Sights in Washington, DC
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Kahlil Gibran Memorial Garden
In the midst of the wooded ravine known as Normanstone Park, the Kahlil Gibran garden memorializes the arch-deity of soupy spiritual poetry. Its centerpieces are a moody bust of the Lebanese mystic and a star-shaped fountain surrounded by flowers, hedges and limestone benches engraved with various Gibranisms: ‘We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting.’ From a trailhead just north of the garden, you can hop onto trails that link to Rock Creek and Glover Archbold Parks.
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Decatur House
Designed in 1818 by Benjamin Latrobe for the War of 1812 naval hero Stephen Decatur, Decatur House sits at Lafayette Sq’s northwest corner. It holds the honor of being the first and last house on the square to be occupied as a private residence, and architecturally, it’s an interesting mash-up of austere Federal and wedding cake Victorian influences. A tour details the lives of famous tenants – including Martin Van Buren and Henry Clay – and the slaves who waited upon them.
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Marine Barracks
The ‘Eighth and Eye Marines’ are on largely ceremonial duty at the nation’s oldest Marine Corps post. Most famously, this is home barracks of the Marine Corps Band, once headed by John Philip Sousa, king of the military march, who was born nearby at 636 G St SE. On summer Friday evenings, the two-hour ceremonial drill parade featuring the band, drum and bugle corps and silent drill team is a must-see. Call weeks in advance for reservations or show up for general admission (not guaranteed) at 8:15pm.
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Historical Society of Washington, DC
Sadly, the City Museum of Washington DC has closed its doors, but the District’s Historical Society still occupies the museum’s old digs in the Carnegie Library at Mt Vernon Sq. If you have any interest in DC as a living, breathing city of neighborhoods, immigrants and working lives outside of the Federal scene, come here – the extensive library of books, photographs, maps and other archives is a treasure. Staff are a trove of knowledge and opinions on the current state of DC.
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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). The tour features a garden, a stairwell conservatory, European bronzes, 1920s-era china and Mrs Wilson’s elegant dresses, all of which offer a glamorous portrait of Roaring ‘20s DC society.
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National Japanese American Memorial
During WWII, thousands of West Coast Japanese American citizens were held in internment camps as suspected ‘enemy aliens.’ Even as this discrimination occurred under government mandate, hundreds of their relatives enrolled in the all Japanese American 442nd Infantry Regiment, which would go on to become the most decorated American combat unit of the war. Both soldiers and interred civilians are honored in this plaza, centered on a statue depicting two cranes bound with barbed wire.
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Malcolm X Park
This is an incredible bit of green space that gets short shrift in the list of America’s great urban parks. What makes it special is the way the park emphasizes its distinctive geography. Lying on the fall line between the upland Piedmont Plateau and flat Atlantic Coastal Plain, the grounds are terraced like a hanging garden replete with waterfalls, sandstone terraces and assorted embellishments that feel almost Tuscan. Out-of-towners call this Meridian Hill Park.
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Metropolitan AME Church
Built and paid for in 1886 by former slaves (quite a feat considering its impressive size), the Metropolitan AME Church occupies an imposing redbrick Gothic structure and is one of the city’s most handsome, yet striking, churches. Statesman and orator Frederick Douglass often preached here, and his state funeral was held here in February 1895. On the day of his burial, black schools closed, crowds packed the exterior to pay respect and flags flew at half-mast.
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Organization of American States
A forerunner to the UN, the OAS was founded in 1890 to promote cooperation among North and South American nations. Its main building at 17th St and Constitution Ave is a marble palazzo surrounded by the sculpture-studded Aztec Gardens. In the small building behind it, the OAS operates the Art Museum of the Americas (www.museum.oas.org), featuring an incredible collection of art that spans the 20th century and the western hemisphere.
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Charles Sumner School & Archives
The stately, dignified Sumner building is a great example of solidly beautiful redbrick 19th-century urban design, but it is an even better testament to civil rights and education. Back in 1877, this was where the first high-school class of African Americans was graduated out of the school system. Today you can find the DC Public School archives here, as well as a museum that displays local public school memorabilia along with exhibits on Frederick Douglass.
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Lincoln Theatre
The historic Lincoln Theatre was an early cornerstone of the nation's African American renaissance when it was founded in 1922. Luminaries such as DC native Duke Ellington as well as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn and many others have all lit up the stage here. Following the 1968 assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, riots devastated the commercial district. This area has since undergone a second renaissance; there are lots of excellent restaurants and bars around.
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Korean War Veterans Memorial
The elaborate memorial depicts a patrol of ghostly steel soldiers marching by a wall of etched faces from that conflict; seen from a distance, the images on the wall form the outline of the Korean mountains.
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La Maison Française
French for ‘The Maison Francaise’ (heh), La Maison is otherwise known as the French Embassy. The beating heart of Gallic DC occupies eight elegantly landscaped acres, anchored by the marble, modern-esque embassy itself. Countless cultural activities pop off here every week; check the website for listings. Not to stereotype, but if you’d like to sip some good wine and gaze at interesting art, theater, dance and the like, this is the place to visit.
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African American Civil War Memorial
Standing at the center of a granite plaza, this bronze statue depicting rifle-bearing troops is DC’s first major art piece by black sculptor Ed Hamilton. The sculpture is surrounded on three sides by the Wall of Honor, listing the names of 209,145 black troops who fought in the Union Army, as well as the 7000 white soldiers who served alongside them. You can use the directory to locate individual names within each of the regiments.
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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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George Washington Masonic National Memorial
Alexandria’s most prominent landmark features a fine view from its 333ft tower, where you can see the Capitol, Mount Vernon and the Potomac River. It is modeled after Egypt’s Lighthouse of Alexandria, and honors the first president (who was initiated into the shadowy Masons in Fredericksburg in 1752 and later became Worshipful Master of Alexandria Lodge No 22). The only way up is via a guided tour; they depart at 10am, 11:30am, 1:30pm and 3pm (on Sunday the first one is at 12:30pm).
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Logan Circle
Not so long ago this was seedy, crime-ridden turf of no interest to most residents and visitors. Today, Logan Circle is DC's it multicolor neighborhood, home to the trendiest of yuppies and buppies. Last century's crack houses are today's boutiques and fusion restaurants. Logan Circle is especially fabulous to wander around on an autumn day, when the urban landscape glows yellow with falling leaves and October sunshine.
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National Museum of American Jewish Military History
The National Museum of American Jewish Military History is a small but fascinating peek into the wartime exploits of American Jews. It’s currently renovating its permanent exhibition into a more modern, interactive multimedia experience. In the meantime, displays on Jewish Medal of Honor recipients and the history of death camp liberation – among others – are a cool enough reason to pop in.
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Reynolds Center for American Art
Don't miss the Reynolds Center for American Art, which combines the National Portrait Gallery with the American Art Museum. From haunting depictions of the inner city and rural heartland to the self-taught visions of itinerant wanderers, the center has dedicated itself to capturing the optimism and critical self-appraisal of American art, and succeeds.
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Islamic Center
Topped with a 160ft minaret, this pale limestone structure is the national mosque for American Muslims. It is delicately inscribed with Quranic verse, so it appears to float above Massachusetts Ave. Inside, the mosque glows with bright floral tiling, thick Persian rugs and gilt-trimmed ceilings detailed with more Quranic verse. You can enter to look around; remove your shoes, and women must bring scarves to cover their hair.
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Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
In 1792 Edward Stabler opened up his apothecary – a family business that would operate for the next 141 years, until the Depression forced the shop to close. Quite a bit of history was shut inside at that time, including over 8000 medical objects. Now the shop is a museum; its shelves are lined with 900 beautiful hand-blown apothecary bottles and strange old items such as Martha Washington’s Scouring Compound.
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US State Department
The headquarters of the American diplomatic corps is a forbidding, well-guarded edifice, all modernist, blocky and unfriendly. In stark contrast are the elegant grand diplomatic reception rooms, where Cabinet members and the Secretary of State entertain visiting potentates amid ornate 18th-century American antiques. Call at least a month beforehand to reserve a tour spot, and bring photo ID; no kids under 12 are admitted.
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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 that was 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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Lee-Fendall House
Between 1785 and 1903 generations of the storied Lee family lived in this architecturally impressive house. Guided tours show the restored house as it probably was in the 1850s and 1860s, showcasing Lee family heirlooms and personal effects, and period furniture. The Georgian-style town house (607 Oronoco St; closed to public) across the street was Robert E Lee’s childhood home from 1810.
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Arlington House
In one of the great spite moves of American history, thousands of Union war dead were buried in the 1100-acre grounds of Confederate General Robert E Lee’s home. After the war, the Lee family sued the federal government for reimbursement: the government paid them off, and Arlington Cemetery was born. The historic house is open for public tours, and is a lovely example of Virginia grand manor architecture.
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