One afternoon in D.C. - where would you go?
 

Hi,

I am going on a tour just after Easter. Will be staying near Philly, but one of the day's we will go to Washington D.C. I know that we will have a city tour in the morning, but then the afternoon is our's to do as we like. Only problem is there is so much to do, not sure what I should choose! I'm thinking the Smithsonian, but has anyone any better idea's?

I would love to hear from you.
Laura

You don't say how long you will have... but if you only have a few hours you will need to narrow it down to one Smithsonian Museum. There are so many to choose from... read about each and select the one that best fits your interests.

Oops, forgot the url:
http://www.washington.org/ExistingWC...%20Institution

I'm not sure how long we will have. I'm supposing about 3 hours.

Thanks, Laura

If you could give us a clue to ages, sex, numbers, we might be able to narrow down some options. Do you like art? shopping? history?

How about Georgetown? I had about the same amount of time there a few years back while at a conference and I wandered around Georgetown and really enjoyed it. The National Cathedral isn't too far either so perhaps both?

Another vote for one of the Smithsonian museums (I like the American history museum)!

Have fun!

Georgetown is great, it is a beautiful neighborhood with good shops and restaurants, but if you really want to see the famous stuff in DC hit the Smithsonian Mall. There is something for everyone there.

Even just a walk outside in "the mall" seeing the buildings & monuments and such will be fine.

Otherwise - pick your preference of ONE Smithsonian.

American History, Natural History, or Air & Space would be my choices.

Another thought if you want to learn & be moved to tears is the Holocaust Museum. (some parts not suitable for children)

None of these will have sufficient time to see the entire display in just 3 hours.

I would definitely pick the mall. Select one museum and make sure you walk on the actual mall so you can see the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial on each end. *That* is DC.

I agree, pick one memorial and one Smithsonian. Their official url is www.si.edu.

For me, it would depend on the weather and your physical condition. If it's a nice day and you're a walker, I'd walk to all the monuments, from Washington to the WWI to Vietnam, Lincoln, Korea, FDR and Jefferson. But you may have already visited some of those on your morning tour. If the weather's not so great or you don't want to walk quite so much, pick one or two of the Smithsonian museums that appeal to you.

I agree with the suggestion to amble the mall (stopping in one of the Smithsonian museums as time allows). An often overlooked view of the mall is what you see as you exit the subway at the Smithsonion station. Get on Metro where your tour ends and go to Smithsonion station. As you approach ground level on the escalator, you begin to see sky and nature. I am always overwhelmed when I reach the top, take a few steps and look in front of me and behind me. It's like a scene from a movie.

Since you're doing a city tour anyway, why not just pick one of the sites that intrigued you and go back? So many of them rush the group in & out so fast you can't really enjoy the attractions.

I'd stay close to or within the mall area with such limited time.

Hi Laura. It sounds like you will be here right around the time the Cherry Blossoms will be in bloom (peak time is predicted to be April 4-9). It can be very crowded, but on a nice day it's lovely to walk around the tidal basin and take in the various monuments, starting with Jefferson and ending with Lincoln.

The Smithsonian museums are great. My personal favorite is the National Gallery of Art which will be hosting a much anticipated Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit in the East Building starting this weekend. So if you're interested in art, this would be good option for you while you're here. But bear in mind that this will be a popular exhibit, and lines can be very long.

The suggestion of Georgetown is good, especially if you're tired of touring around and just want to do some shopping or get a bite to eat.

Good luck and hope you enjoy your visit.

National Cemetery at Arlington or the Iwo Jima Marine's Memorial.
Friday PM at the Marine's headquarters.
National Portrait Gallery.
All above recs are VG.
M (GeorgetownU - M 71)

In that time my wife did the Smithsonian--gift shop. LOL

I have to agree with many of the rest. The Mall is the place to be. If I had to pick one favorite sight in all of Washington, it would be the Lincoln Memorial, but you can see the whole Mall in an afternoon. If I had to choose one museum, I would go with the American History Museum. If with kids, I would choose either Air and Space or Natural History.

Wow, thanks for so much great advice. I guess it will depend alot on the weather, but the Mall sounds pretty good.

Laura