Washington, DC: highlights

The city has a stately beauty, thanks to the first president, George Washington, who insisted that the fledgling country have a European-style capital, and hired French architect Pierre-Charles L'Enfant to plan the city.

Places to visit in Washington, DC

The Capitol

tel: 202-226-8000

www.visitthecapitol.gov

The Capitol, where the Senate and House of Representatives meet sits on Capitol Hill. Underneath a neoclassical white dome, the grand rotunda is adorned with frescoes and statuary. More statues join the ranks in the National Statuary Hall, where each state can submit two sculptures to the national collection. Touring the Capitol gets more exciting when the Senate and House are in session. Both chambers have galleries where visitors can watch legislation being debated. To tour the Capitol, you must have a timed pass, ordered online before your visit. Senate and House of Representative gallery passes must be requested separately. There can be long waits to get in through security. 

The Capitol's visitor centre is not immediately apparent because it's underground. Just behind the Capitol stands the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest court in America.

National Air and Space Museum

tel: 202-633-1000

www.nasm.si.edu

This museum is one of the biggest draws of the Smithsonian Institution. Its galleries soar with artifacts from the entire history of flights, from the Wright brothers' first aircraft to the Apollo 11 command module from the flight that put the first humans on the Moon. There are plenty of kid-friendly interactive exhibits, from flight simulators to wind tunnels.

Washington Monument

tel: 202-426-6841

www.nps.gov/wamo

If the Statue of Liberty represents the nation to the world, the Washington Monument symbolizes the nation to Americans. Construction of the 555ft (169m) white marble obelisk begun in 1848 but dragged on for decades. There's an elevator to the top, from where visitors enjoy a 360 view of the city. While entrance to the monument is free, tickets are timed. These often run out early in the day, so plan to stop by the ticket booth before 10am and then return at your allotted time.

Lincoln Memorial

tel: 202-426-6841

www.nps.gov/linc

A long reflecting pool leads to one of the country's most beloved monuments, the Lincoln Memorial. A giant marble sculpture of President Abraham Lincoln sits in a Grecian temple, its walls inscribed with Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address. On the steps, look for the "I have a dream" inscription, where Reverend Martin Luther King addressed 200,000 people during the famous 1963 Civil Rights demonstration.

The White House

tel: 202-456-7041

www.whitehouse.gov

The White House has been home to every American preisdent sicne 1797. It is now only open to the public on limited tours arranged through congressional representatives or embassies, but anyone is welcome at the Visitor Centre, where you can watch an informational film and explore six interpretive exhibits. The White House is a graceful, Palladian-style building that has been altered and renovated many times over the centuries - including an unwanted "alteration" when the British set it on fire in 1814. Luckily, a timely thunderstorm kept the walls from completely collapsing.