DK Travel : Washington, D.C. : Places of interest

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Dinosaur Hall

Many kids make their first contact with the study of the natural world through their fascination with dinosaurs. The displays at the National Museum of Natural History should wow them – and there is a stunning new mammal exhibit (see National Museum of Natural History).
Discovery Creek Children’s Museum

This outdoor-oriented center for children aged between three and eleven years provides wonderfully engrossing activities that bring to life aspects of local nature, arts, and history. Operating from the only one-room schoolhouse surviving in the city, the museum uses the natural setting of beautiful Glen Echo Park for its programs and events. A Friday-morning program for toddlers is always popular with Washingtonians.
Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Gardens

This elegant Federal-style house, with its Philip Johnson-designed wing, houses a world-renowned collection of Byzantine and pre-Columbian artifacts. El Greco’s Visitation is here also, possibly the Spanish master’s last painting. The house and museum are surrounded by acres of gorgeous landscaping (see Dumbarton Oaks).
Eastern Market

Completed in 1873, Eastern Market has been an important element in the history of Capitol Hill. Designed by a prominent local architect, Adolph Cluss, in an Italianate style, the market symbolized the urbanization of the city at the end of the Civil War. Since then, it has served as a meeting place for residents, and recently as a focal point in the revitalization of the area. The market has been repeatedly threatened with closure.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Building

The FBI tour has been a favorite with visitors since it was launched in 1937. Visitors on the one-hour tour learn about the history and goals of the bureau, pass through working laboratories analyzing forensic evidence, then watch a demonstration of officers training in the use of firearms. Although tours by members of the public are no longer allowed at the time of writing, this situation is expected to change in 2006. If you would like to visit, call ahead to make inquiries.
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

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.
Frederick, Maryland

Noted for its bridges, Frederick is a city steeped in the memory of 19th-century life and the Civil War. In addition, it has an exceptional artistic and cultural life.
Fredericksburg, Virginia

This city on the Rappahannock River offers colonial homes, moving Civil War sites, and a downtown filled with shops and restaurants. A marked walking tour lays out milestones in the city’s history.
Georgetown University

This venerable institution sits on its hill overlooking Georgetown and the Potomac like a medieval citadel, its stone towers seemingly brooding with age. Yet the university is one of the most progressive in the country. Among the many interesting buildings here is the 1875 Healy Hall, built in an elaborate Flemish Renaissance style with surprising spiral adornment. Visitors can obtain campus maps and suggestions for strolls from the booth at the main gates.

Elegant Georgetown House