My Washington office is available to assist you in obtaining tour
tickets for some of these attractions. My staff can also provide maps
and brochures.
We are located in room 133 of the Hart Senate Office Buildling, located
at the corner of 2nd and C Streets, NE, across from Union Station. Please
drop by and say hello when you are in town.
Click here to download a printable (PDF) version
of this webpage to take with you!
Here are several resources to assist you in planning your trip to Washington.
I hope they are helpful.
HELPFUL HINTS:
- Before you arrive in Washington, be sure to make your lodging reservations.
Because of the high demand for hotel accomodations in the Washington
area, it is usually unwise to arrive without a reservation. The downtown
area can be expensive, so you may want to consider hotels in the nearby
Virgina or Maryland suburbs. Be sure to consider access to the Metro,
since taxi trips that cross state lines can be expensive.
- Washington has an extensive public transit system that is affordable
and often faster than driving around town. The
Metro, DC's subway system, can take you all over the city and into
some suburbs. Fares range from $1.10 to $3.50 each way. Farecards can
be purchased at every Metro station. Bus fare is $1.10 each way, or
with a Metro transfer, 25 cents. Taxis usually cost less than $15 because
DC uses zoning price controls.
- Parking can be scarce around major tourist areas, so it is usually
best to take the Metro or a taxi to those areas.
For
security reasons, the following government buildings are
closed:
- The Old Executive Office Building
- FBI Headquarters
- The Department of Treasury (Engraving
& Printing is still open)
Due to renovations,
the following destinations are closed temporarily:
- The Newseum (reopens late 2006
in new location)
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Places to Visit: (Please note that neither
I nor the U.S. Senate can take responsibility for any of the locations
listed below. Listing on this page does not constitute my endorsement.
Links to these sites will take you out of the U.S. Senate's web server,
and I cannot be responsible for the information you find there. This information
is subject to change.)
Arlington
National Cemetary: Arlington, VA
Metro: Arlington Cemetary  (blue) Phone:
703-607-8052
Open daily September through March from 8:00am to 5:00pm and April through
August from 8:00am to 7:00pm. Highlights include the grave of President
John F. Kennedy, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, The Lee Mansion (Arlington
House), and the Challenger memorial.
The
United States Botanic Garden: 1st and Maryland Ave, SW (Capitol Grounds)
Metro: Federal Center SW  (blue,
orange)
The newly renovated Conservatory offers a beautiful and fascinating living
plant museum here on our Nation's Mall at the foot of the U.S. Capitol.
Open from 10:00am to 5:00pm, admission to the Garden is free.
Bureau
of Engraving and Printing: 14th and C Streets, SW
Metro: Smithsonian (blue,
orange) Phone: 866-874-2330 (toll free)
Tickets for the 40-minute public tour must be obtained the same day as
the tour. Tours are run from 9:00am to 2:00pm, and then again from 5:00pm
to 7:00pm. There are no tours on weekends or federal holidays. All tour
visitors must present a valid photo ID at the ticket booth located on
Raoul Wallenberg Place (formerly 15th Street) to pick up tickets. Same
day tickets only. The Ticket Booth opens at 8:00 a.m. and lines form early
and tickets go quickly. The Visitors’ Center will be open from 8:30
a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Individuals who would like to go to the Visitors’
Center only must enter at the Tour entrance on the 14th Street side of
the building. The Visitors’ Center contains exhibits and two shops
where items such as uncut currency, shredded currency, collectors’
editions, and novelty items can be purchased.
Corcoran
Gallery of Art: 17th Street and New York Ave, NW
Metro: Farragut West
(blue, orange) or Farragut North 
(red) Phone:
888-CORCORAN (toll free)
The largest non-federal art museum in the nation’s capital, the Corcoran
was founded in 1869. It was Washington’s first art museum and ranks
with Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and New York’s Metropolitan
Museum of Art as one of the three oldest museums in the United States.
Admission to the Corcoran is: $5 for individuals; $3 for senior citizens
and students; $1 for students ages 13-18; and $8 for family groups of
one or two parents and children under 18. Members and Children under 12
are free. Admission is free on Mondays, and on Thursdays after 5 pm. There
is sometimes an additional fee charged for Featured Exhibitions.
Daughters
of the American Revolution Museum: 17th and D Streets, NW
Metro: Farragut West
(blue, orange) or Farragut North (red) Phone:
202-879-3241
Founded in 1890, the DAR Museum is Washington's only decorative arts museum.
The museum galleries are free and open during museum hours for browsing
on your own. Free docent-led tours of the period rooms are available from
10:00 am to 2:30 pm on Monday through Friday and from 1:00 to 5:00 pm
on Sunday. Each month the museum offers programs highlighting the collection.
Admission is free.
Decatur
House: Jackson Place and H Street, NW
Metro: Farragut West
(blue, orange) or Farragut North
(red)
Designed by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Decatur House has been a
landmark since its completion in 1818. Located one block north of the
White House on Lafayette Square, the museum is open Tuesday through Friday
from 10:00am - 3:00pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 noon - 4:00pm.
Closed Mondays. Admission is free.
Dumbarton
Oaks: 1703 32nd Street, NW (Georgetown)
Metrobus: Routes 30, 32, 34, 36, D2, D4, M12 (no Metrorail service in
this area)
This house museum includes extensive Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art.
Surrounding the building on its north, south, and east sides are ten acres
of formal gardens. The gardens are open to the public daily between 2:00
p.m. and 5:00 p.m. (November through March) and 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
(April through October). Museum is open Tuesday-Sunday, 2:00pm to 5:00pm.
Admission to the museum is free. Garden is open mid-March through October
from 2:00pm to 6:00pm. $5.00 admission; children and senior citizens $3.00.
During winter, hours remain the same, but admission to the garden is free.
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Franklin
Delano Roosevelt Memorial: South bank of the Tidal Basin near the
Jefferson memorial
Metro: Smithsonian
(blue, orange)
The main part of the memorial remains open 24 hours a day. The Interpretive
Ranger staff are available from 8:00am to 11:45pm daily except Christmas
Day. The Bookstore opens from 8am to 10pm. All restroom facilities close
15 minutes prior to midnight.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI): E Street between 9th and 10th Streets, NW
Metro: Metro Center
(red, blue, orange), Federal Triangle
(blue, orange), Gallery Place   (red,
green, yellow), Archives/Navy Memorial
(green, yellow)
The FBI headquarters building is no longer allowing
tour access. For periodic updates on this status please call (202) 324-3447.
Folger
Shakespeare Library: 201 East Capitol Street
Metro: Capitol South
(blue, orange) or Union Station
(red)
Established in 1932 by Henry Clay and Emily Jordan Folger, the Library
is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed
works, as well as collections of other rare Renaissance books and manuscripts.
Included in the collections are over 310,000 books and manuscripts; 250,000
playbills; 27,000 paintings, drawings, engravings, and prints; and musical
instruments, costumes, and films. Open Monday - Friday, 11:00am; Saturdays,
11:00am and 1:00pm. Gardens open April through October, every third Saturday,
10:00am and 11:00am. Admission is free.
Ford's
Theatre: 511 10th Street (between E and F Streets, NW)
Metro: Metro Center
(red, blue, orange)
The site where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, Ford's theatre
is an important landmark in downtown Washington. As a living tribute to
President Abraham Lincoln's love of the performing arts, the theater continues
to work and puts on regular stage productions. Self-guided tours of the
theater, museum and Petersen House (where Lincoln died, located across
the street) are free.
Jefferson
Memorial: Tidal Basin
Metro: Smithsonian
(blue, orange)
This memorial to our third President and father of the Declaration of
Independence is open daily (except Christmas Day) from 8:00am to 11:45pm.
Park Rangers present several interpretive talks at the memorial upon request.
At the Swan Boathouse you can rent a paddleboat to cruise the basin.
John
F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: New Hampshire at Rock Creek
Parkway NW
Metro: Foggy Bottom
(blue, orange) Phone:
202-416-8340 TTY: 202-416-8524
Free tours of the Kennedy Center are given by the Friends of the Kennedy
Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 1
p.m., Saturday and Sunday. They depart from the parking plaza on Level
A, and feature the Hall of States and Hall of Nations, the Center's main
theaters, and dozens of paintings, sculptures, and other artworks given
to the Center by foreign countries.
Korean
War Memorial: Independence Avenue and 23rd Street, SW (National Mall)
Metro: Smithsonian
(blue, orange)
The Korean War Veterans Memorial honors those Americans who answered the
call, those who worked and fought under the trying of circumstances, and
those who gave their lives for the cause of freedom. Open 24 hours daily.
Library
of Congress: 1st Street and Independence Ave, SW
Metro: Capitol South
(blue, orange)
The Library serves as the research arm of Congress and is recognized as
the national library of the United States. Its collections comprise the
world's most comprehensive record of human creativity and knowledge. It
contains over 17 million books, as well as nearly 95 million maps, manuscripts,
photographs, films, audio and video recordings, prints and drawings, and
other special collections. By taking free guided tours offered several
times a day you can see both the Great Hall and, from the Visitors' Gallery
located just off of the Great Hall, you will be able to view the Main
Reading Room from above. You also have the option of walking around on
your own, using the self-guiding brochure or renting an audio tour.
Lincoln
Memorial: The National Mall
Metro: Foggy Bottom
(blue, orange)
The Lincoln Memorial was built to resemble a Greek temple. It has 36 Doric
columns, one for each state at the time of Lincoln’s death. A sculpture
by Daniel Chester French of a seated Lincoln is in the center of the memorial
chamber. Inscribed on the south wall of the monument is the Gettysburg
Address. Park Rangers present several interpretive talks at the memorial
upon request. Open 8:00am until 11:45pm daily, except Christmas Day.
National
Aquarium of Washington, DC: Dept. of Commerce Building, 14th Street
NW between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues
Metro: Federal Triangle (blue,
orange) Phone: 202-482-2825
Open from 9:00am to 5:00pm daily, a self-guided tour of the Aquarium takes
approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Admission for adults (11 and up)
is $3.00, children for 75 cents.
National
Arboretum: 24th and R Streets, NE
Metro: Stadium/Armory (blue,
orange) Phone: 202-245-2726
The Arboretum's beautiful 446-acre campus in Washington, D.C. contains
an array of display gardens, collections, and historical monuments set
among native stands of eastern deciduous trees. From the Stadium/Armory
station, transfer to Metrobus B-2; disembark the bus on Bladensburg Road
and walk 2 blocks to R Street. Make a right on R Street and continue 2
blocks to the Arboretum gates. The Arboretum grounds are open every day
of the year except December 25 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The National Bonsai
and Penjing Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., so plan to
visit this collection first if you visit late in the day. Admission is
free.
National
Archives: 8th Street and Constitution, NW
Metro: Archives/Navy Memorial (green,
yellow) Phone: 202-501-5205
See the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and other
national treasures. Open daily from 10:00am to 5:30pm in winter and 10:00am
to 9:00pm during summer. Admission is free.
National
Gallery of Art: Constitution Avenue between 3rd and 7th Streets, NW
Metro: Judiciary Square
(red) or Archives/Navy Memorial
(green, yellow) Phone:
202-842-6691
Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5.p.m. and Sunday from 11
a.m. to 6 p.m. The Gallery is closed on 25 December and 1 January. Admission
is free.
National
Geographic Society Explorer's Hall: 17th and M Streets, NW
Metro: Farragut North
(red) or Farragut West
(blue, orange) Phone:
202-857-7588
Open Monday through Saturday and holidays from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Sundays
from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Closed December 25.
Basilica
of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: 400 Michigan
Ave, Northeast
Metro: Brookland-CUA (Catholic University of America)
(red)
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is adjacent
to the campus of The Catholic University of America. Dedicated in 1959,
the Catholic Basilica has over 60 small chapels, a large upper church,
and a lower crypt church. Free parking is available. The Shrine is open
from 7:00am to 7:00pm.
Washington
National Cathedral: Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, Northeast
Metro: Tenleytown/AU (American University)
(red) then take any "30" bus going South
on Wisconsin Phone: 202-537-6207
Open 10:00am to 5:00pm. Guided tours conducted Monday through Saturday
from 10:00am until 3:15pm and Sunday from 12:30pm to 2:45pm. Gardens open
until dusk. See a live "Nave
Cam" of the Cathedral.
National
Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial: 400 block of E. Street
Metro: Judiciary Square
(red) Phone: 202-737-3400
The memorial honors all of America's federal, state and local law enforcers.
Inscribed on the Memorial's blue-gray marble walls are the names of more
than 14,000 officers who have been killed in the line of duty. The memorial
is right at Judiciary Square.
National
Museum of Women in the Arts: New York Ave and 13th Street, NW
Metro: Metro Center
(red, blue, orange) (13th
Street Exit, 2 blocks north) Phone: 800-222-7250
Celebrating the contributions of women to the visual, performing, and
literary arts. Open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.;
on Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day,
Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Admission for adults is $5.00, Seniors
(60+) is $3.00, Students with ID is $3.00; youth 18 and under get in free.
Newseum:
Closed.
The Newseum is closed until 2006. The new Newseum will be located at Pennsylvania
Avenue and Sixth Street, N.W., between the U.S. Capitol and the White
House and across the street from the National Gallery of Art.
Octagon
House Museum: 18th Street and New York Ave, NW
Metro: Farragut West
(blue, orange) or Farragut North
(red)
The oldest museum in the United States devoted to architecture and design,
the Octagon serves as the museum of the American Architectural Foundation.
Designed by Dr. William Thornton (who also designed the Capitol), this
building served as President James Madison's Executive Mansion after the
destruction of the original White House by the British in 1814. The Treaty
of Ghent that ended the War of 1812 was signed in this building. Open
Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, except on New Year's
Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Guided, group, and multilingual tours
are available. Admission is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children and
senior citizens.
Pentagon:
The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense
and the nerve center for command and control, is virtually a city within
itself. The Pentagon presently houses approximately 23,000 military and
civilian employees and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel dedicated
to protecting our national interests.
Phillips
Collection: 1600 21st Street NW
Metro: Dupont Circle
(red) Phone: 202-387-2151
America's first museum of modern art, the Collection houses Renior's masterpiece
Luncheon of the Boating Party as well as other outstanding impressionist
and modern works. Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00am to 5:00pm, Sundays
from noon to 5:00pm. Closed Mondays. Weekend admission is $7.50 for adults,
$4.00 for seniors over 62, and full-time students. No charge for persons
18 and under. Weekday admission is by contribution.
Smithsonian
African Art Museum: 950 Independence Avenue, SW
Metro: Smithsonian
(blue, orange)
As a leading center for the visual arts of Africa, the National Museum
of African Art maintains an extensive collection of understanding of the
diverse cultures in Africa as these are embodied in aesthetic achievements
in the visual arts. The museum accepts into its collections and exhibits
the art of all African areas, including the ancient and contemporary arts
for the entire continent. Open 10:00am to 5:30pm daily except December
25. Admission is free.
Smithsonian
Air and Space Museum: 7th Street and Independence Avenue, S.W.
Metro: Smithsonian
(blue, orange) or L'Enfant Plaza (green,
yellow, blue, orange) Phone: 202-357-2700
Washington's most popular tourist destination, the Air and Space Museum
has hundreds of artifacts on display including the original Wright 1903
Flyer, the "Spirit of St. Louis," Apollo 11 command module,
and a Lunar rock sample that visitors can touch. Open daily 10:00 a.m.
- 5:30 p.m. except December 25. Admission is free.
Smithsonian
American Art Musuem: Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street N.W.
Some exhibits from the American Art Museum are set up at the Renwick
Gallery
However a major renovation of the museum's historic building and main
exhibition space continues in the heart of the art district in downtown
Washington, D.C. The building is now open to the public after its grand
reopening on July 4, 2006.
Smithsonian
American History Museum: 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Metro: Federal Triangle
(blue, orange) or Smithsonian
(blue, orange)
The National Museum of American History (NMAH) is devoted to collecting,
preserving, and interpreting artifacts as a special class of historical
evidence--and as principal expressions of human creativity. The Museum
is interested in how objects are made, how they are used, how they express
human needs and values, and how they influence society and the lives of
individuals. NMAH's natural focus is on the history of the United States
of America, including its roots and connections with other cultures. Open
daily, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed December 25. Admission is free.
Smithsonian
American Indian Museum: 4th St. and Independence Ave., S.W.
Phone: 202-633-1000
The museum's galleries and display spaces house both permanent and temporary
exhibitions. The museum's permanent exhibitions, Our Universes, Our Peoples,
and Our Lives, represent important ideas and experiences in Native life
and history. Temporary exhibitions will present individual artists' works,
explore specific themes in Indian culture, or bring objects from other
institutions to the museum. The museum's galleries also include cases
containing study collections and outstanding objects from the museum's
collections.
Smithsonian
Anacostia Museum: 1901 Fort Place, Southeast
Metro: Anacostia
(green), transfer to W2/W3 Bus Stop on Howard Road Phone:
202-287-3306
As the Smithsonian Institution's museum of African American history and
culture, the Museum explores American history, society, and creative expression
from an African American perspective. Open every day 10:00 to 5:00; closed
Christmas Day. Admission is free.
Smithsonian
Freer & Sackler Galleries (Asian Art): The National Mall
Metro: Smithsonian
(blue, orange) Phone:
202-357-4880
The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery together form
the national museum of Asian art. The galleries offer one of the Western
world's most refined collection's of Asian art and the finest collections
of paintings by James McNeill Whistler. Open 10:00am to 5:30pm daily,
except December 25. Admission is free.
Smithsonian
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: The National Mall
Metro: L'Enfant Plaza (green,
yellow, blue, orange) Phone: 202-357-3091
Open daily except December 25, the Museum is open from 10:00am to 5:30pm,
the Plaza from 7:30am to 5:30pm, and the Sculpture Garden from 7:30am
to dusk. Admission is free.
Smithsonian
National Zoo: 300 Connecticut Ave, NW
Metro: Woodley Park-Zoo
(red)
The 163-acre Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Rock Creek Park is
a world leader in exhibition, conservation, zoological research, and education.
The Zoo is home to more than 5,800 animals—mammals, birds, reptiles,
amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. It was the first zoo established with
the purpose of saving animals on the brink of extinction. Today, nearly
130 of the Zoo’s species of animals are endangered or threatened. A
highlight of any trip to the National Zoo is the Panda exhibit. The National
Zoo is open every day of the year except December 25. Admission is free.
Smithsonian
Natural History Musuem: 10th and Constitution, NW
Metro: Smithsonian
(blue, orange) or Judicary Square
(red) Phone: 202-357-2700
Dedicated to the natural world, this museum includes an IMAX theatre and
a everchanging variety of special exhibits and displays. Open daily except
for December 25 from 10am to 5:30pm, and open late until 8pm from May
24 to September 2.
Smithsonian
National Postal Museum: 1st and Massachusetts NE (Next to Union Station)
Metro: Union Station
(red) Phone: 202-357-2991
Located on the lower level of the former Washington City Post Office Building
on Capitol Hill, this interactive museum focuses on postal history and
philately (stamp-collecting). Open daily from 10:30am to 5:30pm. Admission
is free.
Smithsonian
National Portrait Gallery: 8th and F Streets, NW
Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown (red,
yellow, green) Phone: 202-275-1738
The museum's building is undergoing an extensive renovation and will
reopen July 2006.
Smithsonian
Institution Building ("The Castle"): 1000 Jefferson Drive,
SW
Metro: Smithsonian
(blue, orange) Phone:
202-357-2700
Open daily except December 25 from 9am to 5:30pm. Home to the Smithsonian
Information Center, this is a great spot to begin your Smithsonian tour.
The Castle features two orientation theaters and numerous interactive
information components, scale models of monumental Washington, and volunteer
information specialists to answer questions and to provide direction.
Click here to download a printable (PDF) version
of this webpage to take with you!
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