James Renwick designed this turreted, red-sandstone fairy-tale in 1855. Today the castle houses the Smithsonian Visitor Center, which makes a good first stop on the Mall. Inside you’ll find history exhibits, multilingual touch-screen displays, a staffed information desk, free maps, a cafe and the tomb of James Smithson, the institution’s founder. His crypt lies inside a little room by the main entrance off the Mall.
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Smithsonian Castle
Washington, DC
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
12.89 MILES
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0.33 MILES
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2.1 MILES
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Nearby Washington, DC attractions
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The lovely green space behind the Smithsonian Castle is actually a rooftop garden, with three peaceful sections: a Moon Gate garden inspired by a 15th…
2. National Museum of African Art
0.05 MILES
Enter the museum’s ground-level pavilion through the Enid A Haupt Garden, then descend into the dim underground exhibit space. Devoted to ancient and…
0.07 MILES
Kids love taking a ride on this musical merry-go-round with its 58 brightly painted horses. It's on the Mall by the Smithsonian Castle.
0.1 MILES
This is a lovely spot in which to while away a Washington afternoon. Japanese silk scrolls, smiling Buddhas, rare Islamic manuscripts and Chinese jades…
0.16 MILES
Works by Rodin, Arp, Moore, Miró and de Kooning are among those on show in this sunken sculpture garden opposite the Hirshhorn's main museum. The site is…
0.17 MILES
The Smithsonian’s cylindrical art museum shows works from modernism’s early days to today's most cutting-edge practitioners. Exhibitions of works drawn…
7. National Museum of Natural History
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Arguably the most popular of the Smithsonian museums, so crowds are pretty much guaranteed. Wave to Henry, the elephant who guards the rotunda, then zip…
8. National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
0.25 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…