The main reason that The District of Columbia was set as the nation’s capital was so that the federal government would not be located in any single state. It is located on the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. Commissioned by George Washington, Pierre Charles L ‘Enfant designed the city it is an open and spacious City that where the most important Avenue of Pennsylvania which connects two iconic buildings is located. It connects the White House and the Capital building. Here are some of the important sites in Washington D.C.
The White House
It was originally built by James Hoban in 1972 and has been the official home of every president with the exception of George Washington. The free White House Visitor which has interesting exhibits about the presidents families is located just a short distance from the White House, it shows the videos, furniture, historical changes and the model of residence of every president. One of the most breathtaking buildings ‘Greek Revival Treasury Building in 1971 which became the Executive Office Building in 1871 is located next to the white house. Also, the Ellipse which holds the summer concerts by US army is also located there.
The Lincoln Memorial
It is the most loved memorial which is separated from the Washington Memorial by the Reflecting pool contains a statue of President Abraham Lincoln which is surrounded by 36 columns to represent the states at his time. It was designed by Daniel Chester French and the inside murals painted by Jules Guerin, it was Martin Luther King delivered his famous speech ‘I have a dream, which made history
United States Capitol and Capitol Hill
The Capitol is the seat of the House of Senate and Representative and it is recognized as the Symbol of United States. It stands high above all Washington buildings and has grown to a place where the presidents take their oaths. There is also an underground passage that leads from the Capitol to world’s largest library the Library of Congress.
National Air and Space Museum
It has a collection of history making air and spacecraft, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, Wright Brothers Flyer, the first plane solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the recent flight of Apollo 11 Command module and other exhibits are found here. Also, the Albert Einstein planetarium where you can examine Lunar Craters and other astronomical features through telescopes is located there.
National Gallery of Art
It is one of the most premier art museums that is connected by a tunnel for it is housed in two separate buildings. It has a diverse collection of European and American sculpture, paintings and decorative arts and also the temporary exhibitions which show different arts from all cultures. It also has other art museums connected to it like the Freer Gallery of Art which has Asian arts, Buddhists sculptures, and Persian manuscripts also the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery houses, Hirschhorn Museum, and sculpture, National museum of African Art are located there.