Washington, D.C.’s main monoliths of power, culture, and history all lie in an inverse T-shaped park stretching two miles from end to end. From the Lincoln Memorial in the west to the Capitol in the east to the White House in the north, this half-kilometre wide grassy avenue was the brainchild of French architect Charles L’Enfant, who also designed the rest of the capital halfway before being fired for his ambition.
The avenue is almost exactly east-west along its stretch with all the museums and north-south to the White House. The western portion consists of memorials to great American individuals like Lincoln, Jefferson and MLK; and soldiers who died in the Korean, Vietnam, and Second World wars. The iconic reflection pool where MLK made his “I have a dream” speech freezes over in winter to create a stunning mirror image of the Washington Memorial, but I would advise against stepping onto the thin ice.
The White House is securely guarded with restricted access to many parts of the open space surrounding it. You can view the presidential residence from afar, huddle around the National Christmas Tree in December, and watch the Washington Memorial turn red in the sunset. The Smithsonian bit of the mall flanked by museums is where tourists spend most of their time. Many of them have free admission, but it’s still a good idea to book admission in advance for a small fee for the best experience.
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