Local Tips for Visiting
Washington DC

Explore DC

White House in the Snow

The White House

As both the home and office of the President of the United States, the White House is probably the most widely recognized building in Washington DC.

Tulips at the Floral Library in Washington DC

NPS Floral Library

The NPS Floral Library is a small garden patch planted by the National Park Service that features several varieties of tulips in the spring.

Sunrise at the Lincoln Memorial During the Equinox

Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is one of the grandest and most distinctive of Washington’s monuments. Anchoring the western end of the National Mall and framed by the Reflecting Pool, it’s an outsized tribute to an American president who played an outsized role in America’s history: Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Winter Mists Reflection

Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool does what it does best very well indeed, providing some great photographic opportunities for capturing reflections of the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument.

Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC

The Jefferson Memorial

Sitting on an island on the southern axis of the National Mall, the Jefferson Memorial is dedicated to one of the most famous and influential of the Founding Fathers.

Blue Crabs from the Chesapeake Bay

Maine Avenue Fish Market

The Maine Avenue Fish Market on Washington DC’s Southwest Waterfront is the oldest continually operating outdoor fish market in the United States.

National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC houses one of the finest collections of paintings and sculptures in the world. On permanent display are works by Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Raphael, Botticelli, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Goya, Manet, Monet, Rodin, Degas, and many, many more.

Cuban Friendship Urn in Washington DC

Cuban Friendship Urn

The Cuban Friendship Urn is not the most impressive landmark you’ll find in Washington DC, but it does have an interesting story behind it.

Exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art in Washington DC

National Museum of African Art

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, out the back of the Smithsonian Castle, showcases ancient and modern African art.

Netherlands Carillon in Arlington, Virginia, with Tulips

Netherlands Carillon

The Netherlands Carillon stands next to the Iwo Jima Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery and offers one of the best views in the area.

Apollo Theater Exhibit

Smithsonian National Museum of American History

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History, on the National Mall in Washington DC, is dedicated to all aspects of American history and culture.

World War Two Memorial fountains at night

National World War II Memorial

The National World War II Memorial sits at the opposite end of the Reflecting Pool from the Lincoln Memorial and not far from the Washington Monument.

Saucer Magnolias in bloom at the Enid A. Haupt Garden

How-to Guide | Saucer Magnolias at the Smithsonian Castle

I took this photo last spring during the very brief blooming of the tulip magnolias (or saucer magnolias) in Washington DC. They’re one of the spring’s first dramatic blooming varieties in the DC area, usually beating the more famous cherry blossoms by a couple of weeks.

MLK Memorial

Martin Luther King Jr National Memorial

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, in tribute to the celebrated Civil Rights leader, is now open on the banks of the Tidal Basin opposite the Jefferson Memorial.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center is an impressive and large addition to the museum’s exhibit space.

Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial with Red Tulips

Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial

The Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial, featuring a large, evocative aluminum sculpture of a cresting wave and seagulls in flight, sits on Columbia Island on the Arlington side of the Potomac.

Tiny Planet Photos of Washington DC

A series of tiny planet photos of Washington DC’s monuments and landmarks. These start as 360-degree spherical panoramas and ramp up the fish-eye.

Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington VA Silhouette

Iwo Jima Memorial

At the heart of the Iwo Jima Memorial (or the Marine Corps War Memorial) is a massive bronze statue based on an iconic World War II photo of the Marines planting the flag at Iwo Jima. The Memorial is next to Arlington National Cemetery on a hill overlooking the National Mall.

Washington Monument Reflected on the Tidal Basin Predawn

Washington Monument

For what is really just a big, stone tower you’d expect the Washington Monument to be a boring thing to take photos of. But this isn’t just any old tower and happens to be near some of the world’s great landmarks, making for a bunch of ways and vantage points to get some interesting shots.