Attractions

Big things are happening in Washington: The long-awaited Capitol Visitor Center beneath the U.S. Capitol Building finally, finally is scheduled to debut in fall of 2008, just in time for the 2009 inauguration; the enormous Newseum has opened in its new downtown location on Pennsylvania Avenue, at 6th Street NW, and is drawing great crowds; the National Museum of Natural History christened a cool walk-through Butterfly Pavilion in November 2007 and is on track to pull back the curtains on its grand new Ocean Hall in September 2008; a Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum is up and running in the heart of downtown D.C.; the National Museum of American History reopens its doors in summer 2008, ready to show off its Star-Spangled Banner Gallery; and dedication of the National Mall's newest memorial, the Martin Luther King National Memorial, takes place December 2008. Wow.

But for all its changes, the capital stays wonderfully the same, offering visitors a menu that includes the three houses of government, scores of museums, more than 100 memorials, an abundance of historic houses and federal buildings, acres and acres of gorgeous parkland, and numerous outdoor activities.

Whether new, old, or tried and true, there's much to do and celebrate in the nation's capital. Now comes the hard part: figuring out where you want to go and what to see first.

Closed for Now

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is closed until the summer of 2008, the Ford's Theatre and Lincoln Museum is closed until late 2008, and the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries Building is closed indefinitely, as all three museums undergo extensive renovations. The FBI Building remains closed for public tours indefinitely. The Dumbarton Oaks Museum (not the gardens!) are closed for renovation work until sometime in 2008.

Heads Up

Seven years after September 11, 2001, Washington, D.C., has a firm handle on workable security precautions, and for visitors that means standing in line at attractions -- security clearances, no matter how efficient, do take time. At many tourist sites, like the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and National Museum of Natural History, and at most government buildings, staff search handbags, briefcases, and backpacks, and you must walk past metal detectors, which means that during the busy spring and summer seasons, you may be queuing outside as you wait your turn to pass through security. So pack your patience, but otherwise carry as little as possible, and certainly no sharp objects. Museums and public buildings rarely offer the use of lockers.

Call Ahead

Here's a crucial piece of advice: Call the places you plan to tour each day before you set out. Many of Washington's government buildings, museums, memorials, and monuments are open to the general public nearly all the time -- except when they're not.

Because buildings like the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the White House are offices as well as tourist destinations, the business of the day always poses the potential for closing one of those sites, or at least sections, to sightseers. There's also the matter of maintenance. The steady stream of visitors to Washington's attractions necessitates ongoing caretaking, which may require closing an entire landmark, or part of it, to the public, or put in place new hours of operation or procedures for visiting. (Construction of the Capitol's visitor center is one such example.) Finally, Washington's famous museums, grand halls, and public gardens double as settings for press conferences, galas, special exhibits, festivals, and other events, so you might arrive at, say, the National Air and Space Museum on a Sunday afternoon, only to find some of its galleries off-limits because caterers are setting up for an event. Want to avoid frustration and disappointment? Call ahead.

D.C. Circulator

Meet your new best friends. This fleet of large red-and-gray buses travels three routes, chauffeuring office workers and tourists alike to the busiest spots in town, including Georgetown, the National Mall, the convention center, and the Penn Quarter. A ride costs only $1, well worth it when you want to quickly and easily travel, say, from the Washington Monument at one end of the Mall to the National Museum of the American Indian at the other end, and you're too tired to walk. The city's subway system is fantastic, but this air-conditioned bus, which arrives at each stop every 10 minutes, helps fill in Metro's gaps. So look for the posted signs on the Mall and around the city and keep an eye out for the brightly colored buses.