The capital city of the United States, Washington D.C. is host to a wide array of museums, monuments and momentous occasions. 

The National Mall is central to the District, and it packs much of the city’s tourist wallop.  Extending between the Capital building and the White House, it has been the site of many rallies, protests and family picnics.    Along one side of the long, open park stands the numerous museum buildings of the Smithsonian Institution.  The Smithsonian offers a little something for everyone—among them, the Air and Space Museum for those with their heads in the clouds, the Museum of Natural History for gem fans wishing for a peak at the Hope Diamond, and for fans of pop culture, the Museum of American History is host to a number of iconic objects, including Dorothy’s ruby slippers, the Lone Ranger’s mask, the M*A*S*H signpost, and Kermit the Frog himself.

Surrounding the Mall is a number of moving war memorials often depicted in art, film and television, as well as a series of presidential monuments, including the majestic Lincoln Memorial, captured memorably in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

If families got their fill of seeing the past in museums, they could see the present in action at the Capital building—where they might get to see congress in session—or during a tour of the White House.  While the Oval Office remained off-limits, a lucky schoolchild has occasionally caught a glimpse of the country’s leader en route to another important meeting. 

The sites to explore are so numerous that it would take much more than a single vacation to see all of them.  But no trip to the city would be complete without a visit to the National Archives, home of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.  Such documents may seem intangible in a history book, but when they’re right under your nose in Washington, D.C., the living documents feel more… alive.