Transit: Union Station or Capitol South Metro stations.
Soaring ceilings, bountiful books ... a visit here can easily keep you occupied for hours.
Have a plan: The Library of Congress is housed in three buildings: the Thomas Jefferson Building, James Madison Memorial Building and the John Adams Building. Although trying to see all of it in one day is possible — and dare we say, laudable — it’s probably best to do a little thinking ahead and figure out which areas you’d really like to explore (i.e. when your feet start to hurt, you won’t feel so bad about not catching everything). The complex opens Monday-Saturday at 8:30 a.m. Docent-led tours of the Jefferson Building, which houses the Main Reading Room and exhibits, are offered for small groups (10 or fewer) without reservations. Want to pretend you’re an expert? Download a virtual tour app at www.loc.gov/visit.
Once you’re there: The most popular visitor destination is the Jefferson Building, but there are things worth seeing — murals, sculptures, performances — elsewhere in the complex, not to mention gift shops, a cafeteria and snack bars. As cherry blossom season approaches, be sure to check out the “Sakura: Cherry Blossoms as Living Symbols of Friendship” exhibit, which runs March 20-Sept. 15 in the Jefferson’s Graphic Arts Galleries.
What’s in the neighborhood: Gawk at Washington power players having lunch at the Monocle Restaurant (107 D St. NE).
Info: Thomas Jefferson Building (10 First St. SE), James Madison Memorial Building (101 Independence Ave. SE) and John Adams Building (Second Street SE, between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street). 202-707-8000. www.loc.gov/visit.
Cost: Free.
Transit: Union Station or Capitol South Metro stations.
History buffs shouldn’t miss this stop, the hilltop home where President Abraham Lincoln and his family lived during part of the Civil War, and where he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a relatively new tourist attraction, having opened to the public for the first time in 2008, after a $15 million restoration.
Have a plan: Lincoln’s Cottage is a small site but attracts lots of visitors and requires tickets, so plan ahead, especially if you’re visiting during the peak tourist months of March through June. Your best bet: Get tickets online or call 800-514-3849. The hour-long tours are limited to 20 people. The visitors center is open Monday-Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Also, the closest Metro station is about a mile away, so you might want to consider transportation alternatives.
Once you’re there: On the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, Lincoln’s Cottage is sparsely furnished but features lighting effects and actors’ recordings that reveal Lincoln’s thoughts on slavery and the war. “In the library you can actually see the ghost lines of where the library shelves would have been,” says cottage director Erin Carlson Mast. “We haven’t re-created the bookshelves because that was such an amazing moment of discovery for us that we wanted to preserve that so people can have that moment of discovery themselves.” And if the weather is nice, bring a picnic to enjoy on the picturesque grounds after your tour.
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