WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
THIS IS THE STUDENTS ON TOUR CORE EDUCATION PROGRAM
Most Students on Tour Education Programs to Washington, D.C. include:
-
United States Capitol Building
-
Supreme Court
-
Library of Congress
-
Night Illumination Tour of the national monuments and memorials (Lincoln, Jefferson, FDR, MLK, World War II, Vietnam and Korean Wars)
-
Smithsonian Museums
-
Arlington National Cemetery
With extended time or an additional day the program may include:
-
The National Archives
-
Ford's Theatre and the Petersen House
-
George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate
-
Additional memorials (Air Force, Iwo Jima, Pentagon)
-
White House Photo Stop
With another additional day the program may include:
-
Full visit of the Holocaust Museum
-
Newseum, International Spy Museum, evening military program (in season)
-
White House Tour - (dependent on approval of request)
-
National Cathedral Tour
CLIMATE
The climate of Washington, D.C. varies greatly. In the winter it can be bitterly cold; temperatures rarely rise above freezing. In the summer it is hot and extremely humid. The best time to visit is in the spring and fall when the air is less humid and the temperatures are mild.
Rain! It is almost impossible to miss rain on a trip to Washington. The rainiest season is in summer between May and August.
GEOGRAPHY
Carved from south-central Maryland, Washington is bordered on three sides by that state and sits across the Potomac River from Virginia on its fourth side. The District is also divided by the
Anacostia River and Rock Creek. One fourth of the District is park land. The city is divided into four quadrants: northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest.
The District has three natural flowing bodies of water: the Potomac River, the Anacostia River, and Rock Creek. Both Anacostia River and Rock Creek are tributaries of the Potomac. The famous Tidal Basin is man-made and was developed in the early 1900s.
ESSENTIALS
-
Gazing up at the Rotunda dome inside the United State Capitol – 180 feet to the curve of the dome!
-
Watching the Changing of the Guard Ceremony in Arlington National Cemetery.
-
Exploring the vast treasures of the Smithsonian Institution Museums.
Get Prepared
WATCH
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Columbia Pictures (1939)
National Treasure, Touchstone Pictures (2004)
READ
Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the United States Constitution. This is where the Constitution establishes a district that will later be known as the District of Columbia
LISTEN
Patriotic marches;
President's Inaugural Addresses;
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, "I Have a Dream" speech;
Marian Anderson singing at the Lincoln Memorial
EAT
Washington, D.C. is home to people from all over the world. Be adventurous and try some ethnic food.
Washington is close to the Chesapeake Bay, so there is plenty of good seafood in the area. We recommend the clam chowder at the Fish Market in Alexandria.
DRINK
A lot of water.
IN A WORD:
Monumental!
SURPRISES
-
The Capitol dome remains the tallest building in Washington, D.C., due to a rule within the building codes. The only exception to this rule is the Washington Monument, but this structure is not considered a building.
-
Seeing how large the memorials are in real life, especially the Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima).
-
Finding out that the Smithsonian Institution consists of 17 separate museums and one zoo in Washington, D.C. – plus two more museums in New York City!
