Local Tips for Visiting
Washington DC
Explore DC
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
The Netherlands Carillon stands next to the Iwo Jima Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery and offers one of the best views in the area.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
