The hunched figure of the Lone Sailor, warding off the wind with his flipped-up pea coat, is an oft-overlooked memorial in the city. The sailor waits quietly by his duffel in a circular plaza bordered by masts sporting semaphore flags; the space evokes the vastness and the ubiquity of the sea. The Naval Heritage Center, on the same grounds, displays artifacts and a couple of ship models.
Navy Memorial & Naval Heritage Center
Washington, DC
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
13.29 MILES
One of America's most visited historic sites, Mount Vernon was the beloved home of George and Martha Washington.
0.45 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…
0.26 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…
1.51 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
0.56 MILES
Located in Washington, DC, the sensational National Museum of African American History & Culture is devoted exclusively to the documentation of African…
0.81 MILES
Since 1800, this is where the legislative branch of American government (ie Congress) has met to write the country's laws.
0.77 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…
2.34 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
0.05 MILES
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt didn’t want a grand monument like the one that's now on the Mall. Rather, he said if there was to be a memorial to him…
2. National Law Enforcement Memorial Visitors Center
0.07 MILES
Located a few blocks from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, the visitor center houses a small shop and a couple of exhibits about the…
0.09 MILES
It's hard not to feel a little in awe of the big three documents in the Archives: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights…
4. Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum
0.13 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…
5. Federal Bureau of Investigation
0.14 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…
6. National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
0.18 MILES
This 6-acre garden is studded with whimsical sculptures such as Roy Lichtenstein’s House I (1998), a giant Claes Oldenburg typewriter eraser (1999) and…
0.23 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…
8. Ford’s Theatre Center for Education & Leadership
0.24 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…