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WASHINGTON DC |
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Washington DC is of course the Capital city of the United States. (For those that don't know, DC stands for "District of Columbia"). The city is named after George Washington, and was planned and developed in the late 18th century. An oddity of Washington is that there are no skyscrapers, as it was decreed that no building in Washington should be higher than the Capitol Building. |
Here are some of the sights that I saw in the time I've spent in Washington. Certainly not a comprehensive selection of the sights in Washington, but enough to give you an idea of what Washington is all about. To me, Washington is a mixture of the modern and the historical, and gives a perfect flavour of what the United States is all about.
History
Click here for a look at some of the key events in the history of Washington DC.
Districts and Avenues
Washington DC has some of the best known districts and avenues in the world. Pennsylvania Avenue, for example, is the street on which the White House is located. Here are a selection of districts and avenues that are to be found in central Washington.
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Chinatown |
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Lafayette Square |
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Farragut Square |
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Pennsylvania Avenue |
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Foggy Bottom |
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Massachusetts Avenue |
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Dupont Circle |
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Constitution Avenue |
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Georgetown |
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Independence Avenue |
Government
Washington DC is home to many US government buildings and facilities, a selection of which are shown here. Although Arlington Cemetery isn't really a government building, I have included it here because many of the deceased in the cemetery are there as a consequence of government-made decisions and policies.
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White House |
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The Ellipse |
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Capitol Building |
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Arlington Cemetery 1 |
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Library of Congress |
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Arlington Cemetery 2 |
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Supreme Court |
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Arlington House |
The Mall and West Potomac Park
The Mall and West Potomac Park are located in central Washington, and are home to many of the best-known and impressive sights in Washington, not least the 555 feet tall Washington Monument. Many memorials to those who have died serving their country are located here.
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National Mall |
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West Potomac Park |
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Lincoln Memorial |
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Korean War Memorial |
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Washington Monument |
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Tidal Basin |
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Vietnam Memorial |
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Roosevelt Memorial |
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World War 2 Memorial |
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Jefferson Memorial |
Museums and The Smithsonian
The Smithsonian refers to a total of about 19 museums that are located mostly in Washington DC. The museums were established following a bequest by an Englishman who had never visited the US! Entrance to all Smithsonian museums is free, but you may be subject to security checks before being allowed in. Note that the galleries of art are not members of the Smithsonian museums
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Smithsonian |
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American History Museum |
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Air and Space Museum |
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National Zoo |
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Gallery of Art - West |
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Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden |
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Gallery of Art - East |
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Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden |
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Natural History Museum |
Other Places of Interest
The sections above barely do justice to the range of places and sights to visit in Washington DC. Here is a small selection of other sights that don't quite fit into the categories above. Foremost among these are Washington cathedral and Grand Union station. The Old Stone House is the oldest building in Washington.
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Washington Cathedral - Outside |
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Francis Scott Key Park |
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Washington Cathedral - Inside |
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Old Stone House |
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Grand Union Station - Outside |
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Mount Vernon Square |
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Grand Union Station - Inside |
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Avenues |
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Potomac River |
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Sundries |