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Washington DC is one of my favorite cities to visit. I have been there about a dozen times, mostly as an adult. I mainly enjoy visiting the Mall and the Smithsonian.
The Mall is the most exciting part of DC. It is shaped like a cross, with the Washington Monument in the center, the Capital to the north, the White House to the east, the Lincoln Memorial to the south, and the Jefferson Memorial to the west. Each of these buildings is beautifully designed in the style of Ancient Greek architecture. Several newer monuments have since been added, including the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials and a large statue of Albert Einstein.
The Smithsonian has been a must-see on every visit I have made to DC in the past 20 years. It houses several excellent museums, all free to the public, including the American History Museum, the Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the Hirschhorn Museum and the Holocaust Museum. The American History Museum is my favorite of these. Viewing this museum usually requires two days, since it's so huge. The Air and Space Museum is also excellent. This museum contains entire rockets and spaceships, including an Apollo and Skylab space capsules and a Space Shuttle. The National Gallery of Art houses a fine collection of European and early American art. The Hirschhorn Museum has a fantastic modern art collection, including several sculptures by Rodin, Degas, and others. The Holocaust Museum is also quite excellent, though very upsetting.
