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Washington Monument
The Washington Monument stands at 555’ 5/8” feet tall and is made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss. According to the National Park Service, viewers enjoy 30 to 40 miles visibility from the top in clear weather. The structure is known as an Obelisk which is Egyptian in origin.
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Jefferson Memorial
The Jefferson Memorial honors America’s third president. The building is modeled on the Roman Pantheon and features a 19-foot bronze statue of Jefferson, which faces towards the White House and inscriptions of passage of the Declaration of Independence and other famous Jefferson writings.
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Korean War Memorial
Adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, the Korean War Memorial features 19 soldiers arrayed for combat, which, when reflected at night by the wall, appear to double in number to represent the 38th Parallel which divided North and South. The 164-foot wall is etched with 2,500 photographic images of the support personnel whose efforts sustained the military operation.
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Lincoln Memorial
This Memorial features a 19-foot marble statue of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. It is surrounded by 36 fluted Doric columns, representing each of the thirty six states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. The memorial exhibits inscriptions of Lincoln’s second Inaugural Address and the Gettysburg Address, as well as a plaque to commemorate the “I Have a Dream” speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. of 1963.
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U.S.M.A. War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial)
This 78-foot memorial commemorates all marines who have died in battle since 1775. The statue depicts one of the most famous incidents of World War II in which the 4th and 5th Marine division invaded the island of Iwo Jima after over two days of bombardment of the island. Originally a tiny flag was raised, however, when the slopes were clear of enemy resistance, a second, larger flag was raised by five Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman: Sgt. Michael Strank, Cpl. Harlon H. Block, Pfc. Franklin R. Sousley, Pfc. Rene A. Gagnon, Pfc. Ira Hayes, and PhM. 2/c John H. Bradley, USN. |
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Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors the men and women of the armed forces who served in the Vietnam War. The V-shaped memorial is made of black granite and is inscribed with the names of the 58,209 Americans missing or killed in the Vietnam War. In 2010, six names were added to the wall: Lance Corporal John E. Granville, USMC, Panel 56W, Line 34; Lance Corporal Clayton K. Hough, Jr., USMC, Panel 8W, Line 3; Captain Edward F. Miles, USA, Panel 26W, Line 55; Sergeant Michael J. Morehouse, USA, Panel 26W, Line; Lieutenant Colonel William L. Taylor, USA, Panel 7W, Line 81; and Corporal Ronald M. Vivona, USMC, Panel 50E, Line 36.
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World War II Memorial
The National Mall’s newest memorial was dedicated to the men and women of World War II – America’s Greatest Generation – on May 29, 2004. The memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II and features a wall of 4,048 Gold Stars silently pays solemn tribute to the sacrifice of more than 405,000 American lives. In addition, the memorial has Fifty-six granite columns, split between two half-circles framing the rebuilt Rainbow Pool with its celebratory fountains, symbolize the unprecedented wartime unity among the forty-eight states, seven federal territories, and the District of Columbia.
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The Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
The Franklin D. Roosevelt honors the presidency of our 32nd president. It covers two crucial periods in modern history: the Great Depression and the U.S. entrance into World War II. The memorial is divided into “rooms” which follow key aspects of FDR’s presidency including his famous “fire-side chats.”
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Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center
The Navy Memorial includes both a commemorative public plaza and a Naval Heritage Center. The plaza is a round ceremonial amphitheater paved in granite to form a 100-foot diameter of the world. Surrounding the deck of the plaza are fountains, pools, flagpole masts, and sculptural panels depicting historic achievements of the sea services. A symbolic statue of a Lone Sailor stands watch near the edge of the plaza.
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National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
Dedicated in 1991, the memorial features two curving, 304-foot-long blue-gray marble walls engraved with the names of more than 19,000 officers who have been killed in the line of duty throughout U.S. history, dating back to the first known death in 1791. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is unique because it is ever-changing with new names of fallen officers are added to the monument each spring, in conjunction with National Police Week.
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Executive Branch Tours, Museums, and other Attractions
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The Smithsonian
The Smithsonian is a collection of 14 museums in the Washington area including: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of African Art, National Museum of American History, Museum of the American Indian, Museum of Natural History, National Portrait Gallery, the National Zoo, and the Smithsonian Institution Building “the Castle.” The majority of these are located on the National Mall.
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The Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts tour encompasses the history of the Center for Performing Arts including President Kennedy’s vision for Washington as a cultural center, to the construction of the Performing Arts Center itself. This building offers a fantastic view of the District of Columbia from the upper balcony as well as an impressive Hall of Flags.
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The Pentagon
Each tour includes the mission of the Department of Defense and each of its branches of service, and visits numerous displays that highlight and depict significant moments in military history.
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Department of State
The Diplomatic Reception Rooms feature exquisitely detailed architectural and decorative highlights of this suite of rooms serve as our country's main stage of international diplomacy. In addition to its function for diplomacy, these rooms house a premier collection of early American paintings, furniture, and decorative arts, dating from 1740 until the late 19th century.
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The National Archives
The National Archives is a functioning research facility for the archives of the United States. This tour is comprised of visiting three exhibit galleries- the Lawrence F. O'Brien changing exhibit gallery, the Public Vaults permanent exhibit gallery, and the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom - home of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
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Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery tours are excellent tributes to the fallen soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Serving as a military cemetery since 1964, highlights of this tour include the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Amphitheater, the Curtis-Lee Mansion, and the graves of Presidents John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and William Howard Taft.
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Ford’s Theatre and Lincoln Museum
Ford’s Theatre is infamously known as the site of President Lincoln’s assassination by actor John Wilkes Booth. While also serving as a functioning theater, Ford’s Theater also hosts historical interpretations and educational programs for visitors.
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Holocaust Memorial Museum
Probably the most somber of the D.C. museums, the Holocaust Museum offers three floors which cover the Rise of the Nazis in Germany, Hitler’s anti-Semitic policies, as well as explaining the history of the Holocaust labor camps and their effects on the survivors. Visitors receive a “passport” with the story of a victim of the Holocaust whose story they follow throughout the museum.
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International Spy Museum
The only public museum in the world solely dedicated to the tradecraft, history, and contemporary role of espionage. The Museum’s permanent exhibition presents the tradecraft of espionage through the stories of individuals and their missions, tools and techniques. Exhibits feature the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever on public display. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of James Bond, the museum opened a new exhibit exclusively dedicated to the 007 movies, featuring many props and replicas featured in the films. This museum is not part of the Smithsonian Institute and does charge an entry fee.
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National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art is home to a wide variety of art of many different mediums, which span many different artistic eras. Because of the size of this museum, there are many different types of tours offered including self-guided tours (with or without audio guides) and guided tours. The museum offers guides on their website as well as an app for iPod/iPhone to help visitors plan their trip accordingly.
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The Newseum
This unique museum offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits. Permanent exhibits includes a news history gallery, and interactive news room, a 9/11 exhibit, a Pulitzer Prize Photo exhibit, and a Berlin Wall exhibit. |
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Botanic Garden
The Botanic Garden was originally created by congress in the early 1800s. It was relocated to its current location in the 1850s. Highlights include the Conservatory and two acres of surrounding exterior grounds, the outdoor display gardens in Frederic Auguste Bartholdi Park, and the Administration Building. Its mission is to educate the public on plant life and on environmental sustainability.
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Folger Shakespeare Library
Home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare works, as well as to a collection of other Renaissance works. While its primary mission is preserving and reediting these works for scholars, the Library also has an educational aspect designed to introduce visitors to Shakespeare and to help them understand his writings.
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National Aquarium
The National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD is home to about 1,500 animals including alligators, sharks, turtles, and fish. This Museum requires an entry fee as it is not part of the Smithsonian Institute.
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National Cathedral
Construction of the National Cathedral began in 1906 and would continue for the next 83 years. Its is home, not only to its own history but also to special events in our history including, the Day of Remembrance Service on September 14th, 2001 and the funerals of U.S. Presidents since President McKinley in 1901.
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Mount Vernon
A privately owned estate and garden, once the home of George and Martha Washington. In the 18th century the estate, gardens, and farm totaled 8,000 acres. Today, 500 acres have been preserved. Visitors can see 20 structures and 50 acres of gardens as they existed in 1799. In addition, one can see the tombs of George and Martha Washington, Washington’s greenhouse, a memorial to the accomplishments of 18th century slaves and a museum.
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Naval Observatory
Tours begin with a history and mission of the Observatory. In continues with the viewing of development of USNO’s timekeeping responsibilities with a member of the Observatory’s Time Services Department staff and a viewing of celestial objects with an Astronomer if the weather permits.
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National Zoo
Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the National Zoo is a 163-acre zoological park set amid Rock Creek Park in the heart of Washington. It is home to 2,000 individual animals of nearly 400 different species.
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