No need to go to Japan: 6 spots to see cherry blossoms in Washington, DC

Built to honour George Washington, the first President of the United States, the Washington Monument was once the tallest building in the world at just over 555 feet and still holds the title of world’s tallest stone structure and obelisk.

The Capitol Building

Perched on top of Capitol Hill, the US Capitol represents the foundations of American democracy. President George Washington, who laid the cornerstone in 1793 and today 435 elected members of the House of Representatives and 100 senators come together to represent US citizens and write laws.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Opening in 2011, The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was the first memorial on the iconic Mall to honour an African American. A prominent leader in the modern civil rights movement, Dr. King was a tireless advocate for racial equality.

National Museum of African American History

Devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has been opened to the public since 2016 and features more than 36,000 artifacts. The museum details how the diverse African American experience helped shaped the US and aims to help all visitors see how their stories, histories and cultures are informed by global influencers.

National Cathedral

Constructed between 1907 and 1990, this huge neo-Gothic cathedral blends the spiritual with the secular. Most of its richly coloured stained glassed windows celebrates religious themes, although the ‘Scientists and Technicians’ window with its embedded lunar rock is an exception, as are the famed exterior gargoyles depicting Darth Vade and a Missouri bear amongst others.

Jefferson Memorial

The gracefully domed, white-marble Thomas Jefferson Memorial is all about the man himself, an accomplished architect, political philosopher and the third president of the United States. Here visitors will find Jefferson’s stately bronze statue holding in its hands arguably his greatest achievement, the Declaration of Independent which serves as the basis for American democracy.