Things to See and Do in Washington, D.C.

Designed by Pierre Charles L'Enfant in the late 1700s, today Washington, D.C., is the center of all three branches of the U.S. governmental system, serving as home to Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court. A closer look at Washington, D.C., reveals a deep link to wide ranging aspects of our nation’s rich political and social past. This cultural history comes alive through such landmarks as the Lincoln Memorial, notable not only for the man it immortalizes but also the historic events held at his feet; the Smithsonian Museums; and eclectic, diverse neighborhoods whose residents stand as much as a symbol of our nation as the monuments.

Fall and Winter Highlights

Washington | Arlington | Alexandria |  Montgomery County

National Geographic Museum
National Geographic’s photographers are world-renowned, and a new exhibit running through January 4, 2009, at the National Geographic Museum features four of the magazine’s masters. Don’t miss “Odysseys and Photographs—Masters from the National Geographic Archives,” which provides an intimate look behind the scenes as four legendary photographer-explorers record a remarkable era while building the National Geographic tradition of photographic excellence. Travel with Maynard Owen Williams to Greenland in the 1920s … see a different side of the Caribbean with Luis Marden … look through Volkmar Wentzel's lens during his travels to India … and witness a changing Middle East with Tom Abercrombie. For information about the exhibit and other museum highlights, click here.

Georgetown Flea Market
The city's longest-running outdoor flea market—a long-favored haunt of area collectors, decorators, antiques dealers, tourists, politicians and even the occasional movie star— has returned to the newly renovated Hardy Middle School in Georgetown after a year-long stint in nearby Arlington, Va. Browsers will find 50+ vendors peddling antique and vintage wares: furniture, rugs, art, books, maps, mirrors, sterling and silverplate, fine and costume jewelry, table linens, china, flatware, lamps, vases, clothing, garden ornaments, architectural elements and political memorabilia (hey, this is Washington in an election year!). Open Sunday 8:00 to 4:00. For more information, visit the Flea Market web site.

Election Year Comedy
Politicians and their antics have long provided plenty of material for comedians, with election years among the juiciest of seasons! So take a break from the serious by catching a show of the Capitol Steps comedy troupe, a group of performers who have been parodying our country’s leaders since 1981. Originally, cast members were current and former Capitol Hill staffers, and although their resumes have changed over the years, their unique brand of satirical humor has not. The Capitol Steps perform year-round at 7:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night, in the Amphitheater at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Buy your tickets at http://www.capsteps.com/live/ and get ready to laugh!

The Newseum
Experience how and why the news is made with a visit to the Newseum, a 250,000 square foot museum dedicated to the First Amendment. Open since April, the seven-level, high-tech and interactive museum traces the history of news reporting from the 16th century to the present day via 15 theaters, 14 major galleries, two state-of-the-art broadcast studios and a 4-D time-travel experience. A special exhibit running through June 2009 is "G-Men and Journalists: Top News Stories of the FBI’s First Century,” focusing on the FBI’s efforts to fight crime and its starring role in popular culture. With nearly 300 photographs, dozens of historic newspapers and interactive displays, and 200 artifacts (including the Unabomber’s cabin, J.Edgar Hoover’s desk and Patty Hearst’s coat), the exhibit reflects the sometimes cooperative, sometimes combative, relationship between the FBI and the news media. For ticket prices and more information about the Newseum, visit www.newseum.org.

More Highlights: Arlington | Alexandria |  Montgomery County

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