DC Places To Visit

Check out the list below of locations in Washington, DC that have architectural and historical significance. We have provided you with GPS Coordinates that are highlighted in red and can be cut and pasted into the Search Maps section of Google Maps for specific location details and color images.

Google Maps link:
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National Building Museum – 1887
401 F St., NW Washington, DC
Housed in the former Pension Bureau building, this historic structure is recognized as a marvel of architectural engineering. The Great Hall is impressive with its Corinthian columns and four-story atrium. The museum in downtown Washington, DC examines America's architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning.
GPS Coordinates: 38.897296, -77.017658

The Octagon Museum – 1801
1799 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC
This building was designed by Dr. William Thornton, first architect of the U.S. Capitol. It was part of the Pierre L'Enfant plan to establish a residential section of the federal city. During the War of 1812, the Octagon served as a temporary home for James and Dolley Madison after the White House was burned. Later, the building served as a school, the Navy Hydrographic Office, and headquarters for the American Institute of Architects. Today, the historic building serves as a museum of architecture, design, historic preservation, and the early history of Washington, DC.
GPS Coordinates: 38.896429, -77.041401

Renwick Gallery – 1859
1661 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC
The French Second Empire style building was designed by architect James Renwick Jr. to house the private art collection of Washington banker and philanthropist William Wilson Corcoran. By 1897, Corcoran's collection had outgrown the building and the gallery was moved to its current location across the street. The U.S. Court of Claims took over the Renwick Building in 1899. In 1972, the Smithsonian restored the building to be used as a gallery of American art, crafts, and design. It was refurbished again in 2000.
GPS Coordinates: 38.898729, -77.03889

Eisenhower Executive Office Building – 1888
17th St and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC
Located next to the West Wing, this building houses a majority of the offices for the White House staff. The impressive structure, a fine example of French Second Empire style of architecture, was originally built for the State, War and Navy Departments.
GPS Coordinates: 38.898839, -77.03949

Old Stone House – 1765
3051 M St. NW Washington, DC
Located in the heart of Georgetown, the oldest known private home in Washington, DC is preserved to demonstrate everyday life for the average citizen during this time. The historic house is maintained by the National Park Service and is open to the public.
GPS Coordinates: 38.905695, -77.060295

Smithsonian Castle – 1855
1000 Jefferson Dr. SW Washington, DC
The Victorian style, red sandstone building was originally the home of the first Secretary of the Smithsonian, Joseph Henry, and his family. The building is the oldest one on the National Mall and it served as the first Smithsonian exhibit hall from 1858 until the 1960s. Today, it houses the Smithsonian’s administrative offices and the Smithsonian Information Center.
GPS Coordinates: 38.888943, -77.026075

Union Station – 1907
50 Massachusetts Ave. NE Washington, DC
The city's train station is a beautiful historic building with exquisite features such as 50 foot Constantine arches and white marble flooring. Union Station is a major transportation hub for the region as well as an upscale shopping and entertainment destination.
GPS Coordinates: 38.897102, -77.006355

Washington Monument – 1884
15th St. and Constitution Ave. NW Washington, DC
Construction of the Washington Monument began in 1848. However, the memorial was not completed until 1884, due to lack of funds during the Civil War. The monument honors the memory of President George Washington and is an important historic site and landmark on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
GPS Coordinates: 38.889817, -77.035648

The Willard Hotel – 1816
1401 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, DC
The historic luxury hotel has been a central gathering place for elegant dinners, meetings and gala social events for more than 150 years. The Willard is a Washington institution that has hosted almost every U.S. president since Franklin Pierce in 1853.
GPS Coordinates: 38.896427, -77.032721

National Geographic Explorers Hall Museum
1145 17th St. NW Washington, DC
The National Geographic Explorers Hall Museum which is located at the headquarters of the magazine features Geographica, an interactive exhibit dedicated to teaching about the earth and its geography.
GPS Coordinates: 38.905094, -77.037624

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
1850 West Basin Drive SW Washington, DC
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial is located along the famous cherry tree walk on the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. The memorial is a landscape of four outdoor rooms with granite walls, statuary, inscriptions, waterfalls and thousands of plants, shrubs and trees representing FDR's four terms in office as President of the United States from 1933-1945.
GPS Coordinates: 38.883957, -77.04406

Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Tidal Basin and Ohio Drive SW, Washington, DC
The domed memorial to one of the greatest of the founding fathers and early presidents, Thomas Jefferson, is located in West Potomac Park, on the shore of the Potomac River Tidal Basin. It houses a Rudolph Evans bronze statue of Jefferson and inscribed writings on the dome's interior. It combines a low neo-classical saucer dome with a portico. In 1934, following the initiative of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Congress passed a resolution to create a monument commemorating Jefferson. Designed by John Russell Pope the memorial reflects characteristics of buildings designed by Jefferson such as Monticello and the Rotunda, which were a result of his fascination with Roman architecture. It bears a close resemblance to the Pantheon of Rome. The cornerstone was laid in 1939 and the monument was officially dedicated on April 13, 1943.
GPS Coordinates: 38.881262, -77.03535

Lincoln Memorial
West Potomac Park at 23d St. NW Washington, DC
This grand memorial to Abraham Lincoln overlooks the Reflecting Pool, Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol. It is located on 107 acres in Potomac Park. The memorial was built 1914–17. The building was designed by Henry Bacon and styled after a Greek temple. It has 36 Doric columns representing the states of the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. Inside the building is a 19-foot marble statue of the 16th president by Daniel Chester French and two murals by Jules Guerinnside and inscriptions of his Second Inaugural Address and the famous Gettysburg Address.
GPS Coordinates: 38.889279, -77.049977

Old Post Office – 1899
Corner of 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC
When completed in 1899, what today is known as the "Old Post Office" stood out as a prestige symbol and technical innovation for the Federal Post Office Department. At the turn of the century, it was the largest government building in Washington, D.C. and the first clock tower. An example of Richardsonian Romanesque Revival, its courtyard remains one of the largest uninterrupted interior spaces in the city (99 feet wide by 184 feet long and 160 feet high). After the U.S. Post Office moved out in 1934 the building was planned for demolition but survived due to a lack of funds caused by the Great Depression. After the Postal Service's departure the building was occupied by various government agencies. After again being slated for demolition in the late 1960's, a successful movement to save the building resulted in it being adapted for use as both federal offices and private businesses. The Old Post Office Pavilion offers a variety of choices for meals and includes both fast food and sit down dining, as well as several shops. The Old Post Office Tower operated by the National Park Service provides visitors with the history of the building, a view of the city form the observation deck 270 feet above Pennsylvania Avenue and an opportunity to walk down through the clock tower to see the Congress Bells.
GPS Coordinates: 38.894264, -77.027701

Washington National Cathedral
Massachusetts and Wisconsin Aves., NW Washington, DC
The highest point in Washington, the Gothic Washington National Cathedral is the sixth largest cathedral in the world. It was completed in 1990 after 83 years of construction. President Woodrow Wilson and Helen Keller are among the famous Americans that are interred in the Cathedral.
GPS Coordinates: 38.930256, -77.07179