Designed by famed modern architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, this low-slung, sleek central branch of the DC public-library system is an important community and cultural center. It is closed for renovations until mid-2020, when it is scheduled to reopen with new features, including creative spaces for music production and art-making, a cafe and a rooftop event space.
Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Library
Washington, DC
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
13.56 MILES
One of America's most visited historic sites, Mount Vernon was the beloved home of George and Martha Washington.
0.76 MILES
The legendary exhibits at the National Air and Space Museum include the Wright brothers' flyer, Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St…
0.55 MILES
Two buildings. Hundreds of masterpieces. Infinite enjoyment. It's easy to spend a full day at the National Gallery of Art, which showcases a whole range…
1.54 MILES
Anchoring the National Mall's west end is the hallowed shrine to Abraham Lincoln, who gazes across the Reflecting Pool beneath his neoclassical, Doric…
National Museum of African American History & Culture
0.68 MILES
Located in Washington, DC, the sensational National Museum of African American History & Culture is devoted exclusively to the documentation of African…
1.01 MILES
Since 1800, this is where the legislative branch of American government (ie Congress) has met to write the country's laws.
0.67 MILES
Play image association with the words “Washington, DC,” and chances are the first thing that comes to mind is the White House. The president’s pad is…
2.39 MILES
Sprawling across hills above the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for America’s most revered…
Nearby Washington, DC attractions
1. Reynolds Center for American Art & Portraiture
0.08 MILES
The Reynolds Center is one of DC's finest museums. This Smithsonian venue combines the National Portrait Gallery and the American Art Museum into one…
0.15 MILES
On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln here. Free timed-entry tickets provide access to the site, which has four parts: the…
0.16 MILES
After being shot at Ford’s Theatre, Lincoln was carried across the street to Petersen House. Its three tiny, unassuming rooms create a moving personal…
0.16 MILES
Colorful, dragon-decorated Friendship Arch – the largest single-span arch in the world – marks the entrance to DC's Chinatown.
0.16 MILES
DC’s dinky Chinatown is anchored on 7th and H Sts NW. It was once a major Asian American entrepôt, but today most Asian Americans in the Washington area…
6. Ford’s Theatre Center for Education & Leadership
0.17 MILES
Across the street from the famous theater where Abraham Lincoln was shot, the center holds a gift shop on its 1st floor, as well as a 34ft tower of…
7. Federal Bureau of Investigation
0.22 MILES
DC's concrete, brutalist FBI headquarters should be seen, if only to say you have laid eyes on the single ugliest building in the entire District. When it…
8. Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum
0.22 MILES
Before founding the American Red Cross, Clara Barton set up shop in her DC boardinghouse to locate thousands of missing soldiers after the Civil War. You…