Upper Northwest

Great Experiences in Upper Northwest

House museums: The Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens showcases cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post's collection of Imperial Russian art and Fabergé eggs, and 12 gorgeous acres of formal French and Japanese gardens. Chagalls, Picassos, and Monets inside contrast with the architecture at the modernist Kreeger Museum.

National Zoo: Visit the giant pandas, elephants, lions, and other members of the animal kingdom while you enjoy a stroll outdoors.

Shopping in Friendship Heights: The city's most glamorous shopping lines Wisconsin Avenue at the Maryland border. Want to actually buy something? Plenty of stores cater to shoppers on a budget, too.

U.S. Naval Observatory: View the heavens through one of the world's most powerful telescopes.

Washington National Cathedral: Look for the Darth Vader gargoyle on the soaring towers of this cathedral, then relax among the rosebushes in the Bishop's Garden. Concerts are held here, too.