1. Museums and Monuments. Of course, number 1 has to be Museums! Boy, do we have museums. And 99% of them are free. Can't beat that. Here's one list. Here's another. By one estimate, someone who lives to be 150 years old or so could, if they started at birth and visited one exhibit per second, visit every exhibit in the Smithsonian. Go for it!
   
   
2. Politics. We're full of it. Politics, that is. Where else is "National" news the stuff that ends up on the front page? All the stuff that's usually on the front page of the paper ends up in our "Metro" section, which nobody reads. Why bother? Nobody cares. The real power in Washington is the power created by people who elect a bunch of jokers who run the city like their own private Idaho. Well, anyway, if you want to see politics in action, the Senate and the House will probably be in session, barring some incident. So will the Supreme Court and the White House. For the moment, tours of the Pentagon aren't really going, but they may be by November. Who knows?
   
   
3. Theatre. The word conjures up images of New York. But who needs the crime, the crowds, the general ickiness of the city? You want Washington theatre, where the only person who didn't like it was Mrs. Lincoln. We are second only to New York in number of theatre seats, and ours are cheaper. Here's one list. Here's another list. We should note that you will not have time to go to theatres if you come in on Saturday and leave on Sunday, but who comes to Washington for two days??? Blah!
   
   
4. Food. We have a LOT of restaurants around DC. Think about it: Who lives in Washington? Diplomats. What do diplomats do at dinnertime? They eat! Duh. What do they eat? Well, probably Italian food, but in THEORY they'll want to eat food from their native country. Hey, sounds like an opportunity. Sure enough, entrepreneurs have teamed up with restauranteurs and formed places we like to call "palate opportunities." Come, sample our palate opportunities. Here's one restaurant search engine. Here's another restaurant search engine.
   
   
5. Drinks. When you're done eating, what do you do? Well, if these places have their way, you'll drink and dance till you fall down. Then you'll get up and drink (and dance, if you can) some more, until you pass out and die of alcohol poisoning. Please do not do this until after the wedding, as we wouldn't want your food to go to waste. Here's a bunch of bars and clubs for your drinking and dancing pleasure.
   
   
6. Music. This kind of works in with the theatre. Or the bars. But we have a LOT of venues for concerts, and people tend to take advantage of them. Of course, you'll be here in November, which means there's diddly available, but if there is anything going, you'll be able to find it on the omniscient Washington Post site.
   
   
7. Shopping. Yes, again, we're not New York. But here you will have space in your hotel room to actually hold some of your purchases. Here's a bunch of shopping links.
   
   
8. Sports. If, you know, you like that kind of thing. Try here.
   
   
9. The Turners. They live here. They know you're coming. Hmm.
   
   
10. The Zwibaks. They don't live here. But they still know you're coming. They know everything about you. You might as well give up.
    

Here, courtesy of YEO, is another list of places to go. This one's in alphabetical order.

Arlington National Cemetery - This cemetery commemorates the dead of WWI, WWII, Korean, Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars with endless rows of white headstones. A solitary soldier guards the cemetery, with changing of the guard every half hour. Visitors may walk or take a guided tour. Open daily from 8:00am -7:00pm, April - September. Open daily 8:00am - 5:00pm for the rest of the year. Admission is free and narrated tours are $3 for adults and $1.50 for children ages 3-11. 703-692-0931.

Bureau of Engraving and Printing (yes, that's "MoneyFactory.com"...scary...) - This U.S. governmental bureau designs, engraves and prints paper money, bonds, postage stamps and other items. The Visitor's Center contains exhibits of engraved cards and uncut sheets of money that may be purchased. Open Monday - Friday from 9:00am - 2:00pm and 4:00pm - 7:00pm June - August. Admission is free. 202-874-3187.

Capital Children's Museum - A hands-on learning center featuring exhibits on Mexico, Thailand, changing environments and communication. Reading, theater and crafts are featured activities. Open daily 10:00am - 5:00pm. Admission is $6 for adults and children. Children under the age of 3 are free. 202-543-8600.

Ford's Theatre - Abraham Lincoln was shot here by John Wilkes Booth on 14 April, 1865. The restored theater continues to stage performances year round. The theater's museum, located in the basement, includes 400 historic exhibits about the assassination. Presentations recounting Washington, DC during the Civil War are presented daily 9:00am - 5:00pm. Admission is free. 202-426-6924.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial - Built in 1942, the central room contains a heroic bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson by Rudolph Evans. Panels inscribed with passages of Jefferson's most significant writings surround the statue. Admission is free. 202-426-6841.

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - "I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for our victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit." — President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy's words resonate more strongly than ever as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts enters the 21st century. The Center, now in its 30th season, continues its efforts to fulfill his 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. Free tours of the Kennedy Center are given by the Friends of the Kennedy Center Monday - Friday from 10:00am - 5:00pm and Saturday 10:00am - 1:00pm. For tour information, call 202- 416-8340. For a list of current shows playing at the Kennedy Center, visit them online.

Korean War Veterans Memorial - Built in gratitude to those 1.5 million who served in Korea from 1950 - 1953. The memorial consists of seven-foot high statues of 19 soldiers, along with a 164-foot-long polished gray granite wall with military archive photographs of support forces. The memorial is in shades of black, gray and white. Located near the Lincoln Memorial. 202-619-7222.

Library of Congress - One of the largest national libraries of the world, the Library of Congress was founded in Washington in 1800. Originally housed in the Capitol, the library was moved to its permanent location in 1897 and now houses over 100 million items including books, manuscripts, maps, music, recordings and motion pictures. Public tours of the Library of Congress depart from the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building four times daily. Open Monday - Friday from 8:30am - 9:30pm and Saturday from 8:30am - 6:00pm. Admission is free. 202-707-5458.

Lincoln Memorial - The white marble memorial, designed by Henry Bacon, was built in 1922. A 19-foot seated statue of Lincoln is on display in the interior. The Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address are carved on the walls of the memorial. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech was given from the memorial steps during the 1963 March on Washington. Admission is free. 202-485-9875.

National Air and Space Museum - This museum features the history and development of air and space technology, and is one of the world's most popular museums. Visitors can touch moon rocks, walk through the Skylab space station or view IMAX films in the five-story screen theater. Open daily from 10:00am - 5:30pm. Admission varies with type of visit. 202-357-2700.

National Aquarium - Visit the oldest public aquarium in the United States, which offers a touch tank with hermit crabs and sea urchins. It displays more than 1,200 fish and other creatures. Shark feedings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:00pm. Piranha feedings are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 2:00pm. Open daily from 9:00am - 5:00pm. Admission is $2 for adults and $.75 for children ages 2 - 10. 202-482-2825.

National Archives - The National Archives preserves and displays federal government records, featuring the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and a copy of the 1297 Magna Carta. Open daily from 10:00am - 9:00pm from April - Labor Day. Guided tours are available daily at 10:15am and 1:15pm. Call 202-501-5205 for tour information. Admission is free. 202-501-5000.

National Gallery of Art - The gallery consists of two buildings containing the world's finest collections of western European art from the 13th century to present; and American art from Colonial to present. The West building offers Italian paintings and sculptures including the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Western Hemisphere. The more contemporary East building offers 20th century paintings by European and American artists. The gallery also holds 17 of the surviving 69 original wax sculptures by Edgar Degas. Open Monday - Saturday from 10:00am - 5:00pm and Sunday 11:00am - 6:00pm. Admission is free. 202-737-4215. SPECIAL NOTE! Only through 14 October, 2002, the National Gallery of Art is featuring the exhibit, The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt in the East building. Visitors may gain free entry on a first-come, first-served basis all day, every day, throughout the exhibition. Visitors may also order advance passes through 14 October. Advance passes will be timed on the half-hour, from 11:00am - 4:00pm, Monday - Saturday, and 12:00pm - 5:00pm on Sundays. The first public hour of each day will be reserved only for first-come, first-served visitors.

National Mall - This is one of the nation's oldest federal parks. Extending from the Capitol grounds to the Lincoln Memorial, the Mall continues to be the focal point of many events happening in Washington. The area between the United States' Capitol and the Washington Monument is popular for strolling, picnicking and museum visiting.

National Zoological Park - The National Zoo is noted for its giant pandas. The indoor and outdoor exhibits have thousands of animals. Other highlights include an invertebrate exhibit, a cheetah exhibit, a wetlands habitat and a replica of the Amazon rain forest. The zoo has more than three miles of trails covering 163 acres. Open daily 8:00am - 8:00pm from April to October. Tours available by appointment. Admission is free. 202-673-4955.

Pavilion at the Old Post Office - Built in 1899 as the country's postal headquarters, the renovated building now houses shops and restaurants. Take the glass elevator to the 315-foot clock tower, which houses 10 bells. Another elevator continues to the 12th floor observation deck, which has panoramic views of the city. Open daily from 7:00am - 9:30pm. Tower tours are available daily from 8:00am - 11:45pm. The tower is closed on Thursdays from 6:30pm - 10:00pm. Admission is free. 202-289-4224.

Smithsonian Institution - The Smithsonian Includes 16 museums and galleries and the National Zoo. Nine of the museums line the National Mall from 4th Street to 14th Street, NW. Administration is located in the Smithsonian Castle, along with The Smithsonian Information Center. Free guided tours available 9:00am - 5:30pm. 202-357-2700.

Supreme Court - The Supreme Court is the ultimate judiciary body to maintain the Constitution and law of the United States. Above the doors of the magnificent Corinthian marble structure are the words "Equal justice under law" and inside, the Court meets to make decisions upon matters that need to be resolved independently from the executive and legislature. A collection of portraits of previous Justices is kept on the ground floor and visitors may hear a lecture given in the Courtroom when the High Court is not in session. Open Monday - Friday from 9:00am - 4:30pm. Admission is free. 202-479-3000.

Union Station - Upon its completion in 1907, Union Station was the largest train station in the world. There are 126 stores and restaurants, a food court, a nine-screen cinema complex, an international money exchange, car rentals and an Amtrak ticket counter. 202-289-1908.

United States Botanic Garden - The park was created in 1932 and named for Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor of the historic fountain located at its center. The Park now serves as a home landscape demonstration garden and showcases innovative plant combinations in a variety of styles and design themes. The conservatory is open daily from 10:00am - 5:00pm. Admission is free. 202-225-8333.

United States Capitol - One of the nation's most familiar landmarks, the two wings contain the Senate and House chambers, which comprise the U.S. Congress. The central part of the building includes the Rotunda, Statuary Hall and the original Supreme Court and Senate chambers. Open daily from 9:00am - 4:30pm. Admission is free. 202-225-6827.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - This museum presents the history of the six million Jews and others who suffered and were killed by the Nazis from 1933-1945. It includes artifacts, photographs, films and oral histories. Open daily from 10:00am - 5:30pm. Last admission is at 3:30pm. Admission is free, but tickets are required. 202-488-0400.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial - The memorial's black granite walls are inscribed with the names of those who died serving in the Vietnam War. Names are listed chronologically by date of casualty, including those who are missing. A sculpture of three servicemen and one of three servicewomen stand near the walls. Near the Lincoln Memorial between the Reflecting Pool and Constitution Ave.

Washington Monument - The monument grounds extend from 14th to 17th Streets, and from Constitution to Independence Avenues. Fifty American flags surround the 555-foot structure. An elevator runs to the 500-foot observation room, which has a panoramic view. Open daily 8:00am - midnight from 1 April - Labor Day (the first Monday in September). Admission is free, but tickets are required. 202-619-7222.

¹: Er...that is, if you are staying here a LONG time. Long, long, LONG time. Don't stay that long. Go home. Your pets need you. Return

² Void where prohibited. Your mileage may vary. Details available on box or by calling 1-800-EAT-MY-SHORTS. Not available with any other offers. DON'T FORGET TO GET MILEAGE FOR THIS. Holiday Inn has a cool deal where you get 2.5 miles per dollar spent...take advantage of it! Might as well. It's free. Return

Home | Our Story | Out of Towners | Photo Gallery | The Honeymoon | Our Pets | The Registry | FAQ