25 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Washington, D.C.

On the north side of the Lincoln Memorial is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

View of the Capitol from the Washington Monument | Photo Copyright: Michael Law

The National Mall is a spacious swath of lawns and pools that form a wide greenbelt from the Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial, and it is the site of many of Washington's landmark buildings, monuments, memorials, and museums.

Address: 2 Lincoln Memorial Circle, NW, Washington, D.C.

Lincoln Memorial Reflection Pool | Photo Copyright: Lana Law

Visiting this and other Mall monuments is one of the favorite things to do in Washington, D.C. at night.

Since its completion in 1922, the Lincoln Memorial has been the scene of several historic events.

The Lincoln Memorial from the grounds of the Washington Monument | Photo Copyright: Lana Law

The best-loved of all Washington's memorials, the Lincoln Memorial stands at the far west end of the mall, separated from the Washington Monument by the Reflecting Pool.

East of the Capitol are the Supreme Court Building; the Library of Congress; and Folger Shakespeare Library, home of the world's largest collection of the printed works of William Shakespeare.

The interior is resplendent with frescoes, reliefs, and paintings, especially the rotunda under the great cast-iron dome with a ceiling painting by Constantino Brumidi and huge paintings of scenes from American history on the walls.