Washington DC. Centre of the American Government and a capital of political intrigue. The US capital is also home to incredible museums and monuments. Anyone interested in political history or American culture needs to visit Washington DC at least once.
Fast facts
- Founded in 1790 as new capital city of the independent United States of America.
- Washington DC is one of the most visited cities in the United States attracting some 20 million visitors each year.
- Washington DC is home to the world’s largest museum, the Smithsonian Institute
Why come?
Washington DC is home to an amazing collection of museums, galleries and arts centres. There are opportunities to see first-hand some of the world’s most iconic monuments and historical artifacts, History buffs and politicos won’t want to leave.
Get your bearings
Washington DC is pretty easy to navigate thanks to its system of naming streets by numbers and letters. Major avenues are named after the states of the union.
If you want to do a lap of the city’s attractions before deciding what to explore further, Old Town Trolley tours has a hop on hop off bus tour that will help you get your bearings.
Whatever you do don’t miss…
The Smithsonian has 11 museums along the National Mall area.They cover American History, American Art and centred dedicated to the history and art of African Americans and Native Americans.
You could easily spend a week just exploring the collection of Smithsonian museums. But if you have to choose just one, don’t miss the Air and Space Museum.
Among its treasures are the Apollo 11 capsule that landed Neil Armstrong on the moon and iconic aircraft belonging to aviation legends including the Wright brothers, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Take advantage of a free guided tour.
Look out for…
Washington DC is home to some incredible monuments and memorials dedicated to the nation’s founders, historical heroes and war veterans. The most famous is the monolithic memorial to Abraham Lincoln.
Top things to do
Smithsonian museums
Visit the home of Robert E Lee and pay your respects to JFK at Arlington National Cemetery
Ford’s Theatre – the site of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln holds a collection of artifacts and documents dedicated to the slain president, including the murder weapon itself. Ford’s is still an operating theatre.
Channel your inner James Bond at the spy museum.
Eat
A half smoke – a sausage that is half pork and half beef –is known as a DC specialty.
Many Ethiopian immigrants have brought Ethiopian food to Washington DC and restaurants are found along U street.
Stay
The Willard Hotel is a Washington institution, some say as iconic as the Capitol or even the White House.
The Willard brothers first established an inn in Washington in the 1840s. Since that time it has been the place to stay in Washington DC, hosting presidents, writers.
Today the Willard is part of the Intercontinental Hotels group. If you can’t manage to stay (it’s expensive) at least drop in for a drink at the wood-paneled Round Robin Bar. The bar proudly displays portraits of some of the many famous people to have enjoyed a tipple here.
Did you know? – The terms lobbying and lobbyist are often said to have originated at the Willard Hotel. President Ulysses S. Grant would regularly visit the Willard and sit by the fireplace in the hotel lobby. There people seeking favour with the president would bail him up to bend his ear towards their cause. While it is now disputed that Grant coined the term lobbyist, he was certainly lobbied here.
Read up
To get into the vibe of DC intrigue before you visit, start with a political thriller. My favourite is The Running Mate by Joe Klein aka Anonymous of Primary Colours fame. For a stranger than fiction take on Washington DC it’s hard to go past the classic investigative journalism of All the President’s Men, which tells the tale of how journalists from the Washington Post broke the Watergate scandal that would eventually end the presidency of Richard Nixon.
Watch
House of Cards and The West Wing.
How to get here
Major airlines fly to Washington DC from Europe and Asia.From Australia fly to LA and connect with a domestic airline or head to New York and take an internal flight or Amtrak train. The train journey from New York to Washington DC takes about four hours.