Itinerary
Itinerary 1
- White House - Pennsylvania Avenue - Other statues and stuff
- US Capitol
- Library of Congress
- A Smithsonian Museum - Air and Space Museum
- Washington Monument
- World War 2 Memorial
- Veterans Memorial
- Dinner
- Lincoln Memorial
- MLK Memorial
- FDR Memorial
- Jefferson Memorial
Bad Weather Caused This to Happen Instead
- White House - Pennsylvania Avenue - Other statues and stuff
- US Capitol
- Library of Congress
- A Smithsonian Museum - Air and Space Museum
- Jefferson Memorial
- Bad Weather
- Dinner
- Lincoln Memorial
- Veteran’s Memorial
- World War 2 Memorial
- MLK Memorial
*this day was just another reminder that things may not always go as planned and so it is important to be adaptable and know your priorities*
Top Attractions
Note
Attractions are listed in order described on itinerary and blog - not in order of any preference.
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a truly iconic place. It is the legendary White House where the President eats, sleeps, lives and runs a country. No matter what, this building something you should highly prioritize to see. You can’t come back from D.C. without taking a glance it. Although there is an enormously high fence and a lot of officers in front of it, there are still some pretty great picture and viewing spots. Now if you do want go inside the White House there are multiple things to keep in mind. First of all, according to the house.gov website, there are only 12-15 hours worth of tours available each week but tens of thousands of requests are received each week. The best way to try to secure your spot is to submit a request at least 3 months in advance. Now if you are a non-us citizen the process is very different.
Capitol Building
The US Capitol/Congress is home to the law-making Legislative body of the American government. Within these marble walls, history is made each day. Despite being destroyed and rebuilt many times, this building still serves as a beautifully designed symbol of America. While the outside is sufficient enough for some, those with even an ounce of curiosity may feel enticed to enter. This can easily be done via their website. Once inside, you can either explore on your own or go on a guided tour where you can view statues, gaze at the interior of the magnificent dome as well as grab a bite at their large buffet. The tour includes a introduction video about the capitol as well as a live walking tour through the building. For the tour, it is recommended that you do arrive at least 30 minutes early as there are a lot of people and lines.
Connecting Tunnels
Although not necessarily an attraction, there are tunnels beneath the United States Capitol Building and the Library of Congress, providing you with easy access to one from another.
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the largest book collection and library in the entire world. This library was founded in 1800 by America’s 2nd president John Adams. Over time, the collection has grown to include over 164 million items today, including books, newspapers, films, audio recordings and much more in many different languages as well. In 1814, the Library was burnt by the British during the War of 1812. After that, former president Thomas Jefferson gave Congress 6,000 books. These books can still be seen today. While visiting the Library it is possible to learn so much history and even learn about how books are preserved. In order to check out a book, though, a special process is required. As for the tour, there is a great self-guided tour with audio that allow you to walk around at your own pace. Lastly, the ticket reservations do recommend arriving an hour before, although I will say we got lucky as we cut it close and still made it in with ease.
National Mall
The National Mall is not an actual mall but rather a 146 acres (0.59 square kilometers) outdoor grassy area that is surrounded by monuments, structures, museums and important buildings on all sides. It is the name used to reference where most popular structures are located. In the middle, running form the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument is the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, also known as the Reflecting Pool. While the National Mall is not a place that you will specifically go to, but rather just an area that you will end up in.
A Museum
Washington D.C. is the home to a whole of of history and artifacts that are beautifully displayed in memorials but also in the 74 museums scattered around the city. Each museum captures a unique part of life, ensuring that there is a museum for everyone. Of all of the museums, the most famous are those that are part of the Smithsonian Museums. There are 21 Smithsonian Museums, and 20 of them are located in Washington D.C. These museums were established by Congress so you can be sure that they are great and packed with amazing and accurate history. 11 of their museums are located in the National Mall providing easy access to them. Some of their museums include the National Air and Space Museum, the National Zoo, National Museum of American History, Natural Museum of Asian Art, National Postal Museum, National Museum of Natural History and so many more. It is and free to book your ticket. In fact, it comes with a 1 hour grace period just in case you are running late. However, if you are not interested in any of the museums Smithsonian has to offer, you can also visit the National Archives Museum, U.S. Botanical Gardens or any other of D.C.s hotspots of history and discovery.
Washington Monument
This 555 ft (16.8 m) tall obelisk is the tallest structure in D.C. and one of the highlights. It can be seen from nearly any part of the city. If you look closely, you’ll see a color change around 1/3 of the way up the building. This is because 6 years after it started, construction of the structure was halted in 1854 due to a lack of funds. Then, construction resumed again 22 years later, causing the 2 different parts to be 2 different colors. Now if you do find yourself tight on time, it is not an absolute must to physically go see the monument from the base, unless you wish to go inside, as it is visible through the city. In fact you can get a great view of it from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
World War 2 Memorial
The World War 2 Memorial is an extremely impressive, beautiful, and peaceful monument, but also one of the most confusing. The grounds themselves are in an oval shape with 56 pillars. Each pillar represents a US state, territory and D.C. Each pillar also has a wreath as well as the location name on it. It is a symbol of unity. However, when you notice the 2 rectangular structures, you may be confused about what they represent. Each side is for the 2 different fronts of the war: the Pacific and Atlantic. The placements of the states around these pillars have no significance and often confuse people. It is possible to walk up a ramp to get a great heightened view of the area. Lastly, there is a beautiful waterfall in the middle that even lights up at night.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a very peaceful location despite its close proximity to the Lincoln Memorial. There is a large angled wall that is nearly 500 feet (152.4 m) long in total. On it are the names of over 58,000 men and women who were either killed or went missing in action. The wall itself is surrounded by greenery on all sides.
Lincoln Memorial
This memorial was built to honor America’s 16th president and the man who led the disunited country through the American Civil War. This rectangular shaped monument is surrounded by 36 pillars. Each one represents a state that was a part of the Union at a time of Lincoln’s death. Inside of the open-air building, there is a statue of Honest Abe sitting in a chair. The statue itself is an astonishing 19 feet (5.8 m) tall and if it were to come to life and stand up tall, he would be 28 feet (8.5 m) high. In fact Lincoln himself was 6 foot 4 (2 m). Engraved in the walls surrounding the statue are words from some of his famous speeches. You can visit this marvelous building anytime of the day as it is open 24/7.
Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Memorial
The man with a dream stands 30 feet (9.1 m) tall as a civil rights activist and the first African-American to have a monument dedicated to them in Washington D.C. In his left hand, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holds a copy of his famous “I Have a Dream Speech” which he delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to over 200,000 people in 1963. MLK himself is carved into what is called the Stone of Home. Behind him stand 2 large boulders representing the once large Mountain of Despair that he symbolically broke through. Surrounding the 3 boulders is an arced wall filled with quotes by MLK. The area itself is very large and peaceful.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Memorial
At 7.5 acres (30351 square meters), the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is the largest memorial in the Washington D.C. area, built to commemorate America’s 32nd president, who lead the country through both the Great Depression and World War II during his 4 terms in office (he was the only president to serve more than 2 terms). This grand memorial includes 4 seperate sections/rooms to represent the 4 different terms he was elected in. On top of that, this memorial is the only one to include a first lady - his wife Eleanor Roosevelt. This is a great place to visit as well as catch a break from the usual D.C. chaos as it is very open and peaceful. In fact, it even includes a waterfall collection.
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Thomas Jefferson stands 19 feet (5.8 m) tall under a beautifully designed 129 feet (39.3 m) . This memorial is open 24/7 and was built in 1943 to commemorate America’s 3rd president and writer of the Declaration of Independence. Engraved into the dome of the structure are some of the writer’s most famous words.
Ford's Theater and Peterson House
The Fords Theater is where America’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, was shot. Lincoln was the country’s president through the Civil War which was between the anti-slavery North and pro-slavery Southern states. In the end, the North (who Lincoln agreed with) won. Because of this, the Sothern's were extremely angry that they would have to end slavery. One man in particular, John Wilkes Booth, was exceptionally angry at the president. So while Honest Abe was watching a performance with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, Booth killed him with a single shot to the head before leaping off of the balcony and landing on the stage. The Fords Theater is a time capsule of everything that happened that night. You can take a tour and walk through the Theater to see exactly what happened and where it happened. Due to the fact that this is indoors, it does provide a nice break from the elements.
After he had been shot, the president was rushed across the street to he Petersen House (a boarding house). Here they laid Lincoln on a bed, that he was too tall to fit in, and doctors tried their best to save him. Unfortunately, he died 9 hours later. You can visit this house today.
The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest court in America and a part of it is open for public viewing. This 5 story tall court has seen hundreds of thousands of cases since it opened in 1935. Many of these have been very popular and ground-breaking, changing the course of the Nation. Although there are no guided tours, one can still walk around by themselves and visit some areas of the court.