Washington Travel Guide

Note: For this itinerary, you need to call in advance to reserve tickets for a moonlight tour.

The first two stops on this tour are the Capitol and the Supreme Court. If you're here on a weekend, you can cross the Supreme Court off your list, since it's open only on weekdays. If you're here on a weekday, let's be honest: When both the Supreme Court and Congress are in session, and you're hoping to attend both, and to tour the Capitol, you can expect those activities alone to take up the better part of a day. So I'm offering you some choices: Visit the Supreme Court or the Capitol, and continue with the itinerary as laid out; or hope for the best, attempt to take in both the Court and the Capitol, and work in other stops on this itinerary as you're able. It's possible, with everything working in your favor, to experience this itinerary in its entirety. But many factors will come into play: ebbs and flows of tourist seasons, interest in a particular case being argued in the Supreme Court, legislation up for a vote in the Senate or House, even the weather. And if you're traveling with children under age 12, that's another factor: Visit the Capitol and, if you want, do a tour of the Supreme Court, but do not try to attend a Supreme Court argument with young children. Rule of thumb: To be sure of attending a Supreme Court argument or of obtaining a ticket to tour the Capitol, line up at either place by 7:30am. Start: Metro on the Blue Line to Capitol South, or on the Red Line to Union Station.

1. The Capitol

The story of the design and construction of the Capitol is a tumultuous one, full of strong personalities and brave compromises -- kind of like the history of the United States, actually. Startling truths abound, beginning with the fact that the most important U.S. building was designed in 1792 by a Scottish-trained physician from the British West Indies. William Thornton, the first architect of the Capitol, explained himself, "I lamented not having studied architecture and resolved to attempt that grand undertaking and study at the same time." Seventy years and three architects later, the Capitol completed its most notable feature, a 287-foot-high dome, made of two enormous cast-iron shells, one inside the other, with all the exterior trim, cornices, and columns painted to look like marble. Tilt your head all the way back to see the 19-foot-statue, "Freedom," which was set in place atop the dome in December 1863, at the height of the Civil War -- the same year that Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation.

2. Supreme Court

You don't have to be aware of the Supreme Court's schedule to know when a controversial case is up -- you'll observe the line of hopeful visitors stretching across the Court's front plaza. You'll spot media types, too. The southwest corner of the plaza is a favorite location for TV correspondents to deliver on-camera reports; with the right angle, the shot captures the newsperson and the crowds of people in endless queues, framed against the backdrop of the Court's stately columned edifice and elaborate pediment inscribed with the words EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW.

3. Library of Congress

As the world's largest library, the Library of Congress commands an inventory of some 130 million items. In an enduring effort to share its wealth, the Library reaches into its pockets, so to speak, to pull out wondrous objects from one of its particular collections, and then mounts an exhibition to show them off. One example: An ongoing exhibit titled "By Securing to Authors: Copyright, Commerce, and Creativity in America" displays an assortment of American copyrighted items, from the original Ken and Barbie dolls to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech. The Library of Congress: not just for bibliophiles.

4. Take a Break -- Le Bon Café

Order a sandwich and try to snag a seat at one of the outside tables. Or better yet, get it to go, and proceed to your next destination, where an Elizabethan garden awaits you. tel. 202/547-7200.

5. Folger Shakespeare Library and Garden

If your timing is right (try before noon or after 1pm), you'll have the garden to yourself -- to sit on a bench; munch on a picnic lunch; and relax amid the English ivy, rosemary, and lavender, all plantings true to Shakespeare's day. Positioned throughout the garden are statues of characters from eight of the Bard's plays. Stop inside to what's on in the paneled, Tudor-style Great Hall, and check the calendar for plays being staged in the re-created Elizabethan Theatre. Attend an evening production, if you can; they're always a treat.

6. U.S. Botanic Garden

Down the hill from the Capitol is this other garden -- well, several gardens, in fact -- contained within a large greenhouse. Not much is asked of you here -- you don't have to be a gardener to appreciate the beauty of orchids or the curiosity of the "Musa Praying Hands" (it's in the banana family). Be sure to climb all the way up the stairs in the tallest part of the conservatory and look out: You'll have views of the Capitol and the neighborhood that I'll bet most locals haven't even discovered.

7. National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery's special exhibits are always amazing, so if there's one being staged, go, no matter who the artist. But first, head to the East Wing and go straight to the tower at the top to take a look at the Matisse cutouts. They get less traffic than other artwork in the museum, mostly because not everyone's hip to them. Here's the tricky part, though: You should be here by 1:30pm (or 2:30pm on Sun) at the latest, for this exhibit is open only between 10am and 2pm Monday through Saturday, 11am to 3pm Sunday, to protect the pigments and paper of the cutouts. From here, you'll want to high-tail it over to the West Wing, to view as much of the grand sculpture galleries and European paintings from the 13th to the 19th century as time allows.

Take a taxi to the National Postal Museum.

8. National Postal Museum

Hard to believe, but this doable-in-an-hour museum is in the Smithsonian family. Let your kids run loose -- the museum is all on one level, and they won't get lost. In the meantime, you can read letters written during wartimes, learn about the history of the postal service, and develop a newfound appreciation for your postal worker back home.

9. Take a Break -- Union Station Food Court or The Dubliner

The Postal Museum closes at 5:30pm, which means that you have limited time to kill before you go on to the final leg of your itinerary: the memorials by moonlight tour. If you're hungry, head right next door to the Food Court at Union Station for quick food that's less expensive than any other dining option you'll find in the neighborhood. (The local chain Burrito Brothers is worth recommending.) The added benefit is that you'll have time to admire Union Station's architecture. If you opt for The Dubliner, tel. 202/737-3773 (across the street from the museum) -- primarily a bar but one that offers a serviceable hamburger -- you run the risk of not making it to your tour. It's your choice.

10. Union Station

This handsome structure is a major thoroughfare for commuters rushing for Metro and Amtrak trains, so watch out. The ticket kiosks for the various tour operations are at the front of the Main Hall, making them hard to miss; whether you've reserved space in advance (recommended) online or by phone, or you're just now purchasing your tickets, you'll need to stop by the booths to obtain the actual tour tickets. The Food Court is on the bottom level.

11. Moonlight Tour

Tourmobile and Old Town Trolley offer nighttime tours of the memorials and the Washington Monument. Some consider this the most dramatic way to view the historic sites. After a full day of sightseeing, it is certainly the easiest and most relaxing way to get around. Both operations offer narrated tours, with stops (for 20 min. or so) at the Lincoln, FDR, Vietnam Veterans, and Jefferson memorials. But their specific fares, routes, and schedules differ (Tourmobile's twilight tour, for instance, is a seasonal operation). Hop aboard and enjoy the ride.