Step inside this art haven with a collection spanning over 150,000 works. You'll encounter works of art from renowned European masters like Matthias Grünewald, Albrecht Dürer, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Eugène Delacroix, and many others. In addition to that, the gallery also has a beautiful collection of drawings, photographs, paintings, sculptures, medals and art which take you on a journey to the Middle Ages and back to the present. Once you’ve toured the gallery, explore the serene oasis of the Sculpture Garden. Adorned with beautiful sculptures by renowned artists, the garden offers a peaceful space for contemplation and reflection.
Part of the original design for the federal city, this massive park stretches from the US Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and around the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial. It has played host to many momentous, world-changing events throughout history including the 1963 March on Washington, the Million Man March and several presidential inaugurations. Today, the National Mall serves as a place for reflection, a memorial to American heroes, a symbol of freedom and a forum for the exercise of democracy. The Smithsonian museums, the Vietnam Memorial, the Reflecting Pool and the iconic Washington Monument are some of the most well-known of the National Mall's many iconic sites. Certainly, any visit to Washington DC should start with a tour of the United States National Mall, aptly named "America's front yard."
Best known for its vast collection of azaleas, (a popular porch-flower), this 446-acre (180-hectare) garden park has much else to offer. Fountains, pools and open space separate a series of focused gardens at the United States National Arboretum. The National Bonsai Collection, a gift from Japan, is a fascinating exhibit of tiny trees. Other notable sections are the aquatic garden (filled with lotuses of many varieties) and the National Herb Garden.
Take a trip back in time and explore the much celebrated American history at the National Museum of American History. Opened in 1962 as the Museum of History and Technology, it was renamed the National Museum of American History in 1980. Focusing on collecting, preserving, and honoring history, the Museum displays the American journey through the ages; it resides a beautiful gallery that portrays the emergence of the American national anthem along with other innovative and cherished artifacts. Housed within this multi-floor building are exhibition halls and rooms that illustrate significant events pertaining to the past of America.
The gorgeous United States Botanic Garden presents botanical variety, from the desert to the tropics, along a series of calm and gently meandering paths. A particular waterfall and garden display the flora of the dinosaur age. Seasonal displays include Christmas greens and poinsettias in December and January, chrysanthemums in autumn, and blooming flowers at Easter. Additionally, within the beautiful expanse of the United States Botanic Garden (USBG), the National Garden was inaugurated in October 2006 and includes the carefully designed Butterfly Garden.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial not only honors the nation's 32nd president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but also pays tribute to the people of his time. Stretching over 7.5 acres (3 hectares) along the Tidal Basin, the memorial features four outdoor rooms, each depicting a different aspect of FDR's presidency. The second room, for instance, captures the hardship of the Great Depression with statues of people waiting in a bread line. Another room contains a statue of Eleanor Roosevelt, the only memorial to honor a First Lady. With its serene pools and cascading water, the monument offers a beautiful and contemplative space for visitors to reflect on the legacy of FDR and his era.
The St. Paul's Episcopal Church is a historic church located in Alexandria, Virginia. The church was built in 1818, and designed by famed architect Benjamin Latrobe in what is now an excellent example of Gothic Revival architecture. The church features three equal arches at its entrance, and parts of the church have undergone minor modifications over the years. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
The Robert Llewellyn Wright House is one of the many house designed by the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. However, this house was not built was someone else, but for his own child. The structure reflects the Usonian style of architecture and was established in 1957. The beautiful structure of the house clearly reminds of the era that it belonged to.
Travel back in time by visiting the Liberia, a historic plantation house that witnessed America's greats like Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis during the American Civil War. The brick structure was built in the year 1825 in the Federal style of architecture which was originally resided by Harriett Bladen Mitchell Weir and her husband. Listed on the U.S National Register of Historic Places, the house is now under the ownership of the City of Manassas. The house has been restored to its original form of construction and is open to the public by appointment.
This basilica, one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in the Western Hemisphere, was dedicated in 1959. The architecture of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a mix of Romanesque and Byzantine styles. The Great Upper Church boasts fantastic mosaics, stained glass windows and individual chapels. The lower level Crypt Church is smaller and darker, but equally impressive in atmosphere and ornamentation. The basilica has a bookstore, gift shop and cafeteria.