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United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The somber, soaring Holocaust Museum is unlike any other DC museum. In remembering the millions murdered by the Nazis, it is brutal, direct and impassioned. Its exhibits leave many visitors in tears and few unmoved. James Ingo Freed designed the extraordinary building in 1993 and its stark facade and steel-and-glass interior echo the death camps themselves.
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United States National Arboretum
Way out in Northeast DC are 446 acres of blooming trees, ornamental plants and lovely verdant meadows. But because it's hard to access the national gardens - they're in a gritty area far from the Metro - they remain among DC's most hidden treasures and are a wonderful place to stroll and flower-peep in peace.
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Us Naval Observatory
The US Naval Observatory was created in the 1800s 'to determine the positions and motions of celestial objects, provide astronomical data, measure the Earth's rotation, and maintain the Master Clock for the US.' DC's light pollution prevents important observational work these days, but its cesium-beam atomic clock still sets all standard time in the US. Tours let you peek through telescopes, yak with astronomers and learn about the Master Clock.
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Us Patent & Trademark Office Museum
This nearly new museum tells the history of the United States patent. The story begins in 1917 in Memphis, TN., where wholesale grocer Clarence Saunders invented and patented what he called 'Self-Servicing' stores, now commonly known as the supermarket. He went from rags to riches and almost back to rags again, but you'll have to visit the museum to get the rest of the story, along with displays depicting other famous and influential patents.
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Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The memorial is comprised of two walls of polished Indian granite that meet in a 10ft apex. They are inscribed with the names of the 58,209 soldiers killed in the war, arranged chronologically by date of death. It's an eloquent inversion of the Mall's other monuments: rather than a pale, ornate structure reaching skyward, it's dark, austere and burrows into the earth, symbolizing the war's wound to the national psyche.
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Washington DC Martin Luther King Jr Memorial
Ground breaking was expected to start in the fall of 2006 for this new memorial honoring America's most influential Civil Rights leader. It will be located on the Tidal Basin and convey themes of democracy, justice and hope - all cornerstones of MLK's teachings. The design includes a crescent-shaped stone wall with sermon inscriptions and a central Stone of Hope featuring a 30ft-tall likeness of Dr King. The memorial is expected to open in 2008.
Read more about Washington DC Martin Luther King Jr Memorial
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Washington Dolls' House & Toy Museum
This quirky museum is based on the belief that dolls' houses provide a history of architecture and decorative arts, while antique toys reflect social history. It displays a marvelous collection of antique Victorian dolls' houses and toys: a tiny Capitol; mansions complete with tiny china and linens; and amazingly detailed castles. The museum's miniatures shop sells dolls, accessories and kits so that you can build your own dolls' house.
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Washington Monument
Strangely, this pale, quite phallic, obelisk needling the sky near the Mall's west end was originally conceived as an equestrian statue to honor George Washington, the country's first president. We guess it grew a little big for its britches. At 555ft the monument is not only the tallest building in DC (by federal law no structure can reach above it), it is also the tallest masonry structure in the world!
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Washington National Cathedral
A national cathedral in a country premised upon the separation of church and state is an unusual idea. So, by definition, the National Cathedral, run by the Episcopal diocese but paying tribute to many faiths and peoples, is an unusual place. Martin Luther King Jr gave his last Sunday sermon here; now it's the standard place for state funerals and other high-profile events. In many critics' eyes, it is the country's most beautiful chruch.
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Washington Post
Want to see where Woodward and Bernstein toppled a president? Stop by the Post's headquarters. Its free tours don't reveal much of the paper's operations but do show you the busy newsroom and explain how the paper is printed.
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Watergate Complex
The riverfront Watergate complex is a posh private community encompassing apartments, designer boutiques and a deluxe hotel. It is synonymous with American political scandal: In 1972 a break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters here was linked to Nixon supporters, resulting in the unprecedented resignation of the sitting president. With its undulating facade and dragon-tooth balconies, it's among DC's most recognizable landmarks.
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Waterside Park
A few historic homes - curiosities in this neighborhood - survived the 1950s urban clearance. The Law House (1252 6th St SW) is a Federal-style row house built by one of the first DC land speculators in 1796. From the same period, the Wheat Row houses (1313-1321 4th St SW, south of N St SW) have human-scale brick facades that add warmth to the neighborhood.
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White House
Every US president since John Adams has lived in this 132-room mansion at America's most famous address. Its stature has grown through the years: no longer a mere residence, it's now the central icon of the American presidency.
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Woodrow Wilson House
This Georgian-revival mansion offers guided hour-long tours focusing on the 28th president's life and legacy. Genteel elderly docents discuss highlights of Wilson's career (WWI, the League of Nations) and home, which has been restored to the period of his residence (1921-24). A lovely garden, a stairwell conservatory, European bronzes, 1920s-era china and Mrs Wilson's elegant dresses all paint a glamorous portrait of Roaring '20s DC society.
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Zenith Gallery
Margery Eleme Goldberg's gallery has been an anchor of the DC art scene for several decades, showcasing new and established local and national (and some international) artists. She hosts exhibits of interesting paintings and sculpture as well as three-dimensional mixed media works - unusual tapestries, fine crafts and furniture, and wearable art.
