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The Enid A. Haupt Garden behind the Smithsonian Castle
QUESTIONS ANSWERED AT LENGTH

The Journal

Visitor questions about Washington, answered at length: a White House tour, the cherry blossom peak, riding the Metro, getting in from Dulles, the faded Declaration and the two-colored Monument.

Photo: ajay_suresh, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

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Each one a single question, answered in full01

The articles

  1. 01How do you get a White House tour?
    The White House and Lafayette Square

    How do you get a White House tour?

    Public tours of the White House are free, self-guided and arranged only through a member of Congress, up to six months ahead, with a background check for older visitors. How the request works, what you see, and what to do if you cannot get one.

  2. 02How do you get from Dulles Airport to downtown Washington?
    Getting Here

    How do you get from Dulles Airport to downtown Washington?

    Dulles is 26 miles west of the city, in Virginia, and since November 2022 the Silver Line of the Metro has run straight to it. How the airport is laid out, how to reach the train, what the ride is like, and when a taxi makes more sense.

  3. 03How does the Washington Metro work for visitors?
    Getting Around

    How does the Washington Metro work for visitors?

    The Metro has six colored lines, 98 stations and fares that depend on distance and time of day, so you tap in and tap out. How to pay, find the right platform, change lines and reach the sights, the airports and Union Station.

  4. 04When do the cherry blossoms peak in Washington?
    The Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial

    When do the cherry blossoms peak in Washington?

    Peak bloom at the Tidal Basin usually falls between the last week of March and the first week of April, but it has come as early as mid-March and as late as mid-April. What peak bloom means, how the Park Service forecasts it, and how to plan a trip around a date nobody knows in advance.

  5. 05Why is the Declaration of Independence so faded?
    The National Archives

    Why is the Declaration of Independence so faded?

    The Declaration in the National Archives Rotunda is barely legible, and the famous clear version is a copy made in 1823. How the signed parchment lost its ink, where it traveled, and how it is kept now.

  6. 06Why is the Washington Monument two colors?
    The Washington Monument

    Why is the Washington Monument two colors?

    About a third of the way up, the Washington Monument changes shade. The line marks where building stopped in 1854 and started again in 1879, and the stone above it came from different quarries. How it happened and where to see it best.

Written one at a time02

Next on the list

  • The United States CapitolWhat is inside the Capitol Rotunda, and who painted its dome?
  • The United States CapitolHow do you watch the House or the Senate in session?
  • The Library of Congress and the Supreme CourtWhat is Thomas Jefferson's library, and how much of it survives?
  • The Library of Congress and the Supreme CourtHow do you visit the Supreme Court when it is in session?
  • Union StationWhy was Union Station built so grand?
  • The National Gallery of ArtWhere can you see the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in the Americas?
  • The National Museum of Natural HistoryWhat is the story of the Hope Diamond?
  • The National Museum of African American History and CultureHow is the National Museum of African American History and Culture arranged?
  • The National Air and Space MuseumWhat happened to the Wright Flyer before it came to the Smithsonian?
  • The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture GardenWhy is the Hirshhorn Museum shaped like a drum?