10 Things to do in Washington DC

Located on the National Mall, the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial are must-sees.

The Washington Monument, which honors our first president, is the city's tallest structure, measuring 555 feet in height. Obtain a free time-assigned ticket and take the 70-second elevator ride to the observation area for a panoramic view of the District of Columbia.

The dome-shaped Jefferson Memorial pays tribute to Thomas Jefferson, who crafted the Declaration of Independence and served as America's third president.

Featuring a larger-than-life statue of Abraham Lincoln sitting amid stately Greek columns, the Lincoln Memorial is particularly impressive when illuminated at night, a time when it also tends to be less crowded.

Bearing the inscribed names of 58,209 American military personnel who were killed or never came home from Southeast Asia, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a V-shaped wall constructed of black granite.

Appealing to all ages, the world's most visited museum features an unrivaled collection of historic planes and spacecraft. While admission is free to this and other Smithsonian Institution museums, some activities such as a flight simulator and the Albert Einstein Planetarium do charge a fee.

In addition to serving as the home for both houses of Congress, the U.S. Capitol has a new underground addition. A 580,000 square foot visitor's center that opened Dec. 2, 2008. Entrance to the Capitol Visitor Center and tours of the Capitol are free. Visitors also may observe sessions of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate by obtaining gallery passes from their lawmakers' offices.

Free public tours also are held at the White House, but you must plan ahead. Contact the offices of your members of Congress for more information.

The museum houses 125 million items, including a live coral reef, dinosaur skeletons and a collection of gems highlighted by the Hope Diamond. As another facility overseen by the Smithsonian Institute, there is no admission charge.

Lions, tigers, elephants and pandas -- oh my! Located north of the trendy Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan neighborhoods, the National Zoo is open every day except Christmas with no charge for admission.

No history buff should miss a chance to visit the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, the permanent home for the Bill of Rights, Constitution and Declaration of Independence. The National Archives does not charge an admission fee but advance reservations are recommended.

More than four million people come each year to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame at President John F. Kennedy's grave. The cemetery, which is across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, also features thousands of headstones where veterans from all of the nation's wars are buried. The United States Marine Corps War Memorial, better known as the Iwo Jima statue, is nearby.

News junkies are flocking to one of Washington's newest attractions--the $450 million Newseum that opened in 2008. Headlined by a marble engraving of the First Amendment that is 74 feet high, the facility features 14 galleries and 15 theaters chronicling five centuries of the biggest news stories. Admission is currently $20 for adults and $13 for youths. Children under 6 are free.

Works by da Vinci, Rubens, Rembrandt, Money, van Gogh, Cezanne and others are on display at the museum, which also features a sculpture garden where visitors can ice skate during the winter. Admission is always free.

The neogothic Washington National Cathedral is one of America's architectural masterpieces and spiritual icons. Located in northwest Washington, the cathedral took 83 years to complete and is made primarily of Indiana limestone. Tours of the cathedral are available with a requested contribution of $5 for adults.