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The National Mall stretches from the United States Capital to the Potomac River offering more than 1,000 acres of green space, monuments and memorials paying homage to our country and its democratic values.

There are many different options to tour the area whether you want to see the sites on foot or by bicycle, riding on trolleys or a Big Bus or taking a narrated Monuments by Moonlight Tour.

Favorites sites on the National Mall include:  

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
• Korean War Veterans Memorial
• Thomas Jefferson Memorial
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
• National World War II Memorial
• Washington Monument
• Lincoln Memorial
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Many visitors make the trip in spring specifically to see the millions of Japanese cherry trees come into full bloom along the West and East Potomac parks. The tress were gifted by Japan 1919 as a symbol of friendship.

Located in central D.C., the Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex with more than 2.7 million square feet of indoor space offering 17 museums and galleries plus the National Zoo. It contains more than 150 million objects, works of art and specimens for tourists and residents alike to explore current interests and make new discoveries.

Visitors can tour the venerated institution and attend a multitude of live events and exhibits to satisfy every interest from ancient history to sports to pop culture, science, nature and more.   Admission is free.

Fun fact! The Institute currently houses more than 30,000 human remains!  

Satisfying one’s hunger for knowledge can build up an appetite!  Visitors can partake in the myriad dining options available within individual museum spaces.

National Gallery of Art at the National Mall

The National Gallery of Art’s neoclassical West Building is home to one of the world’s best collections of paintings, sculptures, and more, dating from the 13th to the 20th century. The I.M. Pei–designed East Building opened in 1978 and houses mostly modern and contemporary art on four levels.

American Art Museum

The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, a Greek Revival building in Penn Quarter, is home to both the American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.  The venue opened in 1968 and was the first collection to showcase works created by three centuries of artists.

National Portrait Gallery

This gallery features works of art portraying iconic and influential Americans, both living and dead, including artists, writers, politicians, celebrities and sports heroes.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

The Hirshhorn Museum is home to one of the most significant collections of  modern and contemporary art.  Located in the Gordon Bunshaft-designed circular structure on the south side of the Mall, the collection includes works by Willem de Kooning, Jean Dubuffet, Man Ray, Francis Bacon, Ai Weiwei, and Dan Flavin. Along with a rectangular reflection pool, the sculpture garden features Rodin’s “The Burghers of Calais.”

Arlington National Cemetery https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Visit

Start your visit to these hallowed  grounds with a stop at the Welcome Center to pick up maps, tickets for the tour bus and an exhibits explaining the historical  significance of the grounds.    

Arlington National Cemetery Tours, Inc. provides an interpretative tour bus service through the cemetery, with weekday stops that include President John F. Kennedy’s gravesite, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, U.S. Army Gen. John J. Pershing’s gravesite, the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, and other notable memorials and gravesites.

Download the free Arlington National Cemetery’s app, ANC Explorer to locate gravesites and other points of interest, find maps, plus self-guided tours and other general information.  

Washington D.C. claims teams from every major sport!  

Major League Baseball:  The Washington Nationals, who won the World Series in 2019, play at Nationals Park stadium along the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

National Football League:  The Washington Commanders can be found at FedEx Field (originally Jack Kent Cooke Stadium) in Prince George’s County, Maryland, 5 miles east of D.C.

National Basketball Association:  The Washington Wizards play at Capital One Arena located in the heart of D.C.  

National Hockey League:  The Washington Capitals (aka the Caps) also play at Capital One Arena.

Women’s National Basketball Association:  The Washington Mystics play their home games at  the Entertainment and Sports Arena,  a multi-purpose events facility, located on the St. Elizabeths East Campus, in the residential neighborhood of Congress Heights in southern D.C.

Cherries were named the official fruit of D.C. in 2006, but if you want something more substantial there are plenty of options.

Choose from upscale steakhouses for power lunches,  cafes for brunch with your besties, cozy nooks with fireplaces for romantic evenings and casual eateries for fun with friends.  Cuisines from various regions in the US and all over the world can be found to suit every taste and palette.   

If you want to try something considered quintessential D.C., try a Half-Smoke, the area’s “signature dish.” Half-Smokes are – is? – a dish made of ground pork, beef and spices in a natural casing which can be found at food stands, stadiums, bars and restaurants across the city.  Try local favorite Ben’s Chili Bowl served with the traditional chili, mustard and onions.

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