Whether you’re a freshman, transfer student, or even just visiting D.C., it can be overwhelming to try and decide which sites to pack into your time in the District. As a student entirely new to the east coast, I didn’t even know where to start. There are so many landmarks and important destinations, I didn’t want to miss seeing any of them in my first year. So, instead of tentatively browsing those travel websites, just put these locations down on your “to-see” list. Everybody starts somewhere.
1. The White House
Obviously. Not just because it’s the home of our good friend Barrack, but also because everyone’s Instagram feed needs that White House selfie. It’s the one location that all your friends and family will ask you if you’ve seen, and for good reason.
2. The National Gallery of Art
You can spend hours going through the various works of art that date back thousands of years. There’s always an interesting exhibit on tour there. Right now they are hosting the Degas/Cassatt exhibit in which they feature works by both artists, as well as their famous collaboration of Little Girl In a Blue Armchair.
3. National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History was opened in 1910 and holds over 126 million articles of plants, minerals, and animal artifacts, as well as human cultural artifacts. We all know the saying that a diamond is a girl’s best friend, but you’ve never seen one like the Hope Diamond, which is housed at the Natural History Museum. It is a 45.52 carat diamond that appears blue to the naked eye and is rumored to be cursed. I’ve visited this museum many times and still haven’t seen it all. It’s worth a few visits.
4. National Air and Space Museum
Even if you didn’t dream of being an astronaut when you grew up, there is something for you at the Air and Space Museum. It holds the largest number of historic air and spacecrafts in the entire world, which is something to be marvelled at. Not only that, but almost all of the aircrafts and spacecrafts are either the original, or the direct backup to the original used in actual flight. Plus, you can tell all of your friends that you touched a moon rock. Worth it.
5. The United States Botanic Garden
This is not really a destination on the top of everyone’s list, but nonetheless it is not one to be overlooked. There is room after room of beautiful flowers and various plants from all over the world. I guarantee that you will see something in there that you have never seen before. And if you are into photography, there are plenty of good photo ops at this botanic garden. It’s a great place to relax and change pace from the crowded National Mall.
These are all places to visit around the mall. But don’t just limit yourself to the touristy locations. There is a lot to see and do in D.C. and the best way to find out what you like is to do some exploring of your own. There is no better time to take advantage of such a historically diverse city, especially while the weather and your homework load are still bearable. Plus, every location listed is free to visit, which is friendly to any college student’s budget. So this weekend why not go out and see something new?