Museums/Galleries/Monuments
23. Take in the grandeur of the National Mall, a two-mile ribbon of green space that stretches from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, with 13 museums flanking it. This is the nation's playground and meeting place, where history is made and preserved.
24. Salute the nearly 200-year-old Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the U.S. national anthem, in the newly renovated National Museum of American History. National Mall, 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW; +1 202 633 1000.
25. Have lunch at the National Museum of the American Indian's Mitsitam Café, the best food you can get on the Mall. The cafeteria serves cuisine indigenous to a region of the Americas, from Northern Woodlands elk to Mesoamerican tacos. 4th St. and Independence Ave. SW; +1 202 633 1000.
26. Remember the six million Jews and millions of others who were victims of Nazi fanaticism at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. From its wrenching exhibits to its purposely disorienting layout, this unique museum is both disturbing and deeply moving. 100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl. SW; 202-488-0400.
27. Create your own newscast and download it offline at the Interactive Newsroom at the Newseum, dedicated to the role of journalism through history. Recent artifacts, including the Unabomber's cabin and the radio antennae from the Twin Towers, bring it all home. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; +1 888 639 7386.
28. In one of the world's espionage capitals, learn secrets of spycraft at the International Spy Museum. Its quirky gift shop carries such items as fingerprint kits and peanut butter jar safes. 800 F St. NW; +1 866 779 6873.
29. Touch a moon rock and walk through the Skylab space station at the National Air and Space Museum, one of the world's most visited museums. Independence Ave. at 6th St. SW; +1 202 633 1000.
30. Remember the more than 200,000 Civil War African American soldiers and their white officers whose names are etched on a Wall of Honor, at the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum. 1200 U St. NW.; +1 202 667 2667.
31. Tour the neoclassical Tudor Place, built in 1816 for Thomas Peter and his wife Martha Custis Peter, granddaughter of Martha Washington. The architecture has remained the same, and the portraits, furniture, glassware, and textiles on the inside reveal how six generations of the Peter family lived. 1644 31st St. NW; +1 202 965 0400.
32. Discover the gem of an art museum called the Phillips Collection. Hushed, gracious, and filled with canvases that reflect, primarily, one man's art passions, the Phillips is a grand home now to Sargents, Klees, Bonnards, Vuillards, and more. And it won't leave you overwhelmed, the way the National Gallery will. 1600 21st St. NW; +1 202 387 2151.
33. View historic presidential portraits—as well as contemporary portraits of important Americans—at the recently renovated National Portrait Gallery. The covered Kogod Courtyard is a popular public gathering space with a fun water feature that fascinates kids. 8th and F Sts. NW; +1 202 633 8300.
