Washington, DC

Washington, DC
Things To Do

Union Station
50 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Dazzling visitors with its granite walls, marble floors, 96 foot-high gold-leafed ceiling, and bronze grilles, Union Station endures as a classical landmark. As a restored beaux-arts train station, Union Station has been divided up into a series of levels and mezzanines that house 130 shops, restaurants and a movie theater complex.

National Gallery of Art
Constitution Ave, NW
Washington
Cost: Free
Floors of green and gray marble, columns of Tuscan, walls of Italian limestone and Italian travertine all make up the West Building of the National Gallery of Art. Designed by John Russel Pope, it contains Western European and American art, spanning between the periods of 13th and 20th century. Highlights include Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci, the only da Vinci painting in the Western hemisphere, collection of Italian paintings and sculptures, French Impressionist, and special exhibitions. Literally thousands of breathtaking canvases and sculptures are housed in this original building. The East building, designed by I.M. Pei, exhibits twentieth -century art within its angular architecture. Designed as a group of triangles, the East Building showcases free films, lectures, and concerts. One of the world's top ten art museums.
Events:
05/25 - 08/22 Portraits by Ingres: Image of an Epoch
06/06 - 09/06 Mary Cassatt
09/26 - 01/02 The Drawings of Annibale Carracci
10/24 - 01/09 From Schongauer to Holbein: Master Drawings from Berlin and Basel
10/03 - 01/09 Tilman Riemenschneider: Master Sculptor of the Late Middle Ages
10/17 - 01/16 Brassai: The Eye of Paris

Arlington National Cemetery
Virginia side of the Memorial Bridge, Arlington
Cost: Free
Once the estate of Robert E. Lee, the beautiful landscape that now comprises Arlington National Cemetery is a testament to the service rendered to our nation by its citizens.

National Air and Space Museum
Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW
As a member of the Smithsonian complex, it houses a wide assortment of aerodynamic treasures. The museum exhibits the history of aviation and the space age; presenting the history of flight from the earliest yearning and attempts to fly, to World War II rockets, to modern space probes. The politics, physics, and art linked to man's dream of flying are explored within the 23 additional galleries. This museum presents visitors with the hands-on opportunities to design aircrafts, and inspect a model of Skylab. For a cosmic experience visit the Albert Einstein's Planetarium located within the museum. Projected onto a towering five-story high screen the Langley Theater features Imax films on air and space travel. Visiting the Langley Theater means glide through the sky on everything from a hot air balloon to a fighter jet.

National Museum of Natural History
10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington
Cost: Free
Get into the spirit of exploration, and take a tour of 575 million years of history! The National Museum of Natural History encompasses everything from dinosaurs, diamonds and dioramas; this massive museum is filled with 118 million items. Exhibits cover the entire spectrum of the life sciences, minerals, botanicals, and zoological and geological materials. The Dinosaur Hall, exhibits on the evolution of human fossils, live Insect Zoo, bird displays, plants, rocks, and gems. The Sea Life Hall contains live marine life, plus a living coral reef. The Discovery Room is a big hit with children, of every age, with its hands-on activities and exhibits. Children can explore everything from the texture of an elephant tusk to an arrowhead. Plus, the Natural History Museum's costume room allows children to try on costumes from around the world. On your visit, remebber to also check out the Johnson IMAX 2D/3D Theater.

National Museum of American History
14th Street and Constitution Avenue
Cost: Free
For the enjoyment of children, the Museum of American History presents the Hands On History Room, Hands On Science Center, Lemelson Center, and the ABC's of American History. In the Hands On History Room, history is placed directly in the hands of children. At this exhibit they will be able to participate in activities such as sending a message by telegraph, and riding on a highwheel bicycle. Children can unravel some of the mysteries of science in the Hands On Scioence Center. It is here where young "Experimenters" can examine DNA, measure distances with a laser, discover the chemical propertioes of common houshold items, measure radioactive hotspots, explore magnetisism, and much more. The Lemelson Center develops programs targeted to expand the study and exploration of invention and innovation among children. The museum fills its rooms with the affluence of American history; Ranging from George Washington's false teeth to the Star-Spangled Banner, this museum showcaes cultural and technological developments of the US. The machine exhibit, located on the ground floor, showcases such objects as railroad locomotives to atom smashers. In contrast the second floor displays people in their home-life, relationships, and community life. As a whole the museum's various floors and galleries, depicts all aspects of the American history.
Events:
07/01 - 11/01 The Nixon White House
10/01 - 01/01 Nobel!: One Hundred Years of the Prize
10/01 - 01/01 Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song