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Washington DC Tourism Information
Popular Attractions in Washington, DC
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Requests for tours must be submitted through one's Member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (excluding federal holidays), and are scheduled on a first come, first served basis approximately one month in advance of the requested date. We encourage you to submit your request as early as possible since a limited number of tours are available. All White House tours are free of charge. Metro: McPherson Square.
Note: Tours are subject to cancellations or time changes and are not guaranteed. For the most up-to-date information about touring and visiting the White House, call the 24-hour Visitors Office Info Line at 202-456-7041
The United States Capitol Building
To schedule a tour of the United States Capitol, please contact my Washington, DC office at 202-225-3452. Tours of the historic U.S. Capitol building are free; however tour passes are required. Tours of the Capitol building are offered Monday through Saturday, 8:45 a.m. – 3:40 p.m. Tours of the Capitol begin with a 13-minute orientation film and last approximately one hour. Please take advantage of the Exhibition Hall, the Restaurant, the Gift Shops and other amenities at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center before or after your tour. Additionally, please be aware that all visitors to the United States Capitol (and many other building in Washington, DC) must pass through security screening.
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
New Hampshire Avenue at Rock Creek Parkway, NW. 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. For more information, call (202) 416-8340 (TTY 416-8524). Foggy Bottom Metro Station. (There is a free shuttle bus which takes visitors from the station to the center).
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
14th & C Streets, SW. See how US currency is printed. Provides public tours Monday through Friday continually from 9:00 a.m until 2:00 p.m., leaving every 15 minutes. You should enter at the Visitor Entrance on 14th Street. Group tours can be requested through you Member of . Telephone: (202) 874-3188. Metro: Smithsonian.
Visitors should be aware that the business of the Court may from time to time affect public access to the building or alter programming offered to visitors. To obtain updated information on visiting the Court, please call 202-479-3211.
Located on First Street SE between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street, the Library of Congress houses more than 119 million items, including the papers of 23 presidents of the United States, Thomas Jefferson's rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and the earliest motion picture print.
Located at 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520. Tours of the State Department can be requested through one's Member of Congress.
On the Mall at 15th Street, SW. Tickets are required. They are free and available at the booth located on the west side of 15th Street, NW, on the Mall. Advance Tickets (small fee charged): Ticketmaster: (DC Metro) 202-432-7328 (Outside DC) 1-800-551-7328. Facilities: Bookstore, Restrooms, Museum. Information: (202) 426-6841. Metro stop: Smithsonian
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Memorial
900 Ohio Drive, S.W., near the Jefferson Memorial and the Potomac River. There are park rangers available from 8 a.m. to midnight every day except Christmas Day. There are no fees to visit any of the monuments or memorials in the park. Telphone: (202) 426-6841 Information. Metro stop: Smithsonian Metro stop comes out on the National Mall.
South bank of the Tidal Basin - At the Swan Boathouse you can rent a paddle boat to cruise on the Basin. The Smithsonian Metro stop comes out on the National Mall. Phone: (202) 426-6841
The memorial is staffed from 8 a.m. to midnight every day except December 25 by park rangers who are available to answer questions and present interpretive themes. A bookstore in the nearby Lincoln Memorial sells informational items relating to both the memorial and the Korean War. The Korean War Veterans Memorial is part of the National Park System, one of more than 360 parks representing our nation's natural and cultural heritage. Address inquiries to: Superintendent, National Capital Parks-Central, 900 Ohio Drive SW, Washington, DC 20242.
West Potomac Park at the foot of 23rd Street, NW. Telephone: (202) 426-6895. Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom or the Smithsonian Metro stop which comes out on the National Mall.
Henry Bacon Drive & Constitution Avenue, NW. Metro Stop: Smithsonian Metro stop comes out on the National Mall. Telephone: (202) 426-6841.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The Museum is located just south of Independence Ave., SW. between 14th Street and Raoul Wallenberg Place (formerly 15th St.). There is an entrance also on 14th street, next to the Bureau of Printing & Engraving. Permanent exhibition is recommended for ages 11 and up. Daniel's Story is recommended for ages 8 and up. The visit will take from an 1 1/2 to 3 hours. ONLY the Permanent Exhibition requires a timed entry pass to begin the self-guided tour of the Museum's primary exhibition. Passes are FREE and are NOT required for the Museum's other exhibitions, memorials, resources and facilities. Metro Stop: Smithsonian on the blue or orange lines exit at 12th and Independence Avenue. Telephone: (202) 488-0400.
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC.
National Mall and Memorial Parks
The sprawling lands of the National Mall & Memorial Parks include the Mall, the public promenade extending from 3rd Street near the Capitol to 14th Street, including the:
- Jefferson Memorial
- Korean War Veterans Memorial
- Lincoln Memorial
- Roosevelt Memorial
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Washington Monument
- World War II Memorial
Additional Memorials, Monuments, Museums, and Points of Interest
The entrances to the West Building are located on Constitution Avenue at 6th Street, NW, on Madison Drive at 6th Street, NW, and on 4th Street between Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive, NW. The entrance for the East Building is located on 4th Street between Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive, NW.
Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every hour on the hour & every half hour during the summer months. Narrated bus tour run one half hour after opening to one half hour before closing. Phone:(703) 692-0931 Metro: Arlington Cemetary
Maryland Avenue, SW. Group tours are available by request except Saturday & Sunday or during any shows. Telephone: (202) 225-8333 Metro: Federal Center South West.
Discover the world of espionage and spies at the International Spy Museum. Travel back through the centuries and learn how espionage has changed over time and how modern espionage helped win the Cold War. The $40 million dollar high-tech espionage museum occupies five buildings - new and old - and is a short walk from Ford's Theater. 800 F St, NW Washington, DC 20004
The Corcoran Gallery of Art Museum
17th Street and New York Avenue, NW - one block west and south of the White House. The main entrance is on 17th Street. Special needs access is at 1701 E Street, around the corner from the 17th Street entrance. Phone: (202) 639-1700 Metro Stop: Four blocks from the Farragut West station or Farragut North station.
Department of the Interior Museum
The Interior Museum is currently closed for renovations.
The Newseum is located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20001 • 888/NEWSEUM (888/639-7386).
Ford's Theatre & Lincoln Museum
511 10th Street, NW - 10th Street Between E & F Streets. Telephone: (202) 426-6924. Metro Stop: the closest station to the theatre is Metro Center
444 North Capitol Street, NW. This building houses 32 state offices. For information call the Council of State Governments at (202) 624-5386.
401 F Street, NW, between 4th and 5th streets. Wheelchair access at 4th and G streets. Metro Stop: Judiciary Square - Red line. Telephone: (202) 272-2448.
Explore the National Mall with this walking tour provided by National Geographic.
National Geographic Museum at Explorers Hall
1145 17th & M Street. Exhibits of famous scientific expeditions. Phone: 800 NGS LINE (800 647 5463); 800 548 9797 (TDD).
National Museum of American Jewish Military History
2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE in the Washington City Post Office Building on Capitol Hill (next to Union Station). Metro: Take Metro's Red Line to Union Station. Leave through the Massachusetts Avenue exit. As you get off the escalator, the National Postal Museum will be to your left.
1600 21st Street, N.W. The Phillips Collection is located in the Dupont Circle area, one-half block off of Massachusetts Avenue on 21st Street, between Q and R Streets. Offices and Visitor information: (202) 387-2151. Metro Stop: RED line of the Metro to the Dupont Circle Station. Exit to Q street. At the top of the escalator, go left on Q street one block to 21st Street. The museum entrance is located halfway up 21st Street on the left.
2320 S Street, NW. Telephone: (202) 667-0441. Metro Stop: Take the red line to the Dupont Circle stop. Leave the station via the Q Street exit. Walk north on Connecticut Avenue. At the intersection of Connecticut Avenue, Florida Avenue and S Street cross Florida Avenue and go left. Take immediate right onto S Street. Continue walking up S Street 2 long blocks to The Textile Museum on the left.
United States Navy Memorial and Visitors Center
Located at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 123, Washington, D.C, 20004-2608. The D.C. Metro's Green and Yellow Line stops at Archives-Navy Memorial, steps from our front door. There is a Motor Coach Drop on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, between 7th and 9th Streets, in front of the U.S. Navy Memorial. The Memorial offers a Concert Hotline at (202) 737-2300 ext. 768 for updated schedules or cancellations due to weather.
The Voice of America Studio Tour is a behind-the-scenes look at live broadcasting in radio, television, and the Internet in several of the 44 languages used by the VOA. Tours are free to the public, guided with audio and video features, and last 45 minutes. Reservations are recommended but not required. Tours are offered at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Voice of America is located at 330 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20237 off of the Federal Center S.W. Metro stop on the Blue and Orange Lines. Phone: (202) 203-4990.