This expanse of green, which stretches due west from the Capitol to the Washington Monument, is lined on the north and south by some of America's finest museums, almost all of which are free. Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, some of Andy Warhol's soup cans, the Hope Diamond, Julia Child's kitchen, a tyrannosaurus rex, and myriad other modern and classical artifacts await you. Of course, the 300-foot-wide Mall is more than just a front yard for museums: it's a picnicking park and a running path, an outdoor stage for festivals and fireworks, and America's town green. During your visit here, you're equally likely to see residents playing soccer or softball, protestors wielding signs and banners, or children cavorting on the restored 1947 carousel. First one on gets to ride the dragon.