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DK Washington DC
DK Washington DC
DK Washington DC
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DK Washington DC

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Washington, DC delights at every turn. Wherever you go, there is a marvel of architecture to be discovered, a scenic view to be savored, or a world-famous museum to be enjoyed. And that's not to mention the lush green spaces and secret sanctuaries waiting to welcome weary travelers after a long day of sightseeing.

Our updated guide brings Washington, DC to life, transporting you there like no other travel guide does with expert-led insights, trusted travel advice, detailed breakdowns of all the must-see sights, photographs on practically every page, and our hand-drawn illustrations which place you inside the city's iconic buildings and neighborhoods.

Whether you want to stroll beneath the cherry blossoms, visit the iconic domed Capitol, or tour the magnificent White House, DK Eyewitness Washington DC is your ticket to the trip of a lifetime.

Inside DK Eyewitness Washington, you will find:

- A fully-illustrated top experiences guide: our expert pick of Washington DC's must-sees and hidden gems
- Accessible itineraries to make the most out of each and every day
- Expert advice: honest recommendations for getting around safely, when to visit each sight, what to do before you visit, and how to save time and money
- Color-coded chapters to every part of Washington DC, from Capitol Hill to Penn Quarter, The Mall to Georgetown
- Practical tips: the best places to eat, drink, shop and stay in Washington DC
- Detailed maps to help you navigate the region easily and confidently
- Explore the culture of Washington DC: delve into Washington DC's iconic history, art, and architecture
- Covers: Capitol Hill, The Mall, Penn Quarter, White House and Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, South of the Mall, Northwest, Beyond the Center, and Days Out From Washington DC

Planning on touring the USA? Don't forget to check out DK Eyewitness USA for a complete comprehensive guide to the States, making the most of your trip and achieving the adventure of a lifetime.

About DK Eyewitness:

At DK Eyewitness, we believe in the power of discovery. We make it easy for you to explore your dream destinations. Filled with expert advice, striking photography and detailed illustrations, our highly visual DK Eyewitness guides will get you closer to your next adventure. We publish guides to more than 200 destinations, from pocket-sized city guides to comprehensive country guides. Named Top Guidebook Series at the 2020 Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards, we know that wherever you go next, your DK Eyewitness travel guides are the perfect companion.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherDK Travel
Release dateSep 26, 2023
ISBN9780744090871
DK Washington DC

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    Book preview

    DK Washington DC - DK Travel

    DK

    Washington, DC

    Inspire / Plan / Discover / Experience


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    DISCOVER WASHINGTON

    alt image

    t Bird’s-eye view of the Lincoln Memorial

    g Discover Washington g Contents

    Welcome to

    Washington, DC

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    t The Jefferson Memorial at the Tidal Basin.

    Museums filled with wonders. Galleries bursting with master­works. Lush, verdant parks and gardens. And everywhere famous views that every visitor knows by heart. This is a city in renaissance, a grand dream of marble and art, of substance and spectacle. Wherever you turn, there are iconic sights – the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the US Capitol, and much more. Whatever your dream trip to Washington, DC entails, this DK Eyewitness travel guide is the perfect companion.

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    Washington, DC is bursting with exciting neighborhoods that have been rebuilt and reborn. Over the past decade, the city has revitalized its waterfront, building gardens and bike paths along the Potomac River, and creating fabulous waterfront developments like District Wharf, the second largest one in the US.

    The heart of the city is the National Mall, ringed with grand museums and monuments. Science comes to life among the dinosaurs of the National Museum of Natural History, while space travel inspires the future at the National Air and Space Museum. The Northwest district is home to the magnificent Phillips Collection and the historic Howard University. Georgetown offers chic shopping and elegant rowhouses that were once inhabited by famous personalities such as the Kennedys. Capitol Hill and Penn Quarter offer fine dining and unique attrac­tions such as the National Archives and the US Botanic Garden. U Street, an epicen­ter of African American culture, has an unparalleled music and nightlife scene, while vibrant Adams Morgan has a thriving international and LGBTQ+ community.

    Washington, DC is a small gem, so packed with attractions that it can be hard to know where to start. We’ve broken the city down into easily navi­gable chapters, with detailed itineraries, expert local knowledge, and colorful, com­pre­hensive maps to help you plan the perfect visit. Whether you’re staying for a weekend or longer, this DK Eyewitness guide will ensure that you see the very best America’s capital has to offer. Enjoy the book, and enjoy Washington, DC.


    1 The Potomac in Mather Gorge, Great Falls.

    2 Statue of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s terrier at his memorial

    3 Aircraft at the National Air and Space Museum.

    g Discover Washington g Contents

    Reasons to Love

    Washington, DC

    It may be a compact city but Washington, DC delights at every turn. Any list of its treasures must include its famed museums, magnificent memorials, green spaces, and secret sanctuaries. Here are a few of our favorites.

    1The National Mall

    006_reasons_to_love_Eifel_Tower

    t Often called America’s front yard, the National Mall is an amazing collection of muse­ums, gar­dens, and beautiful memorials that are the cen­terpiece of America’s capital.

    Discover Reasons to Love Washington, DC

    2Amazing Architecture

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    t The city’s architects want you to know that this is an impor­tant city, and they do it with architectural eye candy, from the Neo-Classical Supreme Court to the Beaux Arts Union Station.

    Discover Reasons to Love Washington, DC

    3Tidal Basin

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    t An unexpected treat on the west end of the National Mall is this scenic pool, edged by a walking path that offers post­card views and shaded places to sit beneath the cherry trees.

    Discover Reasons to Love Washington, DC

    4National Gallery of Art

    006_reasons_to_love_Eifel_Tower

    t One of the world’s greatest collections, the gallery has works ranging from antiq­uities to pop art, including Multiverse, this striking light sculpture by Leo Villareal.

    Discover Reasons to Love Washington, DC

    5 United States Capitol

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    t This iconic building, which has been featured in many movies such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and Independence Day (1996), is a symbol of the nation’s strength.

    Discover Reasons to Love Washington, DC

    6 Lincoln Memorial

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    t As well as a memorial to the sixteenth US president, this statue is a touch­stone for the Civil Rights move­ment and a sym­bol of social justice. The upper steps offer the best view of the National Mall anywhere.

    Discover Reasons to Love Washington, DC

    7Cherry Blossoms

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    t Few things can compare to walking beneath cherry trees with clouds of delicate blossoms. Originally a gift from Japan, thou­sands of cherry trees now stand in the National Mall area. They bloom from late March to early April.

    Discover Reasons to Love Washington, DC

    8 The Riverfront

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    t The Potomac has become a symbol of the city’s renais­sance. Cycling and walking paths and lush parks line the river’s edge, and its waters teem with boaters.

    Discover Reasons to Love Washington, DC

    9 District Wharf

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    t This multibillion-dollar development offers riverfront dining, marinas, and shopping and concerts by the water. The Wharf jitney is the cheapest cruise in DC (it’s free!).

    Discover Reasons to Love Washington, DC

    10 Georgetown

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    t Cobblestoned Georgetown is DC’s most historic district. Relax on a sunny afternoon at the waterfront park, or people-watch along busy M Street.

    Discover Reasons to Love Washington, DC

    11 Visit the halls of power

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    t One of the great things about Washington, DC is that you can tour the very spaces where national legislation is made and policies are decided in the Capitol.

    Discover Reasons to Love Washington, DC

    12 Marvelous Museums

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    t Washington’s many museums are packed with spectacular exhibits, such as Musical Crossroads at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

    g Discover Washington g Contents

    Explore

    Washington, DC

    This guide divides Washington, DC into seven color-coded sightseeing areas, as shown on the map above. Find out more about each area on the following pages. For sights beyond the city center, and for day trips out of Washington, DC.

    n Double-tap image to read the labels

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

    Capitol Hill

    The Capitol may be the most iconic image of American democracy in the world. A tour of the building, with its ornate architecture, remarkable art­works, and world-shaping history, is a great place to start. An easy walk away lie the exquisite Union Station, the historic shops of Eastern Market, and block after block of elegant row houses.


    Best for Watching the governing of the United States

    Home to United States Capitol

    Experience A tour of the grand Capitol building and lunch at Eastern Market

    Go To: Capitol Hill i

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

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    t The grand Neo-Classical Capitol seen from the Supreme Court

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

    The national Mall

    The place everyone wants to see, but no one can see it all – there are 11 museums alone here. The National Mall is a glorious 2-mile- (3.5-km-) long swath of emerald lawn, dotted by park-like spaces and gardens. It is bordered on the eastern half by some of the world’s most famous museums and on the western half by grand memorials to the nation’s leaders and history.


    Best for Monuments and museums

    Home to National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Experience The view across the National Mall from the Lincoln Memorial

    Go To: The national Mall i

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

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    t The Washington Monument viewed from the Lincoln Memorial

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

    Penn Quarter

    Penn Quarter combines the corporate with the casual. Home to famous non­profits, lobbyist groups, and think tanks, this neighborhood, in the heart of the city, also offers fine restaurants, lesser-known memorials, and a handful of truly won­derful, if quirky, museums. The area is home to several food and wine festivals and a popular weekly farmers market outside the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM).


    Best for Fascinating, lesser-known museums

    Home to SAAM and National Portrait Gallery

    Experience The vast collection of American art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM)

    Go To: Penn Quarter i

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

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    t The 34-ft (10-m) Lincoln Book Tower at Ford’s Theatre

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

    White House and Foggy Bottom

    The grand centerpiece of this area is the Executive Mansion, also known as the White House. If you do not manage to get tickets for a tour, you can still enjoy the iconic views of the mansion from the north and south sides. Lafayette Square offers great people-watching and is surrounded by historic homes and buildings. Also in this area are the renowned Renwick Gallery, the Kennedy Center, and Black Lives Matter Plaza.


    Best for Strolling through Lafayette Park, enjoying the famous views of the White House and watching the ever-present protesters, bustling news crews, and throngs of tourists from around the world

    Home to The White House

    Experience Perusing the artifacts and multimedia displays in the White House Visitor Center

    Go To: White House and Foggy Bottom i

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

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    t The iconic south facade of the White House

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

    Georgetown

    Elegant and old-school, Georgetown is a hub of education, history, culture, and out­door activities all rolled into one. Its his­toric row houses have seen a who’s who of residents, from Thomas Jefferson to the Kennedys. Nature beckons in the stunning gardens of Dumbarton Oaks and along the lovely Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. This is also DC’s most established shopping and dining area.


    Best for Shopping, dining, enjoying the outdoors

    Home to Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Dumbarton Oaks

    Experience A paddle on the Potomac (rent a kayak at Thompson Boat Center), and shopping at the one-of-a-kind Sunday Georgetown Flea Market

    Go To: Georgetown i

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

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    t Vine-covered walls of the Orangery at Dumbarton Oaks

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

    South of the National Mall

    District Wharf (or locally just the Wharf) is a glittering mini-city. This is where the river lives. Four piers, two marinas, and two parks offer boat tours, live riverfront music, a thriving seafood market, water taxis, and lots of places to watch the river roll by.


    Best for Waterfront dining and strolling

    Home to United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

    Experience Fresh steamed seafood at Captain White’s, and a water taxi ride – a fun, cheap cruise

    Go To: South of the National Mall i

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

    portrait_image

    t The Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

    Northwest

    The western part of Northwest is full of 100-year-old mansions built by the wealthy; to the east, the culturally influ­ential African American neighborhoods of U Street and Shaw were once known as the Black Broadway. Today, this is one of the city’s most vibrant areas.


    Best for Great architecture, lively music and entertainment

    Home to Embassy Row

    Experience Renoir’s Afternoon of the Boating Party at the Phillips Collection, followed by dinner and a show at the Howard Theater

    Go To: Northwest i

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

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    t Art at the intimate Phillips Collection

    Discover Getting to Know Washington, DC

    Beyond the Center

    Just outside the popular tourist areas are a number of remarkable attrac­tions waiting to be explored. There is George Washington’s beloved home, Mount Vernon; the National Arlington Cemetery, the resting place of American soldiers; and a Gothic cathedral whose grotesques include Darth Vader. There are some won­der­ful parks and gardens

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