Washington D.C. Things to Do Tips by Ewingjr98 Top 5 Page for this destination

Future President Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial

Plans are under way for the Eisenhower Memorial to be located behind the Air and Space Museum just a block off the National Mall. The present space is surrounded by the FAA, the Air and Space Museum, the Cohen Health and Human Services Building, and the Department of Education. Presently the piece of land forms the path of Maryland Avenue SE where it intersects with Independence Avenue and it has a few small triangular plazas of little consequence or use. The architect for this monument is Frank O. Gehry, considered one of the world's leading architects. The commission responsible for design and development of the Eisenhower Memorial includes David Eisenhower, grandson of the President, and Rocco C. Siciliano, a WWII Bronze Star recipient and aide to President Eisenhower. The project is expected to cost 90 to 120 million dollars and will take five years to complete.

Eisenhower is most famous for his World War II role where he oversaw the US forces in the invasions of North Africa and Italy and, after being named Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, he was instrumental in the Normandy landings and eventual defeat of Germany. He was president for two full terms, serving from 1953 to 1961. While in office, he created the interstate highway system, oversaw the Korean War ceasefire, created the Federal Aviation Administration, pushed the US into space after the Soviet launch of Sputnik, and expanded Social Security. Eisenhower was the last president born in the 19th Century and the last World War I veteran to serve as President.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum U.S. Holocaust Museum Review

I never heard of the US Holocaust, so I was a bit confused about this museum that memorializes the US Holocaust. Turns out this museum in the US is about the German holocaust. Does Germany have a museum dedicated to American slavery? Maybe they could call it the German Slavery Museum. Have you ever visited the US Slavery Museum or the American Indian Atrocities Museum on the National Mall in DC? Funny how we focus so much attention on other nations' tragic histories while ignoring our own.

Anyway, this great museum is located along the National Mall near the Washington Monument and the Tidal Basin. It opened in 1993, and I visited about a year later.

The museum's main feature is the Permanent Exhibition that has chronological displays of the history of the holocaust in Europe under Nazi Germany. This area also includes the "Tower of Faces," which shows daily life in a Lithuanian town before the residents were executed. The last big element of the museum is the memorial Hall of Rememberance

Address: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW

Directions: Metro Stop: Smithsonian The museum is 1 block from the station. Between Raoul Wallenberg Place and 14th Street SW

Phone: (202) 488-0400

Website: http://www.ushmm.org

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Kennedy Center Review

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1971 and is located on the Potomac River right beside the Watergate complex. The building is a huge, white, rectangular block building standing 100 feet tall, 300 feet wide, and 630 feet long. The main entrance leads to a stunning grand foyer that runs the entire 630 foot length of the building overlooking the Potomac. Inside are three main performance venues: the Eisenhower Theater, the concert hall, and the opera house, separated by the Hall of States and the Hall of Nations. Combined seating capacity in the three theaters is about 5,600 people. There are also five smaller venues, each holding less than 500 spectators, including the Family Theater, the Terrace Theater, and the Millennium Stages.

The National Mall and Memorial Parks The National Mall Review

The National Mall is the large, grassy, open area between the Capitol Building and the Lincoln Memorial. This area include many of Washington DC's most famous attractions including the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, many of the largest Smithsonian Institution museums, the US Capitol building, the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial and the United States Botanic Garden. New additions to the Mall that are under development include the National Museum of African American History and Culture as well as the Martin L. King Monument.

The idea for the national mall was proposed in L'Enfant's original plan for the city, but it underwent many changes before reaching its current design. Leading up to the 1900s the mall housed the city's main train station, and later it had barracks for soldiers defending the city. In 1901 the Mall underwent its largest changes with tons of fill used to extend the mall to the Lincoln Memorial and to created the Tidal Basin.

The mall is the site of numerous famous events in American history such as Martin L. King's "I have a dream" speech and Presidential inaugurations. Every day you will see thousands of joggers, and people playing baseball, rugby, soccer, and kickball on fields around the edges of the mall.

Address: Downtown Washington D.C.

Directions: Metro Stop: Smithsonian

Phone: Smithsonian metro stop

The National Zoo S.I. National Zoo Review

My first visit to the National Zoo after dozens of trips to DC and even four months living in the area. We cut our visit short due to lack of time, so we only saw about a third of the park, but I already have plans to come back in a month! During this shortened visit we started with the cheetahs, one was sitting in her cave eying us while three others paced restlessly. Then we moved on to the Pandas, both your giant variety and the small red pandas that seem more like raccoons. After that we spend a good deal of time in the bird area, until we realized the majestic birds of prey were located in a different part of the zoo. Our second last stop was the under-construction elephant and hippo area, and we ended this visit at the great ape enclosure which featured a month-old baby gorilla, as well as several orangutans.

Officially known as the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, this zoo was founded in 1889.

Entrance is free, and it attracts about two million visitors a year.

Click here http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/15861/b9776/ to see many more photo I took at the zoo... and more to come!

Address: 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW

Directions: Metro Stops: Woodley Park/Zoo/Adams-Morgan/Cleveland Park

Website: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/

The Pentagon & the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial The Pentagon Review

The Pentagon is the hub of the US Military and home to key offices such as the Secretary of Defense, the Secretaries of each branch of the armed forces, and the generals who run each branch. Beyond these important personnel, about 25,000 others work here everyday, traversing its 17.5 miles of efficient corridors. The Pentagon was opened in 1943.

Throughout the building, there are many themed halls, exhibits, and monuments such as the Air Force Aircraft Display, Hall of Heroes, Native Americans in Defense, POW/MIA Corridor, and numerous others. One of the newest memorials is the America's Heroes Memorial, a shrine and chapel dedicated to those who died in the 11 September 2001 attacks on the Pentagon. The memorial located on the ground floor at the point of impact.

The Pentagon Memorial is dedicated to the 184 people killed in the Pentagon and on American Airlines Flight 77 in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The memorial grounds cover about two acres and contain 184 benches, one for each victim, arranged in order of the year of birth of each individual. The benches are individually suspended over a small pool of water, and each contains one individual victim's name, and if military the rank and branch of service. The benches pointing away from the Pentagon represent those who died inside the building, while the benches facing inward toward the Pentagon are for those who died aboard the aircraft.

100,000 visitors tour the Pentagon each year.

Address: 700 Army-Navy Drive

Directions: Metro Stop: Pentagon, Pentagon City (part of Arlington).

Phone: (703) 695-2295

Website: http://www.dtic.mil/ref/html/Welcome/tours.html

Washington D.C. Mormon Temple

The Washington DC Mormon Temple sits on 52 acres in Maryland, just off the DC Beltway (I-495). This temple was established in 1974 and was the 16th Mormon temple in the galaxy and the 12th in the US. The temple's easternmost of the six towers stands 288, the tallest tower at any Mormon temple. This temple was also the first constructed east of the Mississippi in the US. Atop the tallest tower stands a statue of a Mormon angel named Moroni who is blowing a huge golden horn.

As of late 2008 there are 128 Mormon Temples throughout the world, with more being constructed.

Address: 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington, Maryland

Phone: 301-588-0650

Website: http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/washington/

General Ulysses S. Grant Memorial - National Mall

President Lincoln was the architect of maintaining the Union in the Civil War, but General Grant was his most successful battlefield commander and strategist.

In the general's honor, a large equestrain monument was erected in a prominent position on the National Mall in front of the Capitol Building. This design was selected in 1902, but the original site in front of the White House was rejected for the present location in 1906. The sculpture is of Grant, astride his horse Cincinnati, and flanked by an artillery group and a cavalry group on a 252 foot long platform next to a large reflecting pool. The top of the sculpture of Grant stands 65 feet tall, and the overall depiction includes 11 people and 12 horses. This is considered the largest equestrian statue in the US and the second largest in the world. The sculptor was Henry Merwin Shrady, whose father was Grant's physician just prior to his death, and the memorial was dedicated on the 100th anniversary of Grant's birth (April 22nd, 1922).

Grant was most successful as the commander of the Federal Armies in the American Civil War, but he also served two terms as President of the United States. Grant was born near Cincinnati, Ohio and attended the US Military Academy at West Point. He later served in the Mexican-American War under War of 1812 hero Winfield Scott. In the Civil War Grant won two of the first northern victories of the Civil War, orchestrated a resounding victory at Vicksburg, created a huge victory at Chattanooga, then led a war of attrition that eventually forced the often victorious Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox, all but the the end of the war. As the youngest person yet elected president, Grant helped rebuild the south, reign in the KKK, and establish civil rights for former slaves. President Grant also created Yellowstone as the first national park and signed the law that established Christmas as a national holiday in 1870.

Historians have compared Grant's military successes to those of Napoleon. Grant was able to maneuver his forces to decisive victories in some situations, while at other times he would order direct assaults to force large enemy losses that would ultimately lead to Union victory.

Arlington National Cemetery & Arlington House Arlington National Cemetery - House Review

Arlington National Cemetery has been a proud burial place of our nations heroes since 1864, late in the Civil War. There are countless soldiers, sailors and airmen buried alongside 2 Presidents, 3 Supreme Court Chief Justices, 16 Astronauts, 55 foreign nationals and 372 Medal of Honor Recipients.

According to a National Park Service handout, Arlington House was built by George Washington Park Custis from 1802 to 1818 as a museum for his step-grandfather, George Washington. Custis married Molly Lee Fitzhugh in 1804, and their only daughter eventually married Robert E. Lee. Lee lived here much of his life and considered this his home, but when the Civil War started, he left never to return. Throughout the Civil War, Union troops occupied the estate, and in 1864 it was confiscated by the government for the owner's failure to pay taxes.

In 1882 Custis Lee won a lawsuit against the government over the property, and was awarded $150,000...a hefty sum of money in those days, but not nearly covering the loss. Finally, in 1925 the mansion was proclaimed as a memorial for Robert E. Lee in recognition of his efforts to reunite the people of the country after the war. The official name of the memorial is "Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial."

A tour of the house begins at the pillared front portico with its amazing view of the cemetery and the city. As you walk through the house, you will see the family parlor, the dining room, and the "white parlor." Up the stairs and you'll see the bedrooms, including Col Lee's chamber. Back downstairs and you'll pass through the white parlor, the morning room parlor, the store room where rosewater was kept, the conservatory for gardening, and finally the office where the Lee's managed their estate. Out around the back of the house you'll reenter the north wing pantry where slaves prepared food, a bath and water closet, the school and sewing room, Mr. and Mrs. Custis' chamber, and the guest chamber. In the basement you can see the winter kitchen and the wine cellar. Also located nearby are two slave quarters.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), WWII hero and President of the United States, is buried in Arlington National Cemetery just below Arlington House. This is probably the most visited part of the cemetery as it is just a quick 10 minute walk from the parking garage and visitors center. From JFK's grave, there is a spectacular view of the city across the Potomac. With JFK are the graves of his wife and two children. Beside the JFK grave site is a solitary white cross marking the grave of his brother Robert F. Kennedy (January 3, 1965 – June 6, 1968). Both graves are located just below the Custis-Lee Mansion known as Arlington House.

The Tomb of the Unknowns is another very popular site in Arlington National Cemetery. The tomb was established in 1921, and is now the final resting place for unknown soldiers from WWI, WWII, and Korea. In the 1930s, the block of granite that marks the tomb was placed to mark the grave site. Many people just sit and watch the Tomb sentry from the 3rd US Infantry Honor Guard march smartly back and forth. These guards are here 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, no matter what the weather. What better way to honor America's heroes.

Address: Arlington, VA.

Directions: Metro Stop: Arlington, the cemetary is in walking distance. Across the Potomac from the Lincoln Memorial.

Phone: (703) 607-8000

Website: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org

East Potomac Park and Hains Point East Potomac Park Review

East Potomac Park is a national park located just south of the Jefferson Memorial. It is home to the East Potomac Golf Course, a mini-golf course, the East Potomac Tennis Center, and the national park police headquarters.

Hains Point is a flat peninsula of land between the Potomac River and the mouth of the Anacostia River at the tip of East Potomac Park. This area is very popular with walkers, joggers, and bicyclists who crowd the area on weekends. In fact, it is so bad, the two-lane Ohio Drive becomes one lane as you have to straddle the middle line to avoid the groups of people who hog both sides of the road. The area has a big picnic area, sports fields, and lots of parking. From this area you can see Fort McNair, Anacostia Naval Station, and Bolling AFB to the east as well as Crystal City and Reagan National Airport to the west.

The park is comprised of 700 acres that was created with 12 million tons of sediment dredged from the river. The park was designed by and named after Major General Peter Hains, who is known as the only officer to serve in both the Civil War and World War I. He fought at Bull Run and Vicksburg.