History

Washington, D.C. history and landmarks

Washington, D.C. history and landmarks: start with Library of Congress, Lincoln Memorial, and National Gallery of Art. Use the 158 places below to build a plan around this theme; each place has source-backed details behind its description.

158 places

Places to start with

Georgetown University Art Galleries

Source-backed place · Museums

Georgetown University Art Galleries

Explore contemporary art at Georgetown University Art Galleries, featuring rotating exhibitions by acclaimed artists and students…

Georgetown Visitation Monastery

Source-backed place · Religious sites

Georgetown Visitation Monastery

A serene sanctuary of faith and education, this 1799 monastery is the first Catholic girls' school and first Visitation Convent i…

Source-backed place · History

Greater Fourteenth Street Historic District

A premier Northwest Washington corridor blending late 19th-century commercial prosperity with modern nightlife, recognized on the…

Healy Hall

Source-backed place · History

Healy Hall

The iconic flagship building of Georgetown University, Healy Hall is a massive Neo-Romanesque and High Victorian Gothic masterpie…

Heurich House Museum

Source-backed place · Museums

Heurich House Museum

Known as the Brewmaster's Castle, this Gilded Age mansion is the best-preserved example of Richardsonian Romanesque residential a…

Source-backed place · Museums

House of Sweden

A stunning glass-and-wood architectural landmark in Georgetown, this building serves as the diplomatic home for Sweden, Iceland,…

House of the Temple

Source-backed place · Landmarks

House of the Temple

An imposing Masonic temple in Dupont Circle, modeled after the ancient Tomb of Mausolus, serving as the national headquarters for…

Industrial Bank

Source-backed place · History

Industrial Bank

The oldest and largest African American and family-owned community bank in the metropolitan Washington region, Industrial Bank is…

J. Edgar Hoover Building

Source-backed place · Landmarks

J. Edgar Hoover Building

The imposing headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, this concrete landmark on Pennsylvania Avenue serves as a cente…

Source-backed place · Museums

Katzen Arts Center / American University Museum

A modern hub for creativity at American University, featuring a 30,000-square-foot museum and sculpture garden showcasing contemp…

Source-backed place · Landmarks

Kogod Courtyard

A stunning, light-filled sanctuary within the National Portrait Gallery, featuring a wavy, floating glass canopy designed by Fost…

Kreeger Museum

Source-backed place · Museums

Kreeger Museum

A Modernist architectural gem designed by Philip Johnson, this nonprofit museum showcases a prestigious collection of 19th- and 2…

Source-backed place · History

Logan Circle Historic District

A stunning eight-block historic district in Northwest D.C. featuring 135 late-19th-century residences and a central 1.8-acre roun…

Source-backed place · Landmarks

Marine Barracks Washington

Established in 1801, this National Historic Landmark is the oldest post in the Marine Corps and serves as the official residence…

Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site

Source-backed place · History

Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site

A Victorian townhouse serving as a memorial to Mary McLeod Bethune and the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Wo…

Source-backed place · Religious sites

Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church

A cornerstone of spiritual and community life, the Metropolitan AME Church is the oldest continuously operating Black church in W…

Mexican Cultural Institute

Source-backed place · Museums

Mexican Cultural Institute

Housed in a spectacular 1910 mansion, this nonprofit center promotes Mexico-U.S. relations through free art exhibits, scholarly l…

Mount Vernon Square

Source-backed place · Landmarks

Mount Vernon Square

A historic city square in Northwest Washington, D.C., featuring the white marble Beaux-Arts Carnegie Library and a rich legacy of…

Mount Zion / Female Union Band Society Cemeteries

Source-backed place · History

Mount Zion / Female Union Band Society Cemeteries

A profound historic memorial park containing two of the oldest African American cemeteries in Washington, D.C., including a site…

National Law Enforcement Museum

Source-backed place · Museums

National Law Enforcement Museum

An immersive, mostly underground facility in Judiciary Square that explores 300 years of American law enforcement through 25,000…

Source-backed place · Museums

National Museum of American Diplomacy

Located at the U.S. Department of State headquarters, this unique institution is the first museum in the United States dedicated…

National Museum of American Jewish Military History

Source-backed place · Museums

National Museum of American Jewish Military History

Dedicated to the courage of Jewish Americans, this museum preserves military contributions from colonial days to the present thro…

Bookable Eventbrite

Source-backed place · Museums

National Postal Museum

Discover the epic journey of the mail at the National Postal Museum, a free Smithsonian institution featuring rare stamps and int…

National Union Building

Source-backed place · History

National Union Building

A restored 1890 Romanesque Revival landmark in Chinatown/Penn Quarter, this former insurance headquarters now serves as a seven-s…

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