| MAIN
Travel
North America
USA
Washington DC
Moving
from Philadelphia, New York to Princeton, the nation's capital later found a permanent
home (by congressional decree in 1790) on the Potomac River, midway between northern
and southern states. As
with most political decisions, the land on which the capital city was built was
dank and swampy in summer, and bitterly cold in winter - and in the end satisfied
no one!
French engineer
Pierre Charles L'Enfant was hired to design the city, with Maryland
and Virginia agreeing to cede land to create the ten-mile square
District of Columbia, named for Christopher Columbus. The plan
called for government buildings, in the classic style, built along
spacious avenues all leading up to the Capitol
building - which was almost completed when the British set
it afire in the War of 1812.
Today, as
the founding fathers intended, Washington, D.C. is a national
showcase of attractions and exhibits offering free admission to
the now 20 million tourists from around the world who visit each
year. In addition to historical places of interest, the city's
political culture also affords some of the nation's top restaurants,
bars,
day
spas & beauty salons.
Kid-friendly
Washington DC
With so much
to see and do for kids and families in DC, it's difficult to know
where to begin!
Besides the
obvious and famous attractions like the Washington Monument and
Lincoln Memorial, one of the city's top family attractions is
the National
Zoo.
Offering FREE
admission, and an easy walk from the Metro (take the Red Line
to the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan stop), the National Zoo features
up-close visits with gorillas, pandas and dozens of other species
of wildlife.
Of course,
no visit to Washington DC would be complete without a trip to
the Smithsonian including a trip to the National
Museum of Natural History for eye-popping displays of dinosaurs
and mastadons, as well as the butterfly pavilion and - in the
Harry Winston Gallery - the world famous Hope Diamond!
Next stop,
the National
Air & Space Museum for famous airplanes and rockets, a
replica of the Hubble Telescope, fun simulator rides, the planetarium,
and an awesome IMAX movie theater.
For parents,
tween and teens, also don't miss a visit to the International
Spy Museum for a spooky look inside the world of secret agents
where visitors get to be a spy for a day, adopting the identity
of a spy for the tour, complete with dossier and polygraph tests.
More travel
information about Washington DC around the Web:
Along with
general guides, just up ahead check out more travel guides on
the nation's capital with a list of individual links for more
information on Washington DC's top
attractions.
Official
Tourism Site of Washington, DC -
Travel news & updates, what's on, online travel bookings, kids' fun pages,
maps, pictures & travel videos. Washington
DC City Pages - One-stop browsing for dozens of city attractions, events
& festivals including maps, tour operators, guides, and don't miss the virtual
tour of the National Mall. See
Washington, DC - Pictures, descriptions, Metro stops and opening hours
for all of the Washington D.C.'s historic & cultural attractions with related
links to official sites.
Washington
DC Major Tourist Attractions
Washington DC Summer Vacation Calendar:
also see in Holidays -> July
4th see in
Travel -> Cherry
Blossom Time
Goddard
Space Flight Center a Real Blast for Kids
Christmas
in Washington, DC | Moving
to Washington DC
|