Activities to do in Washington, D.C.

1. Welcome to the United States, National Mall

The best museums, monuments, and memorials in America may be found on the National Mall. The Capitol Building, which houses the US Congress, and the Lincoln Memorial surround the Washington Monument, which serves as the focal point. All interests may be satisfied by this cultural stretch, and well-liked attractions include the National Gallery of Art, which has a collection of internationally recognized works, and the magnificent Vietnam War Memorial.

Read more about D.C. sightseeing tours by visiting our website.

2. White House: Grounds of the President

One of the most well-known structures in the nation, the White House has served as the residence of every American president for the last 200 years. Numerous people visit the home every day from the verdant surrounding grounds. A visit to this home is akin to entering a dramatic movie set, with secret service personnel idly circling the premises.

The third is Smithsonian Castle: “…for the increase of knowledge.”

With hundreds of museums and research facilities, the Smithsonian is an all-American organization. Surrounded by its greatest treasures, the Smithsonian Building is a spectacular architectural structure that resembles a castle on the National Mall. Favorites include the Air and Space Museum, which has the first airplane in history as well as other spacecraft, and the National Museum of Natural History.

4. Historic Georgetown Georgetown

Georgetown is a lovely area that is well-known for its picturesque cobblestone lanes and historic homes from the 18th and 19th centuries. This well-liked neighborhood, which is tucked away along the Potomac River, is well-known for its upscale retail establishments, fine dining options, and extensive waterfront recreation. Georgetown has plenty to offer everyone!

5. A National Memorial: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Since its rolling halls debuted in 1993, the Holocaust Memorial Museum has spread messages of anti-genocide and tolerance to millions of people. Together, the architecture and collection give visitors a contemplative and instructive experience. Since visitors to the museum come from a wide range of nations and backgrounds, each person’s experience is unique.

6. Arlington National Cemetery: Honoring the Dead of America

The Arlington National Cemetery, which is 624 acres in size, commemorates American troops who have died. The cemetery was constructed on the grounds of Arlington House, the family home of Robert E. Lee, and dates back to the Civil War. The Arlington National Cemetery Historic District, which includes the Arlington Memorial Bridge, Memorial Drive, and the Hemicycle, is part of the monument. Funeral and memorial ceremonies, as well as Veterans Day and Memorial Day services, are held at the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater in the vicinity. The graves of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis among the cemetery’s most frequented locations. Senator John Glenn, the first American to circle the earth, and astronauts Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee, who perished in the 1967 Apollo 1 Command Module fire flash, are also interred at Arlington.

7. Iwo Jima Memorial: Marine Corps Honor

Established in 1954, the Iwo Jima Memorial is another name for the United States Marine Corps War Memorial. Since 1775, the site honors U.S. Marine Corps members who have lost their lives while doing their duties. The 1945 image of six Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II, taken by AP war photographer Joe Rosenthal, served as the inspiration for the memorial’s design. The memorial was designed by architect Horace W. Peaslee and sculptor Felix de Weldon, who were awarded funds for the historic project in 1947. Situated on a black granite base from a quarry in Lönsboda, Sweden, the bronze-cast monument bears inscriptions honoring all significant Marine Corps conflicts. President Kennedy said in 1961 that the American flag will always fly above the memorial.

8. A Significant American Landmark: Fort McHenry

Constructed in 1798, Fort McHenry was a star-shaped coastal fort that saw action during the War of 1812. The fort has a reproduction of the 15-star/15-stripe U.S. flag and was designated a National Monument and Historic Shrine in 1939. After a British bombing in 1814, Francis Scott Key penned the Star Spangled Banner within the fort. From Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, take a Water Taxi to the national monument, which hosts a Fourth of July event that includes cannon firings and a performance by the Guard Fife and Drum Corps.

9. The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial is no longer there, yet it lives on.

The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, an outdoor landmark created by Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman, pays tribute to the 184 persons who perished in the Pentagon and on board American Airlines Flight 77 during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The memorial was unveiled on September 11, 2008, and includes benches with the names of the victims engraved over reflecting pools facing the southern façade of the Pentagon. A wall along the landmark’s edge grows from three inches to seventy-one inches, representing the ages of the youngest and oldest victims of the terrorist attack, respectively.