Washington, DC
Since 1800, this is where the legislative branch of American government (ie Congress) has met to write the country's laws.
Must-see attractions in Mid-Atlantic States
Washington, DC
The legendary exhibits at the National Air and Space Museum include the Wright brothers' flyer, Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St…
Washington, DC
Two buildings. Hundreds of masterpieces. Infinite enjoyment. It's easy to spend a full day at the National Gallery of Art, which showcases a whole range…
Washington, DC
Anchoring the National Mall's west end is the hallowed shrine to Abraham Lincoln, who gazes across the Reflecting Pool beneath his neoclassical, Doric…
National Museum of African American History & Culture
Washington, DC
Located in Washington, DC, the sensational National Museum of African American History & Culture is devoted exclusively to the documentation of African…
Washington, DC
In a city of classic, white-marble monuments, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands out on the National Mall for its stark modernism. Designed by 21-year…
Baltimore
Housing a jaw-dropping collection of self-taught (or 'outsider' art), American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) is a celebration of unbridled creativity…
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Baltimore
Well worth the 7-mile drive north from the Inner Harbor, this grand 19th-century mansion provides a fascinating glimpse into upper-class Baltimore life of…
Washington, DC
Set on the south bank of the Tidal Basin amid the cherry trees, this memorial honors the third US president, political philosopher, drafter of the…
Baltimore
Standing seven stories high and capped by a glass pyramid, this is widely considered to be America's best aquarium, with almost 20,000 creatures from more…
Baltimore
Horror writer and poet, Edgar Allan Poe was buried (twice) on the grounds of Westminster Hall. His body was first deposited in an unmarked grave behind…
Virginia
Run by the NPS, this fascinating place is the original Jamestown site, established in 1607 and home of the first permanent English settlement in North…
Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine
Baltimore
On September 13 and 14, 1814, this star-shaped fort successfully repelled a British navy attack during the Battle of Baltimore. After a long night of…
Richmond
Richmond is a cultured city, and this splendid art museum is the cornerstone of the local arts scene. Highlights of its eclectic, world-class collection…
Washington, DC
The world's largest library – with 164 million books, manuscripts, maps, photos, films and other items – awes in both scope and design. The centerpiece is…
Washington, DC
It's hard not to feel a little in awe of the big three documents in the Archives: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights…
Virginia
Entered through Colonial Williamsburg's former public hospital, this complex is home to two equally splendid museums: the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts…
Reynolds Center for American Art & Portraiture
Washington, DC
The Reynolds Center is one of DC's finest museums. This Smithsonian venue combines the National Portrait Gallery and the American Art Museum into one…
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
West Virginia
Halloween is the busy season at this former mental hospital, when ghost tours of the massive facility will scare the living daylights out of you. The…
Virginia
One of the biggest, most comprehensive maritime museums in the world. The on-site USS Monitor Center houses parts of the Civil War–era Monitor, one of the…
Baltimore
The magnificent Chamber of Art & Wonders re-creates the library of an imagined 17th-century scholar, one with a taste for the exotic. The abutting Hall of…
Washington, DC
Want to take a trip around the world? Stroll northwest along Massachusetts Ave from Dupont Circle (the actual traffic circle) and you pass more than 40…
Richmond
Contains the world's largest collection of manuscripts and memorabilia of poet and horror-writer Edgar Allan Poe, who lived and worked in Richmond…
Richmond
Designed by Thomas Jefferson, the capitol building was completed in 1788 and houses the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere – the Virginia…
Virginia
Dating from 1726, this plantation on the James River was the birthplace and home of Benjamin Harrison V, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence,…
West Virginia
A striking rock formation rising 900ft above a fork of the Potomac River, Seneca Rocks is one of the most recognizable natural features in the state. Rock…
Virginia
A glorious setting for an eclectic collection of artifacts from ancient Egypt to the present day, including works by Henri Matisse, Albert Bierstadt,…
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Washington, DC
The country's first modern-art museum (opened in 1921) houses a small but exquisite collection of European and American works. Renoir’s Luncheon of the…
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Virginia
This influencer in the oyster world was established in 1899. It harvests more than 180,000 oysters each week, many of which are shipped to restaurants…
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Maryland
It's all about the experience at this striking museum where art, architecture and landscape merge, and comfortable contemplation is encouraged. The…
Maryland
In Southern Maryland, skinny Calvert County scratches at the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River. This is a gentle landscape ('user-friendly' as a local…
Washington, DC
The highest court in the USA occupies a pseudo-Greek temple protected by 13,000lb bronze doors. Arrive early to watch arguments (periodic Monday through…
Washington, DC
On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln here. Free timed-entry tickets provide access to the site, which has four parts: the…
Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site
Alexandria
Washington, DC’s best-preserved Civil War fort is surprisingly hidden away in a residential Alexandria neighborhood. But there it is, a vivid foray into…
National Museum of Natural History
Washington, DC
Arguably the most popular of the Smithsonian museums, so crowds are pretty much guaranteed. Wave to Henry, the elephant who guards the rotunda, then zip…
National Museum of American History
Washington, DC
Containing all kinds of artifacts of the American experience, this museum has as its centerpiece the flag that flew over Baltimore's Fort McHenry during…
Alexandria
This demure Federal-style row house holds a tragic story. At a time when Alexandria was the nation’s second-largest slave center (after New Orleans), a…
Washington, DC
DC's main rail hub, a 1907 beaux-arts beauty designed by Daniel Burnham, is an eye popper. The Grand Concourse is patterned after the Roman Baths of…
