Tourist Sites

While planning your trip to D.C., you will want to allow plenty of time for your group to enjoy the museums, memorials, and other sites Washington has to offer. Some of the most popular places and their website addresses are listed below.

The White House — www.whitehouse.gov/history/tours

White House tours are only open to school groups. Please call the info line or check the website for up-to-date information. 24-hour Visitors Office Info Line: (202) 456-7041.

The Capitol — www.aoc.gov

The Capitol is open for tours and tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Smithsonian Institution — www.si.edu

The Smithsonian Institution consists of a myriad of museums on and around the National Mall, including Air and Space, American History, Natural History, and many more. All Smithsonian museums, as well as the National Zoo (located further away from the mall near Woodley Park Metro station), have free admission.

National Memorials — www.nps.gov/nama

These include the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Roosevelt Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, and Korean War Memorial.

Washington National Cathedral — www.cathedral.org/cathedral

Group tours are offered by reservation, for a donation of $3 for adults and $1 for children.

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum — www.ushmm.org

Tickets to the Holocaust Museum are free, but groups must request them at least four weeks in advance either in writing or online.

Union Station — www.unionstationdc.com

Union Station has indoor shopping, a movie theater, and a huge food court, and is a fifteen-minute walk from the Washington Seminar Center.