Union Station
50 Massachusetts Avenue NE
(202) 371-9441
Dazzling visitors with its granite walls, marble floors, 96
foot-high gold-leafed ceiling, and bronze grilles, Union
Station endures as a classical landmark. As a restored
beaux-arts train station, Union Station has been divided up
into a series of levels and mezzanines that house 130 shops,
restaurants and a movie theater complex.
National Gallery of Art
Constitution Ave, NW
Washington
Phone: (202) 737-4215
Cost: Free
Hours: Mon.-Sat 10:00 am - 5:00pm, Sun 11:00 am - 6:00 pm;
Closed December 25, January 1
Floors of green and gray marble, columns of Tuscan, walls of
Italian limestone and Italian travertine all make up the
West Building of the National Gallery of Art. Designed by
John Russel Pope, it contains Western European and American
art, spanning between the periods of 13th and 20th century.
Highlights include Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci,
the only da Vinci painting in the Western hemisphere,
collection of Italian paintings and sculptures, French
Impressionist, and special exhibitions. Literally thousands
of breathtaking canvases and sculptures are housed in this
original building. The East building, designed by I.M. Pei,
exhibits twentieth -century art within its angular
architecture. Designed as a group of triangles, the East
Building showcases free films, lectures, and concerts. One
of the world's top ten art museums.
Arlington National Cemetery
Virginia side of the Memorial Bridge, Arlington
Cost: Free
Once the estate of Robert E. Lee, the beautiful landscape
that now comprises Arlington National Cemetery is a
testament to the service rendered to our nation by its
citizens.
National Air and Space Museum
Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW
(202) 357-2700
As a member of the Smithsonian complex, it houses a wide
assortment of aerodynamic treasures. The museum exhibits the
history of aviation and the space age; presenting the
history of flight from the earliest yearning and attempts to
fly, to World War II rockets, to modern space probes. The
politics, physics, and art linked to man's dream of flying
are explored within the 23 additional galleries. This museum
presents visitors with the hands-on opportunities to design
aircrafts, and inspect a model of Skylab. For a cosmic
experience visit the Albert Einstein's Planetarium located
within the museum. Projected onto a towering five-story high
screen the Langley Theater features Imax films on air and
space travel. Visiting the Langley Theater means gliding
through the sky on everything from a hot air balloon to a
fighter jet.
National Museum of Natural History
10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington
Phone: (202) 357-2700
Cost: Free
Hours: Daily 10:00 am- 5:30 pm; Closed December 25
Get into the spirit of exploration, and take a tour of 575
million years of history! The National Museum of Natural
History encompasses everything from dinosaurs, diamonds and
dioramas; this massive museum is filled with 118 million
items. Exhibits cover the entire spectrum of the life
sciences, minerals, botanicals, and zoological and
geological materials. The Dinosaur Hall, exhibits on the
evolution of human fossils, live Insect Zoo, bird displays,
plants, rocks, and gems. The Sea Life Hall contains live
marine life, plus a living coral reef. The Discovery Room is
a big hit with children, of every age, with its hands-on
activities and exhibits. Children can explore everything
from the texture of an elephant tusk to an arrowhead. Plus,
the Natural History Museum's costume room allows children to
try on costumes from around the world. On your visit,
remebber to also check out the Johnson IMAX 2D/3D Theater.
National Museum of American History
14th Street and Constitution Avenue
Phone: (202) 357-2700
Cost: Free
Hours: Daily 10:00 am - 5:30 pm
For the enjoyment of children, the Museum of American
History presents the Hands On History Room, Hands On Science
Center, Lemelson Center, and the ABC's of American History.
In the Hands On History Room, history is placed directly in
the hands of children. At this exhibit they will be able to
participate in activities such as sending a message by
telegraph, and riding on a highwheel bicycle. Children can
unravel some of the mysteries of science in the Hands On
Scioence Center. It is here where young "Experimenters" can
examine DNA, measure distances with a laser, discover the
chemical propertioes of common houshold items, measure
radioactive hotspots, explore magnetisism, and much more.
The Lemelson Center develops programs targeted to expand the
study and exploration of invention and innovation among
children. The museum fills its rooms with the affluence of
American history; Ranging from George Washington's false
teeth to the Star-Spangled Banner, this museum showcaes
cultural and technological developments of the US. The
machine exhibit, located on the ground floor, showcases such
objects as railroad locomotives to atom smashers. In
contrast the second floor displays people in their
home-life, relationships, and community life. As a whole the
museum's various floors and galleries, depicts all aspects
of the American history.
Entertainment and the Arts
Ford’s Theatre
511 Tenth Street NW
Washington, DC
20004-1402
202-347-4833
Hours: Call for
performance schedule
Ford's Theatre is a live,
working theatre located in downtown Washington, DC. As a
national historic and cultural site welcoming visitors from
across the nation, Ford's Theatre blends its rich history
with performance excellence in serving as a living tribute
to President Lincoln's love of the performing arts.
Shakespeare Theatre
450 Seventh St.,
NW
Washington, DC 20004-2207
202-547-1122
Hours: Call for performance
schedule
The theatre endeavors to
strengthen the tradition of classic theatre in America
through productions that reflect its current world.
Studio Theatre
1333 P St., NW
Washington, DC 20004-2207
202-332-3300
Hours: Call for performance
schedule
The mission of The Studio
Theatre is to produce the best in contemporary theatre and
through its Secondstage and Acting Conservatory, to offer
rigorous training and provide opportunities for emerging
artists. The commitment to artistic excellence serves the
diverse communities of the Nation's capital.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre
Company
DCJCC, 1529 16th
St., NW
Washington, DC 20004
202-393-3939
Hours: Call for performance
schedule
The mission of the theater
is to
ignite an explosive engagement between theatre artists and
the community by developing, producing and promoting new
plays that explore the edges of theatrical style and human
experience, and by implementing new ways to use the artistry
of theatre to serve the people of Greater Washington, DC.
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20566
800-444-1324
Hours: Call for performance schedule
The Center continues its
efforts to fulfill President Kennedy's vision by producing
and presenting an unmatched variety of theater and musicals,
dance and ballet, orchestral, chamber, jazz, popular, and
folk music, and multi-media performances for all ages. Every
year the institution that bears President Kennedy's name
brings his dream to fruition, touching the lives of millions
of people through thousands of
performances by the greatest artists from across
America and around the world.
Dance
The Washington Ballet
Held at a host of venues in
and around Washington DC
202-362-3606
Hours: Call for performance
schedule and locations
Founded in 1976 by the
great American ballet pioneer Mary Day, the Washington
Ballet is an ensemble of powerfully athletic classical
ballet dancers performing a repertory of new work and
creativity. Considered one of the country's finest ballet
companies, The Washington Ballet is recognized nationally
and internationally for its high standards, artistic
integrity, and unwavering commitment to presenting the very
best in ballet.
Opera
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Opera House
202-467-4600
Hours: Call for performance
schedule
Washington National Opera continues to move confidently
forward on a great adventure that began when the company was
founded in 1956. Four and a half decades and countless
artistic leaps later, the Opera has achieved the stature of
a world class company and plays to standing-room-only
audiences at the Kennedy Center Opera House.
Washington National
Cathedral
Wisconsin and
Massachusetts Aves., N
Washington DC 20004;
202-364-6616
Hours: Call for performance
Schedule
Symphony
The National Symphony
Orchestra
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20566
800-444-1324
Hours: Call for performance schedule
The symphony performs 175 concerts each year in, comprised
of a variety of styles.
Sports
Washington Redskins
Professional Football
Games played at the
FedEx Field
1600 FedEx Way
Landover, MD 20785
301-276-6248
Season runs August –
January
Call for schedule of games
and ticket information
Washington Wizards
Professional Basketball
Games played at MCI Center
601 F Street N.W.
Washington D.C 20004
202-661-5100
Season runs April – October
Call for schedule of games
and ticket information
