, illustrates how this country established a new form of government, highlights the vital role that Congress plays in the daily lives of Americans, and introduces you to the building that houses the U.S. Congress. Tours are free, but tour passes are required.
Tour hours: 8:50 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Monday - Saturday
Tours may be booked in advance online , through the office of your Senators or Representative, or through the Office of Visitor Services by calling +1-202-226-8000.
A limited number of passes are available each day at the tour kiosks on the East and West Fronts of the Capitol or at the information desks in Emancipation Hall on the lower level of the visitor center.
Watching Congress in Session
The Senate and House Galleries are open to visitors whenever either body is in session. In addition, the House Gallery is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday, when the House is not in session.
Passes are required to enter either gallery at any time. Visitors may obtain gallery passes from the offices of their senators or representatives. Gallery passes are available for international visitors at the House and Senate appointment desks on the upper level.
Exhibition Hall (Lower Level)
Here you can explore the only exhibition in the country dedicated to telling the story of Congress and the construction of the U.S. Capitol. Exhibit highlights include rarely seen historic documents from the National Archives and the Library of Congress, artifacts from around the country, and an 11-foot-tall touchable model of the Capitol dome. You may also watch the action on the floors of both chambers of Congress at the House and Senate theaters when Congress is in session. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday - Saturday.
Library of Congress
Visitors have direct access from the Capitol Visitor Center to the historic Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress via the Library of Congress Tunnel. The entrance to the tunnel is located on the upper level of the visitor center near the House appointment desk.
White House Tours
Visitors to the gardens can view the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Rose Garden, Children's Garden and the South Lawn of the White House. The Kitchen Garden, a new addition to the South Lawn, is viewable from a distance along the tour route. There is a visual explanation to help educate tourists on the elements of the garden.
The tours are open to the public; however, a ticket is required for all attendees, including small children. Tours of the residence are closed on the dates of the Garden Tours.
In case of inclement weather, the Garden Tours will be cancelled. Please call the 24-hour information line at +1-202-456-7041 to check on the status of the event.
Public tours of the White House are available. Requests must be submitted through one's member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. If you wish to visit the White House and are a citizen of a foreign country, please contact your embassy in Washington, D.C., for assistance in submitting a tour request.
All tours are significantly enhanced if visitors stop by the White House Visitor Center located at the southeast corner of 15th and E Streets, before or after their tour. The center is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and features many aspects of the White House, including its architecture, furnishings, first families, social events, and relations with the press and world leaders as well as a 30-minute video.
Parking
The closest Metrorail stations to the White House are Federal Triangle (blue and orange lines), Metro Center (blue, orange, and red lines) and McPherson Square (blue and orange lines). On-street parking is not available near the White House, and use of public transportation is strongly encouraged.
Mount Vernon
A visit to Mount Vernon begins at the Ford Orientation Center. A 20-minute action-adventure movie, We Fight to be Free, is shown in a pair of luxury theaters. The film depicts a heroic and charismatic Washington at pivotal moments in his life.
The centerpiece of a visit is seeing George Washington's home; an original building filled with 18th-century treasures, many of them owned by Washington. The Mansion house sits high above the Potomac River with a stunning view of the Maryland shore. Forty-five acres of the estate are open to the public.
The Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center opened on Oct. 27, 2006. Twenty-three theater and gallery experiences-many of them with interactive technology-describe the story of Washington's life, including his military and political careers.
George Washington's Distillery & Gristmill. The water-powered mill is operated by millers in colonial attire who explain how the mill works and the role it played in Washington's entrepreneurial farming operation. The distillery demonstrates 18th-century techniques and includes five copper stills. Open April 1 - Oct. 31, 2009.
Hotels close to CASE
Washington Renaissance
999 Ninth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-898-9000
The Hamilton Hotel
14th & K Streets, NW
Washington, DC
202-682-0111
Marriott Metro Center
775 12th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202-898-9000
Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square
806 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202-730-8800
The Embassy Suites Washington D.C. – Convention Center
900 10th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-739-2001
JW Marriott Hotel
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
202-393-2000
L'Enfant Plaza Hotel
480 L'Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, DC 20024
202-484-1000
Recommended Restaurants
Bobby Vans Grill
1201 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
202-589-1504
Clyde's of Gallery Place (Steakhouse)
707 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
202.349.3700
District ChopHouse (Steakhouse)
509 7th St., NW
Washington, DC 20004
202-347-3434
Oceanairre Restaurant (Seafood)
1201 F Street, NW
Washington, DC
202-347-2277
Old Ebbitt Grill (American)
675 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202-347-4801