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

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First Division Monument

A shining tribute to the First Infantry Division of World War I.
Folger Shakespeare Library and Theater

The Folger has the world’s largest library of printed editions of Shakespeare’s works, and fascinating displays give viewers an insight into Shakespeare and his times. There is also a huge supporting collection of Renaissance works in other fields, as well as playbills, musical instruments, and costumes. The elegant Neo-Classical building, a 1929 design by Paul Philippe Cret, is on the National Register of Historic Places (see Shakespeare Theatre).
Ford’s Theater

The theater where Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865 (see March on Washington), has been restored by the federal government and is now a memorial to the president and his love of theater and music.
Ford’s Theater

John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln in a balcony box here on April 14, 1865 – a tragic event that has made Ford’s Theater one of America’s best-known historical sites. A museum contains Booth’s .44 caliber Derringer pistol and other objects and information giving insights into Lincoln and the assassination plot. The restored building also houses theater productions. Directly across 10th Street is Petersen House, where Lincoln died after being carried from the theater.
Foundation of the Federal City

The US Constitution, ratified in 1788, provided for “a District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of Particular States..., become the Seat of the Government of the United States.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Roosevelt’s (1933–45) efforts to overcome the Great Depression never succeeded in the broadest sense, but they inculcated the federal government with a respect for the rights and needs of the common man and the poorest of the poor. He led valiantly during World War II.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial

This popular memorial has four outdoor rooms, representing Roosevelt’s four terms as president. Each is a composition of statues, water, plants, and engraved quotations of the president. The memorial has provided a focus for activists for disabled citizens – Roosevelt was partially paralyzed by polio.
Frederick Douglass Museum

Another site associated with the statesman and abolitionist, this was Douglass’s home for nearly 10 years from the mid-1870s. Artifacts associated with Douglass are displayed here.
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum

George Washington was a patron of this former tavern. The older of the two colonial buildings, dating from 1770, was a going concern six years before the Declaration of Independence. The second building houses a restaurant that serves food typical of the 18th century.
George W. Norris

Norris (1861–1944) was author of the 20th Amendment to the US Constitution, clarifying issues related to tenure in office.