Washington, D.C.
District of Columbia, USA · The National Mall
About the place
Washington, D.C. was purpose-built to be a capital — a diamond of land ceded by Maryland and Virginia in 1790, laid out on a grand plan of diagonal avenues and open vistas by the French engineer Pierre L'Enfant. The British burned much of it in 1814; it was rebuilt grander.
Today the National Mall gathers the monuments, the Capitol, the White House, and the free Smithsonian museums into a two-mile open sweep — a city designed to be walked and read like a civics lesson in stone.
A spring trip for 2027, ideally timed to the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin.
What I want to see
History & facts for each spot — with a “then & now” archival photo where one exists.
1Lincoln Memorial
Dedicated in 1922, its 19-ft marble Lincoln gazes down the Mall. Marian Anderson sang here in 1939 and Dr. King delivered "I Have a Dream" from its steps in 1963.
Read more on Wikipedia →
2U.S. Capitol
The seat of Congress since 1800, its great cast-iron dome finished during the Civil War as a deliberate sign the Union would endure.
Read more on Wikipedia →
Then · c.1926 
Now 3Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Part of the Smithsonian, founded in 1846 on a British scientist's bequest "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge." Home of the Hope Diamond — and admission is free.
Read more on Wikipedia →Archival photo: Smithsonian Natural History Museum circa 1926 — Wikimedia Commons
Then · c.1924 
Now 4Tidal Basin & Cherry Blossoms
The reservoir ringed by 3,000 cherry trees, a 1912 gift from the city of Tokyo. Peak bloom in early April draws crowds from around the world.
Read more on Wikipedia →Archival photo: Orphans at the Tidal Basin — Wikimedia Commons
On the map
Numbered pins are the specific spots above — click any one for its story.