🏛️ Washington: top 10 must-visit attractions

Austere, filled with historical monuments, Washington is a typical administrative center. Walking through its streets, you can learn the entire history of the United States. The editors of Travelcode have put together a great guide about this amazing city. Well, we have prepared a short list of the most important places that every tourist should see.

National Mall

All of Washington's most significant sights are located within the National Mall. Its territory includes parks, monuments and museums.

Capitol

This is where the Congress was located. The main advantage is that the building can be viewed not only from the outside, but also from the inside.

Library of Congress

In fact, it is the national library of the United States, uniting more than 38 million printed exhibits under the roof of its three buildings.

The White house

132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 147 windows, 412 doors, 3 elevators, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases – this is the residence of the US President in numbers. However, it is almost impossible to get inside on an excursion, so you will have to limit yourself to the view from afar.

Lincoln Memorial

The majestic temple in neo-Greek style, erected in honor of one of the most beloved US Presidents, symbolizes the Union. There are 36 columns around its perimeter —that’s how many states united at the time of Lincoln’s assassination. A 175-ton, six-meter statue of a brooding president looking at the Capitol was installed in the center.

Jefferson Memorial

This monument was also dedicated to the head of state. Thomas Jefferson is the third President of the United States and one of the Founding Fathers. These two memorials also have a neoclassical style in common: both are reminiscent of Greek temples.

Inside the building there is a bronze statue of the president. In one hand he holds the US Declaration of Independence, and on the walls around you you can read his sayings.

Washington Memorial

And here is a memorial in honor of the first President of the United States – George Washington. It was built in 1884 and then it became the tallest building in the world. The shape of the monument resembles a huge sword made of white marble. And at the top of the memorial there is an observation deck. 

Washington Museums

Washington's 17 Smithsonians is a list of the city's most important museums. Here are just a few of them. 

National Gallery of Art

It houses one of the world's richest art collections. From paintings of the Italian Renaissance, works of the Dutch and Spanish Baroque and American artists to the works of the most famous contemporary authors.

National Museum of Natural History

It is worth paying attention first of all to the hall of geology, the hall of human origins and the hall of dinosaurs. The first one housed one of the richest collections of precious stones and minerals in the world. And in the hall of dinosaurs, the visitor will be reminded of our insignificance in the biological chain by 46 restored skeletons of ancient reptiles. 

National Air and Space Museum

The huge hangar houses entire aircraft models, including one of the darkest, the American B-29, which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Here you can also see two ballistic missiles – the Soviet SS-20 and the American Pershing-II. For years they targeted each other. Modules from the Soyuz-Apollo and Pioneer spacecraft and real astronaut spacesuits will tell you about space exploration.

National Zoological Park

It is home to 2,700 animals of 390 species from all over the world. It is divided into zones: Asian, African, American, and so on.

FBI Headquarters

Of course, you won't be allowed inside. But the very shape of the building and its scale deserve attention.

Arlington Cemetery

This is a huge mausoleum in which about 400,000 people are buried. The cemetery was founded 158 years ago. Mainly military and government officials found their final refuge here. 

Georgetown University

It is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. 12 heads of state of the world graduated from it, including Bill Clinton, a famous political figure.

By the way, two American guides were previously published on Piligrimos. In one we answered the question of whether there is life outside of Manhattan. And in another they talked about a resort among the swamps – Charleston. You can also find information about the green card draw in the USA.