More than 24 million people visit the US capital annually. Washington attracts tourists with well -developed tourist infrastructure, famous attractions, rich in nightlife and a whole complex of museums of the Smithsonian Institute.
Today we have prepared for you a list of 10 popular places in Washington, for which you do not have to pay for a visit. This selection is especially useful for those who plan a budget trip to America.
I want to Washington!
White House (on the map)
Perhaps the most famous building in the USA. The official residence of the American presidents is on Pennsylvania Avenue in the very center of the city. Around her on an area of 7.2 hectares is the Presidential Park. The White House consists of six floors, while two floors are located underground. Inside there are 132 rooms, among which:
- Oval office
The US president works here. The windows in the room are made of bulletproof glass for reliable protection of the first person of the state.
- Situational room
In this room, the US President holds meetings with ministers. The hall is equipped with a projector, monitors and other useful things to conduct meetings.
- Presidential room
Earlier, the president’s secretaries worked in this hall, but now it is used as a dining room to receive important guests.
- The office of the vice president
The deputy American president works in this room. In the event of the death of the first person of the state, it is he who becomes the leader of the country.
In addition, the building has a press conferences room, canteens, personal apartments of the president and more than 32 bathrooms.
You can visit the White House from Tuesday to Saturday, while signing up for a group excursion in advance. To do this, at least 21 days before the estimated date, contact the American embassy with a request to be included in the list of visitors. Walking along the rooms allowed for inspection on two floors, it will be possible to look at personal belongings of members of presidential families.
Capitol (on the map)
On one of the hills in Washington there is a once tallest building in the city – Capitol; Its height is 88 meters. It was built by 1800 for the US Congress, however, after 14 years the Capitol was almost completely burned after the British attack. At that time there was the so -called second war for independence. The process of restoring the building took more than five years. During the next two decades, the Capitol was completed and reconstructed. In its current form, the US Congress building was formed by 1865.
Today, 2 rooms of the Capitol of 540 are open for visitors. You can inspect the famous Rotonta, which collects a unique collection of paintings and sculptures. Separately, you can sign up for an unusual excursion – from a special gallery you will be allowed to observe how a meeting of the US Congress is taking place.
To get into the Capitol, you need to find a kiosk with free tickets near the right wing of the building.
Lincoln memorial (on the map)
A great view of the national alley opens from the Capitol, and right behind it, in the distance you can see a huge building similar to an ancient Greek temple; This is Lincoln’s memorial. It was built by 1922 in honor of the 16th President of the United States. The names of 48 states are carved on its walls, and the center has a giant 19-meter sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, thoughtfully looking towards the Capitol. At first it seems that the statue is carved from a huge piece of marble, but in fact it is not. The sculpture consists of many separate details, just thanks to the skillful work of masters, this is not noticeable.
At the grand opening of the memorial in 1922, Robert Todd Lincoln was present – the only of the four sons of the American president who lived until the end of the construction of the monument.
Despite the fact that the memorial is open for visiting around the clock, it is better to come there late in the evening or at night; Thanks to the backlight, it looks especially spectacular.
Monument to George Washington (on the map)
This granite monument, lined with marble, was erected in 1848-1884 and before the construction of the Eiffel Tower was considered the largest building in the world (height of 169 meters). The weight of the obelisk in honor of the First President of the United States is about 80 tons. Up, where the observation deck is located, a staircase of 896 steps and a special elevator leads. The monument is open for a free visit. To do this, you need to get tickets at the address 2 15th ST NW and approach the monument at the appointed time.
Memorial to veterans of the Korean War (on the map)
One of the most emotional monuments in Washington is a memorial to veterans of the Korean war on the National Alley. It looks unusual: 19 soldiers, making their way through the thickets of a living juniper. The monument was built in honor of those who died or went missing during the Korean military conflict. The Americans often call that war “forgotten”, since for a long time it was not customary to talk about participants in the hostilities in Korea. And the memorial itself appeared not so long ago, it was installed only in 1995.
The memorial looks especially spectacular late in the evening or at night: in the rays of light, the figures seem alive, only for a moment frozen in the dark.
Memorial to Vietnamese War Veterans (on the map)
One of the longest and bloodiest wars in the history of the United States is the war in Vietnam. During the fighting, more than 60,000 American soldiers died and missed. In memory of them, a memorial was built. Architects and designers from around the world worked on the creation of the project. The winner of the competition announced by the US Congress was a student from China Maya Lin. The memorial is striking in a combination of monumentality and minimalism: on a huge wall of black granite (75 meters in length), the names of all dead are engraved. The endless rows of names and surnames on a stone polished to a mirror shine – this makes a great impression.
National Museum of Natural History (on the map)
The museum, founded in 1910, is under the control of the Smithsonian Institute. Its collection consists of more than 126 million exhibits: here you can see samples of minerals, minerals, meteorites and objects from archaeological excavations. In the ocean hall, which occupies an area of more than 200 square meters, huge screens are installed that demonstrate the lives of the inhabitants of the sea.
The most valuable and expensive object of the museum is the diamond of the British aristocrat Henry Hope with a mass of 45.5 carats. The second name of the jewel – hope – sounds quite ironic; The stone brought misfortunes everything to its owners. True, as the studies have shown, most of the stories about the curse of this stone were invented by Pierre Cartier, one of the previous owners of the diamond. Probably in order to dump potential robbers.
The National Museum works daily, except for days falling on Christmas holidays. You can visit it for free.
Congress library (on the map)
The largest library in the world was founded back in 1800. Then its fund was only 720 books. Today, the library collection includes more than 30 million books, 58 million manuscripts, 12 million photos and much more. According to the most modest calculations every year, the fund increases by 2-3 million storage units. To digitize all this array of data, you will need tens of years and terabytes of memory.
Tourists rarely go to the Congress library in search of a certain book. Most often, they visit it in order to examine the interiors of the main building: stairs, high columns of marble, art painting, paintings and unique old books exhibited under glass.
Before the trip, be sure to look at the library website, because it often takes different events: concerts, exhibitions, scientific and educational lectures and much more. When you leave the building, do not forget to buy souvenirs for memory in a small shop. In addition, you can buy books and engravings there.
Smithsonov National Zoological Park (on the map)
The Washington Zoo is one of the oldest in the USA. It was founded in 1889. Now about 1800 animals of more than 300 different species live here. The inhabitants of the zoo are the most popular among tourists – pandas and sea seals.
The entrance to the zoo is free, but various events are often held on its territory, participation in which pays payment. The income from the sale of tickets usually goes to the maintenance of animals. Perhaps the most interesting attraction is a night tour and an overnight stay in tents in the zoo.
National Museum of Aeronomers and Astronautics (on the map)
The museum is famous for its collection of aircraft – the largest in the world. Here you can trace the whole history of the development of air equipment: from the first wooden aircraft to Boeing, space missiles and lunar modules.
Among the exhibits there are a spacesuit Yuri Gagarin, the Ships of Soyuz and Apollo, Soviet missiles and much more.
To get to the capital of the United States, Russian citizens will have to issue an American visa and choose the most optimal ticket. Travel time usually takes from 12 hours. The cost of tickets starts from 22 thousand rubles. As a rule, the flight takes place with a transplant in one of the European cities.
After all, you remember that traveling is most profitable to buy “package”
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