Destination DC
What’s New
- NEW HOTEL: The Marriott Marquis Washington DC opened in May. The new hotel features 1,175 rooms, including 49 suites, and plenty of event space.
- URBAN HUB: CityCenterDC is a new four-hectare urban hub that mixes hotel space with condos, offices, restaurants and shops, all within walking distance of two Metrorail stations. The attraction is opening in phases. The New York Times describes it as a “modern-day Rockefeller Center”.
- CITY MARKET: Located one block north of the convention centre, City Market at O is an upscale mixed-use development that features restaurants, retail and a new Cambria Suites hotel. When the hotel opens in August, it will offer 182 all-suite rooms, a rooftop pool and a terrace with sweeping city views.
- THE OBELISK IS OPEN: The Washington Monument reopened to the public in May after being closed for nearly three years due to damage sustained during a rare earthquake. Visitors can once again take an elevator ride to the top of the monument for sweeping views of the city.
Attractions
- Smithsonian Institution: The world’s largest museum complex includes the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, to name but a few.
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: The story of the Holocaust told through artifacts, films, photos and oral histories.
- Library of Congress: The oldest federal cultural institution in the U.S. and the largest library in the world.
- National Geographic Museum: High-tech exhibit hall situated on the first floor of the National Geographic Society’s HQ.
Destination DC
Events
- DC Environmental Film Festival (March).
- National Cherry Blossom Festival (March/April).
- Filmfest DC (April).
- DC Jazz Festival (June).
- Smithsonian Folklife Festival (June/July).
- DC Drag Queen High Heels Race (October).
- Boo at the Zoo (October).
- Pageant of Peace (December).
Places
- National Museum of Women in the Arts: Features works of women like Georgia O’Keefe and Louise Nevelson.
- Hillwood Museum and Gardens: One of the most comprehensive collections of Russian imperial art outside Russia.
- • The Kennedy Center: Home to the National Opera and National Symphony. Features a free nightly performance at the Millennium Stage.
- Jefferson Memorial: Beneath the marble rotunda is a statue of the third U.S. president surrounded by passages from the Declaration of Independence.
Hidden Gems
- Rock Creek Park: Hiking, biking and walking trails, a tennis centre, horseback riding stables and the Carter Barron Amphitheatre.
- The National Arboretum: Features the original pillars of the U.S. Capitol, all 50 state trees and a bonsai tree museum.
Did You Know?
- Official Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice To All)
- Official Flower: American Beauty Rose
- Official Bird: Wood Thrush
Fast Facts
- Region: MID-ATLANTIC
- Direct Flights: Air Canada, United Airlines.
- Shopping: Georgetown, Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, Tyson’s Corner.
- Info: Destination DC
(202) 789-7000
www.washington.org