What's MUST SEE In Washington DC?

[eniwetok]

Heading there on Friday for the cherry blossoms... what should we not miss? Air & Space, botanical gardens, Holocaust and African-American History Museums... Capitol... Washington Memorial...

Thanks!

[pangaia]

1. The Vietnam Memorial would be #1 on my list.

[Phoenix61]

3. Take tissue

It is absolutely amazing. Pictures don't do it justice.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

89. Especially if it was your generation whose names are there

[eniwetok]

5. I visited the VN Memoral back in '86

To see all those name...

It makes one want to cry... and it doesn't even have the names of all the innocents killed in that war.

[yardwork]

76. Agreed.

[Fresh_Start]

82. agree must see and must have many tissues.

the zoo is fun if you have children

I was very moved by the Lincoln memorial....and the Jefferson memorial but not the Washington one.
Ride the carousel...just so you can say you did.

[cilla4progress]

2. Museum of the

American Indian

[csziggy]

9. YES! And plan to eat lunch there - the food is excellent and a cross section of the societies

During our visit in November my husband and I spent a whole day at the Museum of the American Indian. I mostly went to see The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire exhibit, which will still be there now. I wish I had known about the exhibit Our Universes: Traditional Knowledge Shapes Our World before we went. I stayed in there for at least two hours and only left because I had reached overload of concepts. I wish I had been able to return every day for another week to soak up more of the cultural insights from that one area. Check out the other exhibits: http://www.nmai.si.edu/

The "cafe" is wonderful - it has different sections for cuisine from different regions. We selected from the Pacific Northwest and got salmon, buffalo, beets, wild rice, and other dishes. My husband and I split one platter and it was plenty for a lunch.


ETA - we did a day tour for our first day in DC - it took us to all the major monuments with a nice commentary from the tour guides. It was with USA Guided Tours - they left directly from our hotel in Alexandria but picked up groups and couples along the way at designated spots.

[mcar]

46. Great cafe

The AA museum's is awesome too!

[csziggy]

71. The African American Museum was too new when we were there in early November

My husband tried to get tickets online and couldn't. Our tour guides on the day before said they could get them, but we only had the one day more and had decided on the American Indian Museum months before. When the tour bus drove by the AA Museum, the line was over a block long for people with tickets!

[JPZenger]

93. Extremely hard to get into the African-American museum

When I checked last month, they were only releasing a month of tickets at a time, and they were gone in minutes.

[csziggy]

108. Yes, it is hard to get tickets in advance

Although as we were told and the poster below mentions, there are tickets available often once you get on site.

We only had two days in DC and didn't want to spend time in line. I can't stand that long anyway so we went to the other museum instead. Hopefully we'll get another chance some time in the future when the AA Museum is not as new and demand is down a little.

[mcar]

95. We got in the Monday after the Women's March

It was pouring rain and raw cold but still there were busloads of school kids going in. We didn't have tickets but the staffers had unused tickets they gave us.

[Retrograde]

11. I was disappointed in the museum when I visited

but the cafeteria is worth a visit.

[Greywing]

4. Add the Smithsonian and the National Museum of Art if you can fit that in ...

and of course the Lincoln and the Jefferson memorials since you are there for the cherry blossoms.

[Warpy]

6. You'll see the Washington Monument from a distance

Don't bother to walk over to it, the climb up is closed and has been since it was damaged by a quake some years ago.

Lincoln Memorial is impressive. Most of the Smithsonian is good, not just the Air and Space Museum. National Gallery is good if you're into art. Chinatown is about a block long (or used to be) but the restaurants are top notch.

I didn't much care for the Capitol, it was far away from the other stuff and once you'd looked up into the Rotunda, you were done, but suit yourself.

Give Dolt45 the finger from me.

[eniwetok]

8. I did the walk down back in '69...

I actually was trying to race my folks down as they took the elevator. I think the stairway was closed in '86. I remember it was lined with commemorative stones from across the nation.

[eleny]

7. The Lincoln Memorial at night

Just a short stop if you can fit it in. You'll remember it for the rest of your life.

[Binkie The Clown]

10. Aside from the usual stuff, I got a kick out of the spy museum.

https://www.spymuseum.org/exhibition-experiences/

I even got a cool CIA T-shirt there.

[elleng]

12. My daughter just suggested this place.

Sounds 'cute,' but I haven't been there yet.

https://www.washingtonian.com/2017/03/01/dc-pop-up-cherry-blossom-bar-shaw-is-the-most-festive-place-to-drink-this-spring/

Enjoy! Weather should have moderated by then. We've had an 'unusual' week, and starting to defrost. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10441287

[Grassy Knoll]

13. I Would Time Stamp A Photo Of The WH....

...In Memory Of The Worst Resident In Modern History.

[Retrograde]

14. The Library of Congress

the last time we were there we were just going to stop in for a quick look: we ended up spending most of the day there. The building itself is gorgeous, and they have a collection (or as much as they could reassemble) of the books Jefferson donated to start the library in the first place (it later burned at least once). They also have special exhibits: when we were there they had a copy of the original Waldseemuller map of the New World - that's the one that gave the Americas their name.

I've heard the Folger museum is good, but we got too distracted by the LoC to get there. Otherwise, for a first visit I'd recommend any of the Smithsonian museums - and don't forget the zoo!

[cemaphonic]

32. Yeah, they do a great tour

[s-cubed]

15. There are a limited number of tickets available each day

for the African American museum. They go quickly. Do your homework to find out how/when to try.

I like to go to the Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt memorials at night. Fewer people and lighting is great.

Cherry blossoms will be a bust! Too cold. Check out activities on the Festival site to find something you couldn't do otherwise.

Most of the large Smithsonian museums have cafeterias: Indian is especially interesting native food. The one underground between the two wings of the Art museum is one of my favorites, due to the waterfall. The one in Air and Space is very noisy: full of kids.

Pace yourself, have fun, don't try to due too much.

[elleng]

16. Add NEWSEUM.

http://www.newseum.org/

NEWSEUM NIGHTS
IN BLOOM
The after-hours event series will kick off with a celebration of Washington, D.C.’s annual cherry blossom festival.


WEATHER is improving. High Friday and Sunday 48, Saturday and Monday highs 55.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

85. Like Newseum too. Lucky enough to go to Green Ball at Obama's second

inaugural. It was there. We snuck up to the VIP party on the top floor - view from patio up there amazing !

[Elwood P Dowd]

17. All of those mentioned but stay away from the White House.

It is now occupied by radio active Trump Davidian trash. I live there in 1971 and 1972 but avoided Nixon's White House.

Are any of the old clubs still in Georgetown? I heard The Cellar Door closed several years ago. Loved going to that place.

[Stinky The Clown]

18. Good luck on the cherry blossoms. Looks like they got done in by climate change

They are encased in ice that is there because of unseasonably frigid temps. However, worry not. While the blossoms are likely to be less than spectacular, they're still worth seeing.

But DC is really a visitor's bargain destination. All the government attractions are free or nearly so.

If this is your first time here, try for the Capitol. Not sure if you have to get tickets in advance, but you really should take the tour to get a sense of what our country and government once was and (hopefully) will be again. If you go to the Capitol, stop in the Senate or House office buildings. They're open to everyone. You have to go thru a metal detector, but that's it. I suggest Cannon House Office Building. It is right across from the House side of the Capitol and right at the Capitol South Metro stop. The Rotunda (at the northwest corner of the building) is where all the news organizations set up cameras for live shots. Walk through and you can see the Members' offices. Pelosi is in that building. It is undergoing a renovation, so some of it will be closed off.

The Smithsonian Museums offer something for everyone with almost any interest. If it were my first time there, I'd do the American History Museum. It captures who we are as a nation. Every other museum is just as important. They just have different focuses.

If you appreciate airplanes, consider instead of the Air and Space Museum, the Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport has an amazing collection of complete aircraft. The Enola Gay, a real SR-71 Blackbird and a real Space Shuttle. Lots of other displays, too. https://airandspace.si.edu/udvar-hazy-cente.r

On the Mall is the display that moves me deeply - the Viet Nam Memorial. Nearby are the Korean War Memorial and the WWII Memorial, but worth the time.

The sleeper, and right off the route of the Cherry Blossom walk around the reflecting pool is the FDR Memorial, which we found to be the best of the large presidential Memorials. Yes, Lincoln is great, but the FDR has a message and a theme that resonates even today.

Anyway, welcome to DC. There is more to do than you'll have time for in a month, let alone a weekend or a week.

[rufus dog]

23. To add to Stinky's post

If you call your congressperson they can get you tickets (free) for the Capitol tour. You go to their office and pick up the tickets. Also I would get up early in the morning and go to the spot the family wanted to see that day. So if you have a person with you who doesn't sleep too much, use it, I would get a large cup of coffee get in line and then the kids could show up a couple of hours later.

[Stinky The Clown]

25. Thanks, I never knew how that was done.

I've always had some level of access or another and have never actually done the tour.

Trivia, where are the kitty footprints and how did they get there?

Stand in the rotunda and hear where even a whisper can be heard across the room.

The auditorium in the Visitor Center has seats with special ventilation that can even evacuate a fart before it reaches the neighboring seat (<<not a joke).

[rufus dog]

28. OK, TOO DAMN FUNNY!

I had to Google the first one - after seeing the story I recalled it was brought up on our tour. I was too busy whispering/listening to the kids whispers I think. Now for the funny part, google "kitty footprints at capitol" and check out the first hit.

[Stinky The Clown]

30. Hahahahahaha!

Too Damn Funny is right!

A little more about the cat: http://www.clotureclub.com/2012/10/10-ghost-stories-of-the-us-capitol/

[eniwetok]

48. Thanks! I want to see that SR71

The Enterprise Shuttle was delivered to Dulles in the mid 80's and I went looking for it... but it wasn't ready for display when I was there in 86... but I get a second chance to see a Shuttle... and I really want to see the SR-71 Blackbird!

[lagomorph777]

59. Udvar-Hazy (Dulles wing of the National Air and Space Museum) is worth the trip

It's about an hour from downtown (not during rush hour!), but has all the big stuff.

And absolutely, the SR71 is breathtaking. The most beautiful object ever built by human hands.

I stood on a rooftop near Dulles when they delivered the Shuttle a few years ago. What a sight.

[Stinky The Clown]

61. "The most beautiful object ever built by human hands."

If not number one, certainly in the top ten!

The only other aerospace museum that I can think of that rivals it is the Boeing museum in Seattle. Smaller and with less spectacular artifacts, it is still a great collection. I enjoyed getting inside JFK's Air Force One Boeing 707. Most of all, I enjoyed the renovated old Boeing factory where they hand built their first planes from wood and fabric. Fascinating stuff!

But I digress.

[eniwetok]

78. it's certainly the most beautiful plane! And to think it was designed in the early 60s

I agree.... the SR-71 still looks futuristic 57 years after it came out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird.jpg

[mahatmakanejeeves]

63. Getting to Dulles on public transit:

I've never been, but my understanding is that although admission to the Udvar-Hazy Museum is free, parking costs $5. If you have no car, the Metrobus 5A route goes out there from downtown DC. The fare is getting up there.

Sheesh, they've made it nearly impossible to find anything.

https://www.wmata.com/schedules/timetables/printable.cfm

https://www.wmata.com/schedules/timetables/all-routes.cfm?State=VA

https://www.wmata.com/schedules/timetables/upload/5A_161218.pdf

Wow, $7.

[lagomorph777]

66. You could also take the train to Reston, then get on a bus:

(and sorry about that, but parking is $15 now)

We are one museum with two locations! The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, VA, 5 miles from Washington Dulles International Airport and 26 miles west of the Museum in Washington, DC. You can make the connection between our two locations via Metrorail or a combination of Metrorail and Fairfax Connector bus.
Here are the public transit connections to use:
Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
Fairfax Connector Bus No. 983
(Picks up and drops off in front of the Udvar-Hazy Center. Stops include Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station, Reston Town Center, Herndon Monroe Park and Ride, and Dulles International Airport.)
Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station
(Silver line)
L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station
(Silver, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Green lines)
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC (2 blocks from L'Enfant Metro)
Please note that the trip takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes each way, and that visitors spend an average 2-4 hours at the Udvar-Hazy Center. We recommend planning a whole day for each location.

https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/museum-dc/directions/traveling-between-locations

[mahatmakanejeeves]

68. That's better.

Last edited Fri Mar 17, 2017, 08:46 AM - Edit history (2)

I thought the U-H Center was right next to the airport. It's five miles away? Then how did they get...? Never mind.

Fairfax Connector

Route 983

Oh, the U-H Center is nowhere near Dulles. I hope no one took my advice.

I can verify that as of last Wednesday evening, SmarTrip cards work on the Fairfax Connector. They work on every local transit system. They even work on the Baltimore light rail system.

The location I want to see is the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility. It looks as if things are being moved out to the U-H Center.

[lagomorph777]

69. It actually connects to Dulles by taxiway, for the (fairly rare) deliveries of planes.

I don't think of it as 5 miles away (my office is right between them along Rt 28) but I guess gate-to-gate, could be.

But hell, it's 5 miles from the ticket counter to the gate at Dulles, so...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

70. I had been under the impression that you could walk directly from one to the other.

Okay, in theory, you can, but I meant, you could easily and quickly walk from one to the other.

Thank you for the correction.

I used to work in Reston, off Hunter Mill Road. We saw Concorde fly over on many occasions. That was over twenty-five years ago.

[FarPoint]

19. Not sure the cherry blossoms survived...

I have yet to follow up on the status of the cherry blossoms post heavy snow and the storm.

[eniwetok]

26. we booked last week...

The last chance to cancel without a cancellation fee was Midnight Monday. But DC didn't get that much snow... so we're hoping for the best.

[FarPoint]

38. I hope they survived too.

It's such a magnificent site to see....Enjoy your visit...go to the book store too..Politics and Prose...fun.

[rufus dog]

20. The favorite for my kids was tour the monuments by bike

I don't recall being too expensive, we did at dusk which was really cool. Best thing was it got us to the FDR memorial which we had missed, and I don't recommend missing that one.

My six or seven year old (at the time) got up the next morning and wanted to do it again. Easy ride, flat, and a quick way to see them all then you can take a walking tour of the ones on the mall.

[cally]

72. Yes!!! We just signed up for the city bikes that you take for half an hour for free

And then dock and pick up another one. I think I paid 5 dollars a day for service.Saw lots more monuments and sites than I normally do with walking. Not great for museums as bike parking is far away

My must sees are the Library of Congress, history museum and maybe archives with constitution and Declaration of Independence. I also try to walk through the National Art Gallery. I'm usually too tired to explore fully but there is an amazing collection of art and often uncrowned. I've waited an hour for Impressionists art in my hometown but you can walk up to them with no crowds in DC.

Where your best walking shoes. I once wore a tracker and had walked 10 miles just seeing monuments and sites. Exhausting!

[GaYellowDawg]

21. OMG National Archives!!!!!

Without the Constitution, the rest of it is meaningless.

[Fresh_Start]

84. +1 nt

nt

[displacedtexan]

22. Get a library card at the Library of Congress.

Take your picture ID and get a library card. It makes a great keepsake!

[eniwetok]

24. sounds cool...

Which reminds me I have to find my NPS Passport...

[tblue37]

27. The National Cathedral's gardens. Lovely and serene. During med school my daughter lived in an

apartment right across the street from the National Cathedral. Talk about a great location!

[mcar]

47. The National Cathedral is stunning

Another great stop

[longship]

29. Library of Congress Jefferson Building is jaw dropping.

Last edited Thu Mar 16, 2017, 12:26 PM - Edit history (1)

Photos do not begin to portray it.





Then, there's the iconic reading room:


One more:


When one walks up the stairs into the great hall one can only stand agape, wondering "what is this that has so much beauty?" The answer is that it's our nation's library. Then it all begins to sink in. You will never forget it.

[eniwetok]

37. wow.... you're right... it's a must see!

[malchickiwick]

31. I'm not really a fan of zoos, but the National Zoo is one of the best.

DC is great. I took my kids there when they were little and we loved everything. Other must sees, in my opinion:
Ford's Theater
FDR Monument
Holocaust Museum
ALL the Smithsonian museums

[eniwetok]

36. Duh! THE PANDAS!!

I'm beginning to think two days there isn't going to be enough.

[msanthrope]

83. Eat at Zoo Pizza across the street! nt

[eniwetok]

99. isn't that where the kids are held hostage?

ROTF!

[msanthrope]

104. Stay out of the basement. The kids will be fine. nt

[Siwsan]

51. That is a really great zoo

It is easy to navigate, not so large as to be overwhelming, and the guides are great.

[Fresh_Start]

86. +1 especially if you have children nt

nt

[wcmagumba]

33. I've only been there once so missed a lot...

One that I really loved and also made me tear up was the Vietnam Women's Memorial. Is is part of the Veterans Memorial and represents
several nurses caring for a wounded man with one looking up for the evac heli. Makes me want to cry just thinking about the emotion there
and in the whole Vietnam Memorials.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Women's_Memorial

[ALBliberal]

34. Arlington incl changing of the guard and

Kennedy gravesites

[mcar]

96. Yes

That is such a moving experience.

[Grammy23]

113. You could almost hear a pin drop at the changing of the guard.

There were many, many visitors of all ages and nationalities, but to a person, they were quiet, respectful and reverent.

The memorial to the astronauts lost in the Challenger explosion is near by. Another very moving place to visit.

[gopiscrap]

35. Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Holocaust Museum, Smithsonian

One of the tings my family while I was there with them 10 years ago was book through a tour agency (either Greyline or Viator) was what was called the Moonlight Monument Tour it was great. You start when it is dark and they take you to Arlington and then all around DC and stop periodically at the different highlights. But while on the bus you get to see these famous monuments all lit up at night. It was one of my most favorite tours in DC

[FSogol]

39. I live in NO VA, when guests come they always want to see the Air and Space Museum.

My favs are the
Jefferson Memorial and the East Wing gallery's collection of Modern Art. The East Wing was designed by IM PEI, very cool building.
Runners up: American Indian Museum, Smithsonian US History Museum, and the National Zoo.

(If driving, drive by the WH, the Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and the Smithsonian Castle.)

Go to Comet Ping Pong for lunch:
5037 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008

Go see the Exorcist Steps:
3600 Prospect St NW, Washington, DC 20007

More time?
The Spy museum is fun, but isn't part of the Smithsonian so they charge you.
US Botanic Garden

Nice weather?
Go picnic at the US National Arboretum

[Nay]

40. We loved the Spy Museum. nt

[Paladin]

41. At the Holocaust Museum, brace yourself for the big photo of the WWII GI's.

And the shoes......

[HughBeaumont]

42. Portrait Gallery, across from the Spy Museum.

Exorcist Steps in Georgetown. I usually take a right on 33rd (the street Georgetown Cupcakes is on) and turn left on Prospect, passing the town houses and the Georgetown Law Library.

The Phillips Collection off of Dupont Circle. Houses the Luncheon of the Boating Party by Renoir.

Union Station is a scenic place to take good pics, and has a sizeable food court.

While the Museum of American History has some good exhibits, some of the second and much of the third floor is under construction.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

67. Open late on Fridays. You'll have to check your backpack at the entrance.

There's a great courtyard where you can eat between the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of American Art.

Metro stop Gallery Place.

[Aristus]

102. I visited the National Portrait Gallery with my family when I was a kid.

There are so many portraits of Saint Jerome in the gallery that when we went from one display room to the next, my mother would point to a portrait and say: "Guess who?" and we would reply: "Saint Jerome!"

[Demsrule86]

43. Smithsonian...free I believe at least many exhibits...it is wonderful

I was tempted to abandon the woman's march and spend the day there...but I didn't!

[MineralMan]

44. The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

See it before Trump allows the fundamentalists to install displays based on Creationism.

Don't miss the Mineral and Gem section. It's the second best display in the country.

[FSogol]

52. By coincidence the Fossil Hall there is under renovation.

[MineralMan]

54. Hmm...I did not know that.

Maybe they're working on a Jesus riding a dinosaur exhibit or something.

Seriously, though, the Museum of Natural History is a must-see, IMO. I rate the American Museum of Natural History in NYC a little higher, overall, but our National museum is no slacker, either. It's wonderful.

Really, though, it takes several trips to DC to really take it all in. When I was stationed at Ft. Meade in Maryland, I drove into DC every weekend to visit something, and devoted an entire day to many of the things worth seeing.

[eniwetok]

57. Why not! We know Hitler rode dinosaurs!

And the proof is right here...

[mcar]

45. You have to make reservations for the AA museum

But it's great, as is the Holocaust Museum. National Gallery of Art is my fave.

FDR monument is amazing. Also, WWII memorial, Vietnam memorial and Jefferson and Lincoln.

I like walking around Georgetown too if you want a change from the Mall.

[Behind the Aegis]

88. Reservations are required at the Holocaust Museum too.

But, I think that is only for a certain time period (April to October?). Though, there are other parts of the grounds one can explore. Is that the same for the AA Museum?

[mcar]

94. AA Museum reservations are needed because of the volume

of people going to it right now. It's free, as are all the Smithsonian museums, but you need that pre-printed ticket.

The Holocaust Museum has an entry fee, IIRC, but we didn't need to make reservations. We bought the tickets when we got there and toured some of the special displays until our time to go into the museum proper.

[Behind the Aegis]

106. The Holocaust Museum is free too, but has the same concerns, volume.

But, I think it is only certain times of the year. The AA museum, being new, is likely experiencing quite a rush.

Seems now is the busy season for the Holocaust museum, "Tickets are only needed from March 1 to August 31 to visit the Museum’s Permanent Exhibition, which tells the history of the Holocaust from 1933 to 1945."

https://www.ushmm.org/information/visit-the-museum/admission-tickets

[mcar]

112. That makes sense

Spring break and summer tourists.

[alarimer]

49. If you have transportation, go the Udvar-Hazy annex of the Air and Space museum.

By all means, do both, but the annex has the Space Shuttle and an SR-71. The main museum does have the Starship Enterprise model they used in the original series.

https://airandspace.si.edu/udvar-hazy-center

[mahatmakanejeeves]

65. Getting to Dulles on public transit:

(Dupe of reply #63)

I've never been, but my understanding is that although admission to the Udvar-Hazy Museum is free, parking costs $5. If you have no car, the Metrobus 5A route goes out there from downtown DC. The fare is getting up there.

Sheesh, they've made it nearly impossible to find anything.

https://www.wmata.com/schedules/timetables/printable.cfm

https://www.wmata.com/schedules/timetables/all-routes.cfm?State=VA

https://www.wmata.com/schedules/timetables/upload/5A_161218.pdf

Wow, $7.

[hatrack]

50. The Phillips Collection - fantastic smallish art museum, 19th and 20th Century

It's pretty close to the Mall, and is inside a glorious Victorian mansion, so the architecture is nearly as much fun as the art.

http://www.phillipscollection.org/

[Zoonart]

53. THIS

The Phillips is very special.

[leftynyc]

55. Lincoln Memorial AT NIGHT

An absolutely awesome scene. I love the walk along the mall from the Washington Monument (which is right near the Holocaust Museum and the African American History Museum), just walk towards Lincoln and you pass the WWII memorial also Vietnam Memorial is close to Lincoln. A very nice walk and you see so much. I love that city.

[lagomorph777]

56. Unfortunately, the storm we just had has destroyed the cherry blossoms

But your list is pretty good. Small correction: "Washington Monument."

Freedom Plaza, which is just a block or two from the White House, is a giant stone map of the city. Make sure you look beneath your feet when you walk across it.

I would have recommended the Old Post Office (a block or two from Freedom Plaza), with its beautiful bell tower you could go up in. But Don the Con has desecrated it and it's now a sleazyy roccocco motel/money laundering operation.

If you can walk the length of the National Mall, you will see most of the main attractions: Lincoln Memorial, FDR, MLK, Vitnam, Korean, and WWII Memorials, all the Smithsonians including the latest Black History museum, Washington Monument, Capitol, etc etc.

Make sure to buy a hot dog from a street vendor; I used to do that almost every day.

The Metro, despite its recent travails, is pretty good transportation, but plan a little extra time because major maintenance operations are slowing down some lines.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

92. The bell tower is still open, I think I read recently.

Clock tower tours resume in Trump's DC hotel, but only if you use ...

Sorry, I have no more free WaPo visits, so I don't how that title ends. It think what it goes on to say is that you have to use the side entrance, not the one on Pennsylvania Avenue. Which you wouldn't want to do anyway, not with that big ***** sign out front.

[lagomorph777]

110. I won't go in there until they take this emolument away from Don the Con.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

58. The National Archives

Last edited Thu Mar 16, 2017, 10:40 AM - Edit history (3)

The National Archives in Washington, DC

Metro stop Archives - Navy Memorial - Penn Quarter. Between 7th and 9th Streets (on the east and west, respectively) and Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues (on the south and north, respectively).

It's too cold for tourists yet. When it gets warm, you'll stand in line forever to get in.

What to see: A copy of the Constitution. A copy of the Bill of Rights. A copy of the Declaration of Independence. A copy of Magna Carta, thanks to David Rubinstein, who has his personal copy on loan to the Archives. I was thinking this morning how much I'd like to shake his hand. I got off my commuter bus this morning across the street from the Archives.

Entrance to the exhibits is on the Constitution Avenue side. If you have research to do at the Archives, the entrance is on the Pennsylvania Avenue side. There's a big bus stop on the Pennsylvania Avenue side. You can get a 16X bus there that will take you to the Pentagon. It is one of a handful of bus routes left that connect Virginia and DC.

Depending on how long you're going to be here, each Metro system pass has its advantages and disadvantages. I use a SmarTrip card. It allows free transfers from bus to bus. The Metrobus and other local transit systems can take you places not served by the Metrorail. On the other hand, I ride the system every working day, so a SmarTrip card is to my advantage.

The WMATA (Metro) website is not as user-friendly as it used to be. Start here.

I make sure to visit three interiors of three buildings every Christmas to see how they have been decorated. They are the Rotunda of the main building of the National Gallery of Art, the Great Hall of the Library of Congress (which is not the room full of readers that you are thinking of), and the lobby of the Willard Hotel. The Willard Hotel is up Pennsylvania Avenue a few blocks from the Archives. It is worth the visit. Just check in with the concierge to let him know that you are there to see the sights, and you'll be okay.

The Willard goes way back in DC history.

Save the Botanical Gardens for a steamy day in July or August.

Library of Congress, {December 22, 2016}.

The Library of Congress has a Gutenberg Bible and a Great Bible of Mainz. There are exhibits going on all the time.

Visiting the Library of Congress

The National Gallery of Art is not part of the Smithsonian.

I think the Washington Monument is closed. You can walk all around it, but you can't get to the top. It looked better with the scaffolds.

[California_Republic]

60. Library of Congress

Is a beautiful building if you are looking for a quiet break

[mahatmakanejeeves]

62. Where to eat?

Someone has recommended the Museum of the American Indian. It does get good reviews.

For a cafeteria-type meal, with prices and selection you will not be able to beat, try the cafeteria in the basement of the Russell Senate Office Building. No kidding. Anyone can eat there; you don't have to work for the Senate or the government or anything. You will have to go through a scanner to get into the building. They will confiscate pocket knives of just about any length.

Pizza? Check. Mac and cheese? A side of slaw or greens? Check. Special of the day? Check. More Blackberries than you will ever again see in your life? Check.

You'll thank me later.

Also, the Supreme Court has a snack bar open to the public, again once you get past the scanner. They serve breakfast until 10:30 a.m.

[karynnj]

64. Go online to get time tickets (free) for the African- American museum

It might be impossible as there is huge demand. It is very worthwhile seeing. (https://nmaahc.si.edu/ - note the link does have a link for same day availability that starts at 6:30 in the morning - so maybe you will have some luck, especially if you go at exactly 6:30.)

Many of the monuments are within walking distance of each other and you could make a nice loop. If you want to see the Capitol, call your Representative/Senator to see if you could get a ticket to see the chambers - though I suspect that they might not be in session on a Friday. The various Smithsonian museums are great.

(I assume that the current resident makes the WH less attractive an option -- and it is impossible as you need to make a request to someone in your Congressional delegation at least 21 days in advance. (https://washington.org/DC-faqs-for-visitors/how-can-i-tour-white-house )

[NastyRiffraff]

73. National Archives

I recently went there for the first time and it's fascinating! They have a lot of original documents, like the Declaration of Independents and the Constitution. You can also do research there.

https://www.archives.gov/

[Grammy23]

74. Bureau of Printing and Engraving is pretty cool.

You can watch (from a catwalk) money being printed and see stacks and stacks of whatever bill is being printed that day. Learn about the process, the ink, etc. Best to reserve your spot so you can know for sure you will get in. Once when we were there with one of our grandchildren, the Secretary of the Treasury (her name escapes me) came in, spoke to the crowd and signed dollar bills. It was pretty neat. In the big hall where you wait to start your tour they have a large glass box with a million dollars inside. The kids and adults all seemed fascinated by this. 😉

If memory serves me , the Bureau of Printing and Engraving is not far from the Holocaust Museum.

[eniwetok]

101. I remember this from

... the old Dennis The Menace Goes To Washington DC comic I had when I was 10!

[Grammy23]

75. Oh and the Night time Tour at the Lincoln, Roosevelt, Jefferson

Are some of the coolest things you will see at night. Amazing photo ops if you have a halfway decent camera. You can stand near the Roosevelt and look across to the Washington Monument, lit up. All of the monuments are lighted and have a whole different vibe than the daytime tours. They may be billed as a Twilight Tour and a worth the money because by the end of the day your feet will be very tired from so much walking and the bus tour saves you a ton of steps! The hop on hop off tours are good in the daytime for the same reason. Big Bus tours. Worth the money!!

Oh and add in DC Ducks if you want a good overview of DC and then a splash off into the Potomac for a quick cruise. The planes coming into Reagan zoom right over your head and they give out yellow duck billed quackers for fun. The kids especially love that and it is a fun memento. We caught the DC Ducks at Union Station....another cool place to see and grab a quick bite or a snack.

[AJT]

77. The Holocaust Memorial museum

[LOL Lib]

79. DJT being hauled out of the WH in cuffs and leg shackles.

That is number 1 on my list.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

80. I can't add anything to the suggestions already made,

but you may not appreciate just how much is in each and every one of the museums. You CANNOT go to three or four museums in one day. Air and Space, Natural History, and the American History Museum each take almost all day to do properly. You will need to pick and choose, and plan to get back for a much longer trip some day.

I lived in Alexandria, VA, from 1969 to 1982, and I would often go down to the Mall on my day off and spend all day at just one Museum.

I was going to suggest the Tourmobile and just found out that it was shut down five years ago. That's a shame, because it was a good way to get an overview of everything, although it was rather pricey.

[yuiyoshida]

81. The Smithsonian Museum

Its wonderful.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

87. I lived downtown DC for 15 mo. - my ABSOLUTE favorite thing was Ford Theatre. Just

awe inspiring standing there looking up at the theater booth. Cool artifacts in basement museum too.

As for deep, moving, sad - what you will remember forever - a walk along Vietnam wall.

[elleng]

97. You DID? My office(s) for 20+ years were within walking distance of Ford's.

A good old neighborhood, seriously messed up now by some 'changes' to the Old Post Office/Pavilion, which was across the street from my office.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

115. Wow that's cool ! Obviously you must have gone in there

Didn't you love it? Went to see Christmas Carol performed there - wow that
was so eerie.

Where did you live?

Was there to work on response to 9-11 audit for USDA Forest Service....what
they had done toward all the recommendations made for them. EXtremely
interesting. But did most of it over in Rosslyn. But lived in the Hampton
Suites on 14th.

Feel like you and I have talked about this many moons ago? Hearing the exits
in 2004 - in the afternoon - thinking Kerry had won? Distinct memory - it was
cloudy and dark and I walked by the WH and a stream of light broke through
a was shining on it. We were all so happy. And, then, the night came

Hey, if you have any interest in Lincoln and assassination - one of the best
books I have ever read (out of all the books I have read) is Manhunt by James
L Swanson. It reads like a novel because they have so many real diaries of the
event he drew from. But, you might like it because it really takes you into
the neighborhoods where you worked

[elleng]

117. Lived in upper northwest, off 16th street.

Saw 1776 at Ford's!

Yes we probably did! Hearing the 2004 exits, I was at a different office, still downtown. Discussed with my daughter, and later AND, from window above Penn Ave. @ 'new' office, could watch w's inaugural parade.

Was @ ICC in Federal Triangle from '78 to 2000, then 'contract' work @ couple nearby offices.

Sounds like an interesting book.

[kstewart33]

90. The Korean War Memorial. nt

[Grammy23]

111. Walking over to that memorial is a truly haunting sight.

The statues of the soldiers in the field almost look real, but with a ghostly feel, too. It was very moving to me.

[kstewart33]

114. Grammy, I felt exactly the same way.

So moved by those statues, they seemed so real. They commanded respect.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

91. Are you staying in DC? The 'burbs? Just passing through for the day? NT

[eniwetok]

100. staying in Arlington

We'll get there Fri... and booked a room until Mon. But two days might not be enough.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

105. Near a Metro station? Or will you be taking Metrobus? NT

[eniwetok]

118. a metro station was a concern...

We're about 1/4 mile from the Metro.

[lpbk2713]

98. The Tomb of the Unknowns

If anyone in the DC area takes their job seriously it has to be those sentries.

[Vinca]

103. Impeachment hearings.

[CBHagman]

107. The Founding Documents at the National Archives Rotunda...

...and right across the street there's the National Gallery of Art.

[url]https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs[/url]

[url]http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb.html[/url]

Don't forget that the National Gallery of Art has two buildings, the domed WPA-era West Building and the I.M. Pei-designed East Bu building. Both are on the Mall.

If you can hotfoot it over to Penn Quarter a few blocks away, be sure to see the American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery (in the same building!).

[url]http://npg.si.edu/[/url]

[url]http://americanart.si.edu/[/url]

All of these are accessible by Metro and charge no entrance fees.

[COLGATE4]

109. The Holocaust Museum

You'll never forget it.

[LAS14]

116. Yes, a must see.