District Of Columbia, Washington
A branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Renwick Gallery boasts one of the finest 19th-century and contemporary decorative arts collections in the country.The Renwick Gallery, a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, features one of the finest collections of American craft in...
District Of Columbia, Washington
More than 7,000 artists are represented in the nation's first collection of American art, among them Winslow Homer, Georgia O'Keeffe, Edward Hopper, and Lee Friedlander.The Smithsonian American Art Museum, the nation's first collection of American art, is an unparalleled record of the American...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Mary McLeod Bethune, political activist for racial and gender equality, established the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) at her Washington home, now open for tours and research.Mary McLeod Bethune, political activist for racial and gender equality, established the...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial commemorates the life and times of the 32nd American President, with particular emphasis on his leadership during the Great Depression and World War II."The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." These are the words of our 32nd President, a...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The Navy ship formed part of the quarantine of Cuba during the 1962 Missile Crisis. A portion of its interior is open to tours.This Forrest Sherman-class destroyer is only the third of its kind left in existence. She bears the name of John Barry, an officer who fought in the Continental Army...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The U.S. Navy Museum includes exhibits covering the U.S. Navy's history from the Revolutionary War to the present day.A simulated submarine combat center contains a model of the one-man "Turtle" submarine invented in 1775 in Connecticut, a model of the late-1950s ballistic missile-equipped USS...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Located in the historic Carnegie Library building, the Historical Society of Washington DC serves the Washington community through its library, publications, and exhibits.With more than a century of history itself, The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is a respected and valued city...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Completed in 1855, the Smithsonian's first building is an orientation center for the other museums, providing an 18-minute video and interactive displays on the Castle's history.Completed in 1855, the original Smithsonian Institution Building was designed by architect James Renwick Jr., whose...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The Decatur House, designed by the father of American architecture, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, features exhibits on one-time resident naval hero Stephen Decatur.The Decatur House, designed by the father of American architecture, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, features exhibits on one-time resident naval...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Housed in magnificent Anderson House, this centuries old historical society was first under the leadership of George Washington to commemorate the unity of the American Revolution.The Society of the Cincinnati was founded at the close of the Revolutionary War by the officers of the Continental...
District Of Columbia, Washington
One of the most recognizable sites in the country, The Washington Monument has come to symbolize the nation and its independence.The Washington Monument is the most prominent, as well as one of the older, attractions in Washington, D.C. It was built in honor of George Washington, who led the...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The National World War II Memorial commemorates the sacrifices and celebrates the victory of the of the WWII generation.The National World War II Memorial commemorates the sacrifices and celebrates the victory of the of the WWII generation.The memorial was completed and dedicated in 2004 and is...
District Of Columbia, Washington
A memorial island in the middle of an artificial lake has stones bearing the names and signatures of the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence.Constitution Gardens is a living legacy to the founding of the republic as well as an oasis in the midst of a city landscape. The 50...
District Of Columbia, Washington
This memorial is located on The National Mall and is dedicated to the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who fought in the Vietnam War and died in service.Deliberately setting aside the controversies of the war, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors the men and women who served when their Nation...
District Of Columbia, Washington
This building, located in the midst of Washington D.C., was an 18th century home to middle class residents.In the midst of Washington, D.C., a city of grand memorials to national leaders and significant events, stands an unassuming building commemorating the daily lives of ordinary Americans who...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Located on the Potomac River Tidal Basin, the memorial, dedicated in 1943, has become a familiar and integral component of The National Mall's skyline.The words of Thomas Jefferson, some written more than 200 years ago, have shaped American ideals. Today, many of these impressive, stirring words...
District Of Columbia, Washington
“In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.”Beneath these words, the 16th President of the United States—the Great Emancipator and preserver of the nation during the Civil War—sits immortalized in marble. As an...
District Of Columbia, Washington
A living memorial to the Holocaust, this museum stimulates leaders and citizens to confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity, and strengthen democracy.Located among the national monuments to freedom on the National Mall, the museum provides a powerful lesson in the fragility of...
District Of Columbia, Washington
This memorial honors the memory of Americans who served in the Korean War.Nineteen stainless steel sculptures stand silently under the watchful eye of a sea of faces upon a granite wall—reminders of the human cost of defending freedom. These elements all bear witness to the patriotism,...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The National Museum of American History offers a collection of Americana as rich and diverse as the country that created them.It collects and preserves more than 3 million artifacts, from the original Star-Spangled Banner and Abraham Lincoln’s top hat to Dizzy Gillespie’s angled trumpet and...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Opened in 2004, this museum is the first of its kind dedicated to preserving the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere.Established by an act of Congress in 1989, the museum works in collaboration with the Native peoples of the Western...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The Museum of Natural History is dedicated to inspiring curiosity, discovery, and learning about the natural world through its unparalleled research, collections, exhibitions, and education outreach programs.Opened in 1910, the green-domed museum on the National Mall was among the first...
District Of Columbia, Washington
This museum, which opened in 1976, maintains the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world and is also a vital center for research into the history, science, and technology of aviation and space flight, as well as planetary science and terrestrial geology and geophysics.The...
District Of Columbia, Washington
This architectural masterpiece is the sixth largest Gothic Cathedral in the world, the second largest in the United States, and the fourth tallest structure in Washington, DC.Since the first services were held in Bethlehem Chapel, Washington National Cathedral has opened its doors to people of...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Housed in historic Dumbarton House in Georgetown, The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America offers visitors a look into life during our nation's earliest days.The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America (NSCDA) is an organization devoted to furthering an appreciation of our...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Peirce Mill was built in the 1820's, and operated commercially until 1897, and is currently being preserved to be made operable again.Peirce Mill became famous as the only 19th century gristmill operating full time in the NPS system. The site operated off and on until April 1993 when it was...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The Old Post Office, built between 1892 and 1899, is home to the Bells of Congress, which were gifted to the U.S. from England on the nation's bicentennial.Its rustication, strong semi-circular arches, squat clustered columns united by a foliate Sullivanesque capital-frieze, make it the last...
District Of Columbia, Washington
During the Civil War, President Lincoln and his family resided here from June to November of 1862, 1863 and 1864.During the Civil War, President Lincoln and his family resided here from June to November of 1862, 1863 and 1864.Designated a National Monument by President Clinton in 2000, President...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, a source of trade and transportation for 19th- century communities along the Potomac River, spans over 180 miles of scenic nature trails.In the 19th century the C&O Canal provided jobs and opportunities for people throughout the Potomac River Valley. Today...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Trails, nature programs, skating, and reenactments are some of the many activities available at Fort Dupont Park, named for the Civil War earthworks located on the 376-acre grounds.A "park for all seasons" describes the 376 rolling wooded acres that make up one of the largest parks in...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The museum is located in the historic 1876 Adas Israel Synagogue—the oldest in the Washington, D.C., area.The synagogue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites, and the Historic American Buildings Survey. It is an Official Project of the Save...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.
The Library's mission is to make...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The Supreme Court building, which houses the highest judicial body in the United States, offers a 24-minute video, exhibits, the Justice portrait gallery, and public lectures.
District Of Columbia, Washington
Frederick Douglass' life spanned nearly eighty years, from the time that slavery was universal in American states to the time it was becoming a memory. Douglass freed himself from slavery and through decades of tireless efforts he helped to free millions more.In 1877 Frederick Douglass purchased...
District Of Columbia, Washington
George Mason, founding father and writer of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, is memorialized in West Potomac Park.The George Mason Memorial, dedicated on April 9, 2002, honors the little known but widely felt contributions of an important founding father. The memorial is located in West...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The monument honors engineer John Ericsson, whose creation of the USS Monitor not only revolutionized naval warfare, but helped achieve Northern victory in the Civil War.During his lifetime, John Ericsson revolutionized several facets of technology. The Swedish-born engineer-inventor is best...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Founded in 1869 for the purpose of "encouraging American genius," the Corcoran displays an extensive collection that chronicles American art from colonial times to present.The Corcoran Gallery of Art stands as a major center of American art, both historic and contemporary. Founded “for the...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Visitors can explore the rich heritage of American Jewish contributions to the armed forces through exhibits and educational programs.Chartered by an Act of Congress on September 2, 1958, the National Museum of American Jewish Military History documents and preserves the contributions of Jewish...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Dumbarton House is a fine example of Federal period architecture. Closely connected to the first years of the American Republic, the house has stood on the heights of Georgetown for over two centuries.
The property was built within a large tract of land patented in 1703 by an immigrant...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The White House Historical Association created the Visitor's Center in close proximity to enhance any White House tour experience with further exhibits and displays.In 1995, the National Park Service opened the White House Visitor Center. This facility, located two blocks east of the White House...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Founded in 1890, the DAR National Headquarters boasts one of the nation's largest collections of pre-industrial decorative arts and an extensive collection of genealogical records and manuscripts.The DAR, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit, non-political...
District Of Columbia, Washington
D.C.'s only presidential museum, the Woodrow Wilson House offers exhibits on the administration and life of the 28th President.The Woodrow Wilson House is a national historic landmark and house museum that focuses on President Woodrow Wilson's "Washington Years (1912-1924)". The museum...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Headquarters of the historic National Women's Party, the Sewall-Belmont House boasts both an extensive museum and archive on women's suffrage.The Sewall-Belmont House and Museum is the headquarters of the historic National Woman's Party and was the Washington home of its founder and Equal Rights...
District Of Columbia, Washington
In 1861, theatre entrepreneur John T. Ford leased the First Baptist Church and converted it into a music hall. “Ford’s Athenaeum” grew in popularity and was poised for tremendous success when the building was tragically destroyed by fire. Undaunted, the entrepreneur immediately began...
District Of Columbia, Washington
At 7:22am on April 15, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died on a bed in the Petersen House. The narrow building adjoins to Ford's Theatre and is open for tours.At 7:22am on April 15, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died on a bed in the Petersen House. The narrow building adjoins to Ford's...
District Of Columbia, Washington DC
Opening on March 21, 2010, the German-American Heritage Museum of the USA will tell the story of all Americans of German-speaking ancestry.Opening on March 21, 2010, the German-American Heritage Museum of the USA will tell the story of all Americans of German-speaking ancestry.
As the...
District Of Columbia, Washington
Martha Washington's granddaughter once hosted the brightest luminaries of early American politics at this gorgeous home; today, the site offers visitors a glimpse of nineteenth-century life.Martha Washington's granddaughter once hosted the brightest luminaries of early American politics at this...
District Of Columbia, Washington DC
The Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation was founded in 1995 at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History through a generous gift from the Lemelson Foundation. Its collection documents the history of invention and technology.
...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The Navy Art Collection contains over 15,000 paintings, prints, drawings, and sculpture which bring alive the history, legacy and traditions of the United States Navy. The Navy History and Heritage Command maintains it the historic Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.The Art Collection contains...
District Of Columbia, Washington
The International Spy Museum opened in Washington, DC on July 19, 2002. It is the only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to espionage and the only one in the world to provide a global perspective on an all-but-invisible profession that has shaped history and continues to have a...