What do to in DC?

[labguides]

This is totally not related to heart. We will be in Washington DC for 5 days in October. I have not been there for 50 years (Whoa, that sure dates me!). What do you recommend we see/do? Obviously, we cannot do it all in 5 days.

 

[Phyllis]

Started to write you some suggestions and found this website which covers it pretty well: our favorites are the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Art Museum, Vietnam Memorial and the botanical gardens. This is a list of things open and hours for this summer:
All Smithsonian museums are open with the exception of three that are undergoing or preparing for renovation: the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, which will reopen in July, 2006, and the Arts & Industries Building.

All monuments and memorials are open. Free tickets to tour the Washington Monument are distributed for same day visits at the kiosk on the Washington Monument grounds at 15th St. and Madison Dr. on a first-come, first-served basis. Hours for the ticket kiosk are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but tickets run out early. For advance reservations (service fee of $1.50), call 1-800-967-2283 or go to reservations.nps.gov

All visitors are welcome at The Library of Congress. Public tours are offered Monday through Saturday in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Tours are free and reservations are not required. Reservations are required for group tours, available Monday through Friday. For more information visit www.loc.gov.

The National Archives is now open after a major renovation. For the first time, visitors can view all four pages of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Visit www.archives.gov for more information.

The Supreme Court is currently open. Lectures in the Courtroom are typically given every hour on the half-hour (only when court is not in session), on days that the Court is not sitting, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and concluding at 3:30 p.m. Reservations are not required. Visit www.supremecourtus.gov for more information.

Guided tours of the U.S. Capitol Building are conducted from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Capitol is scheduled to be open on all federal holidays except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Visitors must obtain free tickets for tours on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 9:00 a.m. each morning, at the West front of the Capitol facing the National Mall, which is located near Garfield Traffic Circle at Independence and First Street SW across from the Botanic Garden. All security screening is done at this facility, and visitors are then escorted by the Capitol Police and the Capitol Guide Service to the Rotunda to begin their tour. Maximum tour size is 40 people each half-hour and each individual of any age must have a ticket. Both the House and Senate Galleries are open for observation when Congress is in session. Passes must be obtained by your local member of Congress. For more information call (202) 225-6827 or (202) 224-8698.

Tours of the White House have been expanded from school, youth, military and veterans' groups to include any groups of ten. Groups of ten should submit a request through their member of Congress at least one month and up to six months in advance. The tours are self-guided and will run from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call the White House Visitors Center at 202-456-7041 or visit www.whitehouse.gov.

Tours of the United States Naval Observatory have resumed on a limited basis. Tours are available on alterating Monday evenings from 8:30 to 10:00 p.m. Tour passes must be reserved four to six weeks in advance. Visit www.usno.navy.mil/ for a request form or contact the Office of Public Affairs at (202) 762-1438.

The FBI Building is currently closed for renovations. For updated information, call (202) 324-3447.

Tours of the Pentagon are available for select pre-arranged groups. For further information, call (703) 695-3325.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing tour hours are from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Extended summer hours (May-August) are from 5 to 7 pm. School groups can take tours from 9-9:45 am. Summer hours will offer a second set of school tours from 5-5:45 pm. The visitor center will be open 8:30 am-7:30 pm this summer. Tour tickets are distributed same-day only beginning at 8 am until all tickets are gone. Tickets are usually gone by 9 am. The ticket booth is located on Raoul Wallenberg Place (formerly 15th Street). The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is closed on weekends and federal holidays. For more information call (202) 874-2330 or visit www.moneyfactory.com.

The Marine Corps Museum tour hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m. with expanded hours until 8:00 PM on Friday evenings for those visitors attending the Evening Parade at the Marine Barracks. Admission to the museum is free, but advance notice is recommended. For further information and directions, call (202) 433-3840 or visit www.history.usmc.mil.


Group tours of the Washington National Cathedral are available Monday through Saturday from 10:00-11:15 a.m. and 12:45-3:15 p.m. For reservations call (202) 537-6207x5, or email [email protected]. For the latest information on guided tours for individuals and interruptions to the touring schedule at the Cathedral due to special services, please visit their website, http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/visit/index.shtml.

 

[tobagotwo]

The Air and Space Museum is great fun. It may have two sites now, on the green. The Smithsonian is fabulous, of course, and also bordering the green. Further away is the National Zoo, also very interesting, but a lot of walking.

The subway system in DC is incredible and simple for anyone to use. Some of the monuments are lit up at night, so an evening stroll can be a nice event. There is a huge, underground mall as well - I believe it is in Georgetown.

Hope you have a great time,

 

[Kenny F]

That's the DC I remember!

That's the DC I remember!

I haven't lived there since 1987 (3 years Bolling AFB on the Potomac, 15 years in suburbs - Dale City) but Dave you pretty much have it down.

I agree with all the above tour guides above - lots to see and do. But if you don't stay in a good hotel on the subway, you will spend much of your time in DC in a car. Sitting still.

Great place to visit but...

 

[Marguerite53]

I grew up there

I grew up there

I grew up in Silver Spring, just outside of DC and haven't lived there since 1974. I took my 3 children back to visit once in 93. However, I still feel I know it very well and have this advice. There is too much to see in 5 days so it is wise to have a plan before you get there. What do you enjoy most? If you are curious about how the government works, there are endless tours of the White House, Capitol, Bureau of Engraving, etc. etc. They take a lot of time and probably reservations. There used to be an Emabassy Row with all flags flying and just a lovely little drive down a street. Maybe you prefer Art. Or shopping! Or plays or symphonies. Or parks and rivers. Or Animal exhibits (the National Zoo, the Baltimore Aquarium). Or just walking and drinking in the feel of a place.

If you are mostly an art fanatic, the National Gallery of Art is magnificent (pink marble stairs to the grand front doors. Cool, marbled walkways, impressive gallery rooms, new IM Pei wing is expressive and fun). Again, know what you enjoy most. Don't use your time wandering through Renaissance paintings if you don't like them! Go straight to the Impressionist room (ask any guard), wander the whole building just for the building's sake and then head to your next destination.(If you love Impressionism and Picasso, etc. there is a wonderful, off the beaten path gallery, renovated from a grand old mansion. It is called The Phillips Collection. Not large but incredibly wonderful. Renoir's famous Boating Party is there and many more).

The Hirschorn is another art gallery, mid-mall. If you've had enough of Art but need some fresh air, walk through the sculpture garden there. Intimate and well done.

The Freer Gallery is smaller, Asian Art. Also a Whistler collection. I believe it's near the Holocaust Museum which I have not had the privelege of seeing yet.

The Museum of Natural History is my favorite place, and I haven't even seen it since the extensive remodel. If you love rocks (tobagotwo -- this is a must for you!) the collections run from amazing "still in rock form" specimens to, of course, the Hope Diamond. Lots of dinasaur bones, evolutionary displays and a wonderfully fun bug room.

Of course you must go to the Space Museum and possibly the Castle (old Smithsonian) and probably the Technology museum. Those places are HUGE and expansive and I strongly reommend perusing some text on their offerings before you get in there and just wander. They all house so much information. Somewhere are the first lady's inaugural gowns, somewhere is The Star Spangled Banner (though they may only bring it up once in awhile due to its deterioration). Please know if you like trains or not! You can get very bogged down wandering through rooms which may not be as interesting to you.

Then there is the National Archives where the actual Constitution and Declaration of Independence are. Unless seeing the actual item gives you enormous chills and a phenomenal sense of being American, well, I wouldn't bother.

Do heed the advice to stay in a good hotel on the subway. Very important to use the underground system to get around.

Georgetown is above ground, used to be very very Hip and expensive shopping. Wonderful restaurants and bars with great live music. I used to get up with my high school boyfriend and deliver The Washington Post in Georgetown, all those incredibly beautiful row-houses and apartment buildings. A cool and shady diversion off the main street (Wisconsin and, M?or O?) to wander through those neighborhoods.

Monuments. Do not miss the Lincoln Memorial and the reflecting pool. It's just a must-see, must-feel. Stop and walk up the stairs and just be there. Turn around and look. It is just a hallowed space.

I used to drive through Rock Creek Parkway to get to a silly little job in Virginia (just out of HS) and would come up to the Lincoln at sunrise and then cross Memorial Bridge. A pretty breathtaking thing for a teenager.

There are statues and circles with statues and bridges with statues and crosswalks with statues. My husband happens to be distantly related to a signer of the Declaration, and as we were crossing a street one day our very observant 5th grader noticed that we were waiting by a statue of their ancestor!!

Did I love growing up there? I guess so! For me it was a delight to don white gloves and patent leather shoes (yes, the dinasaur age!!) and go to Constitution Hall for a school field trip. Or get the whole day off and visit a battlefield!

There are so many different kinds of things to do! Thanks for letting me reminisce, here. Sorry to ramble. Hope I've helped somewhat. Have a fabulous visit -- you just can't go wrong if you do some homework first!

Enjoy!! Marguerite

 

[Granbonny]

I was just chatting with a friend at pool.(school teacher) and she is driving up there next week to take her age 10 year old son..Like Marge said..She booked a nice hotel with subway outside... I was last there..in Nov..1960 and they were getting ready for Kennedy's Inauguration...Bonnie

 

[Sherry]

I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet, but the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a must see. I teach Holocaust literature, and both of my experiences there have been invaluable. I was also going to suggest the Newseum, which is an interactive museum on the history of the media. It used to be located in Arlington, VA, but when I checked the website, it has been closed and will reopen in D.C. in 2007. Oh well, here's the website for the first
http://www.ushmm.org/ Enjoy your trip this fall.