Dupont Circle Attractions

The Phillips Collection.

Located in DuPont Circle, The Phillips Collection is America's first museum of modern art, opened in 1921. The outstanding collection includes Renoir's masterpiece Luncheon of the Boating Party, as well as Impressionist paintings by van Gogh, Monet, Degas and Cézanne. The comfortable galleries are an intimate setting for great works by Braque, Picasso, Matisse, and Klee. D.C.'s most treasured museum also celebrates American artists like Homer, Eakins, Ryder, O'Keeffe, Marin, and Dove, as well as mid-century masters such as Mark Rothko. Phillips After 5 features live jazz, gallery talks, inspiring modern art, and a cash bar for a memorable evening on the first Thursday of every month at 5pm. Visit www.phillipscollection.org.

Holocaust Memorial Museum.

A memorial to the millions murdered during the Holocaust, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum is a national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history. Adjacent to the National Mall, this powerful museum inspires people to confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity, and reflect upon the moral and spiritual inquiries raised by the Holocaust. The Museum’s authentic exhibits and inspiring tributes have taught millions about the dangers of prejudice and genocide. The Museum broadens public understanding of the Holocaust through multifaceted programs, exhibitions, art, artifacts and annual Days of Remembrance. Visit www.ushmm.org. [Top]

Washington Convention Center.

Sporting 2.3 million sq. ft., the Washington Convention Center is the leading meeting and event destination in Downtown Washington, DC. The WCC features 703,000 sq. ft. of prime exhibit space and 150,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space topped by an elegant ballroom for 3,000 people with views of the D.C. skyline. Hailed for it award-winning architecture and design, the Washington Convention Center offers state-of-the-art technology and telecommunications, restaurants such as Wolfgang Puck's, and the largest art collection of any convention center in the US. Visit www.dcconvention.com.

Smithsonian Institution Museums.

The greatest museum and research complex on the planet, the Smithsonian Institution consists of 19 museums, art galleries, and research centers with over143.5 million artworks, objects, artifacts and specimens. Smithsonian Institution Museums display treasures of history, art and scientific insights. Experience the history, culture and humanity of our world at celebrated museums, such as Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Museum of Natural History, National Air and Space Museum, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of the American Indian, National Zoological Park, and the new National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visit www.si.edu. [Top]

Iwo Jima Memorial.

Standing in Arlington, VA, the US Marine Corps War Memorial is a tribute to the honored dead of the U.S. Marine Corps who perished in combat. Sculpted by Felix de Weldon from the Pulitzer-winning photograph, the majestic sculpture depicts the raising of the American flag on Mt. Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima in 1945. While the statue illustrates the most celebrated victory of WW II, the memorial is dedicated to all Marines who lost their lives since 1775, and lists the Marine’s major battles since the American Revolution. Visit www.nps.gov/archive/gwmp/usmc.htm.

Museum of Natural History.

Discover the natural world through remarkable collections, fascinating exhibitions and cutting-edge research at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Located on the National Mall, the green-domed museum was one of first Smithsonian buildings to house the national collections. Through enlightening exhibitions, the Museum displays 125 million natural science specimens, cultural artifacts, and photographs. Discover our Mammalian ancestors, meet the dinosaurs, experience the culture of Africa, and enjoy rare gemstones and colored diamonds. The NMNH is the top repository of our world’s scientific and cultural heritage. Visit www.mnh.si.edu/. [Top]

National Gallery of Art.

One of Washington, DC’s most outstanding cultural landmarks, National Gallery of Art features an impressive collection of American and European paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, photographs, decorative arts and architecture - spanning from the 13th century to contemporary times. From historic portraits to avant-garde art, the Gallery features the most inspiring collection of art in the world. Located on the National Mall, the Gallery’s sculpture garden provides a beautiful outdoor setting for modern and contemporary sculpture. Visit www.nga.gov.

Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum features the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world, and is a vital research center into the history, science, and technology of aviation, space flight, and planetary and terrestrial discovery. This National Mall museum displays extraordinary artifacts, including the Wright 1903 Flyer, Spirit of St. Louis, Apollo 11 command module, and a lunar rock that you can touch. At the National Air and Space Museum at Washington Dulles International Airport you can see the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, and Space Shuttle Enterprise. Visit www.si.edu. [Top]

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden displays international modern and contemporary art, highlighted by impressive artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. The Hirshhorn presents a spectrum of art, including painting, works on paper, sculpture, photography, installation, digital and video art, and mixed-media. A major platform for celebrated and emerging artists, the museum offers exciting exhibitions, collections, and experiences that inspire you to feel the transformative power of modern and contemporary art. Explore three floors of gallery space, the Plaza and the Sculpture Garden, featuring works by Rodin and Matisse facing the National Mall. The green spaces and reflecting pool offer a city retreat. Visit http://hirshhorn.si.edu.

Corcoran Gallery of Art.

One of America's oldest and liveliest art institutions, The Corcoran is internationally acclaimed for its collection of historical and contemporary American art, European painting, sculpture, photography, media and decorative arts. Don’t miss the Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power exhibit of over 250 photographs from the faces of politics from the 1950s through the artist’s death in 2004. The Corcoran College of Art + Design offers a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program, Associate of Fine Arts degree program, and Master of Arts degree program in Interior Design and History of Decorative Arts. Visit www.corcoran.org. [Top]

National Portrait Gallery.

The National Portrait Gallery displays historic portraits of the generations of extraordinary Americans who influenced our culture and country. Leaders such as George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr., activists such as Rosa Parks, artists like George Gershwin, and pop icons such as Babe Ruth and Kathryn Hepburn are celebrated through life-like visual and performing art. The only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House, the Gallery’s "America's Presidents" exhibition presents American history through the leaders who shaped it. The National Portrait Gallery shares the National Mall - the nation's finest example of Greek-Revival architecture. Visit www.npg.si.edu/.

Ford's Theater.

Reopening in 1968 - over 100 years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln - Ford’s Theatre is one of Washington, DC’s infamous attractions. The theater where President Lincoln was murdered, Ford’s Theater celebrates the legacy of Abraham Lincoln through exceptional theatre, artistic programming and unique cultural experiences. A tribute to Lincoln's love of performing arts, the historic stage in downtown Washington presents world-class theatre, intelligent plays and the country’s top artists. Presenting the nationally-acclaimed work Big River, the regional premiere of Trying and world premiere of Meet John Doe, Ford’s Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre experience. Visit www.fordstheatre.org. [Top]