DK Travel : Washington, D.C. : History & Culture

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US Navy Memorial

The fountains that surround this plaza contain recirculated water from all the seven seas. Flagstaffs suggest the rigging of a tall ship.
US Navy Memorial

The centerpiece of this delightful public space is a granite floor – a huge map of the world surrounded by fountains. A statue, dubbed “The Lone Sailor,” overlooks the expanse. A free film shows daily at noon.
Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial

This simple structure – a V-shaped black granite wall on which are carved the names of those who died in this divisive war – has moved millions of visitors. The memorial, built in 1982, is the work of Maya Lin, at the time a 21-year-old architecture student at Yale.
Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial

This stark remembrance features a black polished wall on which are carved the names of those who died during the Vietnam War. Controversial when it opened, because of its minimalism and because it failed to glorify the war, the memorial has become one of the world’s most popular. Its creator, Maya Lin, was a 21-year-old Chinese-American student when she completed the design. More traditional statues were added in 1984.
Walter E. Washington

Mayor of Washington from 1974–8, the first elected mayor in the city for over 100 years.
War of 1812

The United States declared war on Britain in 1812, seeking freedom of marine trade and the security of US seamen. In 1814 British troops entered the capital and burned government buildings, including the White House and the Capitol. If it had not rained, the whole city might have burned.
Washington Monument

This spire is the dominant feature on the city skyline, 555 ft (170 m) high and gleaming in its marble cladding. One of the tallest freestanding masonry constructions in the world, built between 1848 and 1884, it offers stunning views from the observation platform.
Washington Monument

The plain Egyptian design of this radiant spire was largely the result of congressional cost-cutting, but now it seems an inspired choice. At 555 ft (165 m), the monument, built to honor the first president of the United States, towers over everything in the neighborhood. The view from the observation platform at the top, reached by a 72-second elevator ride, is unforgettable. The new elevator on the descending trip allows visitors see some of the many commemorative stones that have been laid in the masonry walls.
Watergate

In 1972, President Nixon’s re-election workers broke into the Democrats’ Watergate offices planning to gather campaign information. Their arrest, and the effort to contain the scandal, forced Nixon to resign in 1974.
Watergate and Washington Post Newsroom

The Watergate complex became the most infamous apartment and office complex in the world when a bungled burglary there, as part of an espionage campaign against President Nixon’s opponents, led to his resignation (see Watergate). The newspaper that played the main role in revealing the scandal, the Washington Post , offers tours to groups on Mondays (write to request a tour two weeks in advance).