Tourist Attractions in the Nation's Capital

If you’re itching to see the monuments and historic sites in the U.S. capital, plan to spend a couple of days wandering by foot around the National Mall, from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument. There is no better location for historic perspectives on the birth of the United States.

With 11 museums on the National Mall alone, Washington, D.C., holds a vast collection of items that preserve American history. The National Air and Space Museum offers out-of-this-world voyage exhibits such as the Apollo 11 Command Module, which was the living quarters for the first men who set foot on the moon. The Newseum is a unique exhibit dedicated to the evolution of the free press and mass communication, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum holds art that dates back to the colonial period.

If you’d like to plan a trip that pays homage to America’s heroes, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the National World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the District of Columbia War Memorial all remember those who were lost during acts of service. National figures such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. have their own dedicated memorials. Theodore Roosevelt has his own memorial island! 

The list of iconic Washington landmarks is extensive. Snap a picture at the White House, home of the U.S. president. Next, take a selfie after your tour of the Lincoln Memorial, built in honor of Honest Abe. It sits across a huge reflecting pool from the Washington Monument. The view from the steep marble steps is worth the climb.

In the center of the Lincoln Memorial is a huge, lifelike sculpture of Lincoln sitting in a chair. If you can visit in late March, plan to walk from the mall to the Thomas Jefferson memorial amid the pink blooms of the cherry trees. It's a sight you won't soon forget.