I'm visiting my brother who lives in Washington DC in July and I'm looking for tips as to what to do there.
The hottest tips I've gotten so far are the Air and Space Museum and the Freemasons' Museum.
I don't know how available the White House/Capitolium is to tourists these days, anyone here who knows?

It's my first time in the US, so even Wal-Mart is exotic and new for me.

You can tour the whitehouse if you make prior reservations. I'm almost certain it's 100% free, but I don't remember. When I went, I got to go through all these back corridors to get to the elevator, and I saw this room with all of these crazy sci-fi type computers and stuff, then they quickly shut the door. I'm not kidding you, it looked like 80's sci-fi.

Anyway, the usual monuments are rather boring. Do a once around the mall, and you're fine. The Masonic Museum was boring, in my opinion. As was the air and space museum. Both were small (Big exhibits, but if you count up the exhibits, rather small) in comparison to the other smithsonian museums. Natural History museum was possibly the coolest museum I've ever been to. Amazing stuff, there. I'm starting to get foggy with my museums, because I've been to a LOT of places.

A majority of the city is absolutely dangerous, so don't travel alone. I'm telling you, DC is probably the most dangerous place I've ever been. Worse than some of the bad places in New York, which I've also been to. In general, don't go anywhere on foot alone. Don't bring a car, either, because the streets are narrow and packed. Rely on public transportation, or someone you know. Trying to drive DC's streets on your own is HARD.

If you're interested, there's LOTS of nice music in DC. I personally just wandered around to different open doors with music. This is mostly across the river, though.

That's all I've got. I'll ask my friend what he liked, and report back.

Edit: I just remembered, GO TO THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM. Possibly the most moving thing I've ever seen. Literally after a quick three hour walk through (You'd need 9 to obsorb all of the information in this thing.) I was spontaniously crying. Like, I was subconsciously so sad, that I was crying without really noticing it. It's REALLY insightful. There's a particular room with all of the shoes they've collected from a camp, and it's catistophically moving. You have to see this museum.

The Natural History museum is really cool. Air & Space is too. American history museum is so-so.

Go to the US mint (or is it Treasury) if you can. It's only a couple of blocks away from the mall.

I actually really liked the American History Museum. I didn't get much time in it, but it was massive. Lots of cool art in the art area.

All under the "Smithsonian Complex"

• National Gallery of Art
• National Museum of Natural History
• National Air and Space Museum
• National Zoo

Also, visit all the landmarks, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, White House, Congress, Supreme Court, etc... It's all very cool.

Also, Baltimore is a stone's throw away, and has probally the best Aquarium in the World.

There's a few massassians in the area, as well. Sugarless, Happydud, Madquack, Heedebee, Gebface, myself... probally some others Im forgetting... we could certainly have a -ian meetup in DC (I havent been in a while, it could be fun)

the aquarium is awesome yes, and across the way from it in that shopping complex with like the food court on the second floor is the BEST PIZZA EVAR! its not a mall, more like a permanant flea market O_o

also in the baltimore area is the fort who ramparts 'o'er we watched' and the 'flag was still there'

cant remember what its name is though... :/ pretty cool though. you can stand on the ramparts.

All of the memorials are great to visit, so you could check out thw WWII memorial, Vietnam memorial, Lincoln memorial, etc...

I love the national gallery of Art, but then again I'm also an Art History nerd. I know there's a festival going on now in the national mall, so you could check that out or if it's not there, you could always picnic there or something. Museum of Natural History and the Air & Space museums are cool - basically all of the smithsonian museums (or a lot of them anyway) are on the national mall, which is why it's a good place to start.

And screw Baltimore - go to Annapolis!! yay! But yeah, I sometimes meet up with my friends from school in DC (since they live in NOVA, it's the perfect halfway point) so I'd be willing to do a meet up around there.

Also: I hear the spy museum's fantastic

If you go to Georgetown and the surrounding area, there are plenty of nice restaurants, shops, some clubs, etc.

All the Smithsonian Museums. You can walk to and around all the big monuments. Visit the Georgetown campus too. It's really nice. There are a lot of other museums in DC too.

The ZOO sucked. I like looking at animals and such, but I wasn't impressed with the National Zoo. St. Louis Zoo is much better.

I have a list of Representatives and Senators I'd like you to punch for me.

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml These guys

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm <-- These guys

I think he means things he could do without getting shot

Don't worry, lass. I know karate!

[ninjaedit]

A meetup sounds fun! Anyone else up for it? I'm in Washington (effectivley) 14th-16th and 28th-30st July.

Definitely the Holocaust Museum, and after that probably the Air and Space Museum and National Gallery of Art. If you're interested in music, check out the 9:30 club and the Black Cat.

also, the Newseum is a lot more interesting than it sounds. theres some cool stuff there, and an entire wall the length of a football field, probably 20 feet high, that has the front pages from every major newspaper in the country.

i like the sculpture they have dedicated to all the journalists killed on the job. its cool lookin. its just a little down teh wya from a piece of the berlin wall too.

Shoot people with a high-powered rifle.

I have nothing to say that hasn't already been said, but I just wanted to say that I'm all for Massassian meet-up

DC is really big. Not the city itself, I mean, it's still big, but what I'm talking about is the buildings themselves. It looks like every time the architects designed a building they said, "Hey! Let's build this 4x out of scale. And stone!".

YES! I haven't been to the black cat, however.