How to Do an Architectural Tour of Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. boasts some of the world's finest architecture. The United States Capital, the United States Supreme Court and the White House are all examples of the fine neoclassical architecture present in Washinton D.C. Additionally, the city is home to fine samples of modern and more abstract architecture such as the Hirshhorn Museum and the Vietnam Memorial.

Instructions

1. Start your architectural tour with visits to U.S. Government buildings including The White House, U.S. Capital, Supreme Court and the Pentagon. Many of these buildings are representative of neoclassical architecture.

2. Spend time walking around the Washington Monument, the tallest structure in Washington D.C. Take the elevator to the top of the 555-foot structure which was designed by Robert Mills.

3. Visit the Vietnam Memorial, designed by architect Maya Lin during her undergraduate term at Yale University. The monument, made of black granite from Bangalore, India, contains the names of 58,256 people who died or are still missing.

4. Enjoy a trip to the Hirshhorn Museum, designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft. This cylinder-shaped building has a hollowed center. Modern artwork is displayed along the curved interior walls, and a recessed sculpture garden sits in the middle. Call [phone] for hours of operation.

5. Tour the East Wing of the National Gallery, designed by I. M. Pei. This wedge-shaped building has an H-shaped facade. Contact [phone] for information.

6. Walk through the National Building Museum which was designed in 1881 by a U.S. Army General and civil engineer named Montgomery C. Meigs. The building is representative of Italian Renaissance design. For hours of operation, call [phone].

7. Visit the Temple of the Scottish Rite, which is a neoclassical building designed by John Russell Pope. The building is located in the Sixteenth Street Historic District. Both the Jefferson Memorial and the National Archives were also Pope's designs.