Published 11-Feb-2009 by asc staff
About Washington, D.C.

About Washington, D.C.

The 2010 Applied Superconductivity Conference invites you to join us in beautiful Washington, D.C.

Besides being a great convention destination, Washington, D.C. offers an assortment of entertainment, outdoor activities and sightseeing opportunities.

Washington, D.C. has three houses of government, numerous museums, more than 100 memorials, an abundance of historic houses and federal buildings, acres of gorgeous parkland, and plenty of outdoor activities. Most of the main attractions have a free admission and there is always something big happening in Washington, D.C.!

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (~40 min by metro and foot) is one of the most popular of the presidential memorials since its opening in 1997. It includes waterfalls, sculptures, and Roosevelt's own words carved into the stone.
Metro: Smithsonian, with a 30-min. walk, or take Tourmobile.

The Lincoln Memorial (~10 min by metro) is a beautiful and moving tribute to the nation's 16th president. It attracts millions of visitors annually. Lincoln's legacy has made his memorial the site of numerous demonstrations by those seeking justice and where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once proclaimed, "I have a dream."
Metro: Foggy Bottom, then a 30-min. walk, or take Tourmobile, or catch the D.C. Circulator to 17th and Constitution and walk from there.

The National Air and Space Museum (~15 min by foot) holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It is now in its 32nd year and chronicles the story of the mastery of flight, from Kitty Hawk to outer space
Metro: L'Enfant Plaza (Smithsonian Museums/Maryland Ave. exit) or Smithsonian.

The National Gallery of Art (~15 min by foot) houses one of the world's foremost collections of Western paintings, sculpture, and graphic arts, from the Middle Ages into the 21st century.
Metro: Archives, Judiciary Square, or Smithsonian.

The National Museum of American History (~15 min by foot) is a treasure for US culture and history. It tells America's story of everyday life and is the most varied. You will for instance see the original Star-Spangled Banner, Abraham Lincoln's top hat and more.
Metro: Smithsonian or Federal Triangle.

The National Zoological Park (~30 min by metro) is home to about 2,400 animals, many of them rare and/or endangered. Established in 1889, it occupies 163 beautifully landscaped and wooded acres and is one of the country's most delightful zoos.
Metro: Woodley Park-Zoo or Cleveland Park.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery (~10 min by foot) is the third oldest federal building in the capital. With immense porticoes and columns on the outside, and colonnades, double staircases, vaulted galleries, and skylights inside, the museum captures your attention, no matter how or where you stand to look at it. The building occupies an entire city block.
Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown.

The Supreme Court of the United States (~15 min by foot) is the highest tribunal in the nation with the most powerful people in the nation. When the Court is not in session, you can tour the building and attend a free lecture in the courtroom about Court procedure and the building's architecture. Lectures are given every hour on the half-hour from 9:30am to 3:30pm.
Metro: Capitol South or Union Station.

The U.S. Capitol (~20 min by foot) is majestic up close as from afar. It sheltered both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. You will learn about America's history as you discover the classical architecture, interior embellishments, and hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and other artworks.
Metro: Union Station or Capitol South (to walk to the Capitol Visitor Center and the East Front of the Capitol).

The Washington Monument (~15 min by foot) is a tribute to George Washington. At the top, you'll be standing on the highest tip of the world's tallest freestanding work of masonry. The Washington Monument lies at the very heart of Washington, D.C., landmarks, and its 360-degree views are spectacular.
Metro: Smithsonian, then a 10-min. walk, or take Tourmobile or the D.C. Circulator (takes you close to it).

The White House (~20 min by foot) has served as residence, office, reception site, and world embassy for every U.S. president since John Adams. The White House is the only private residence of a head of state that has opened its doors to the public for tours. Thomas Jefferson started this practice, which is stopped only during wartime.
Metro: Federal Triangle

Washington, D.C. Restaurants:
The following site allows you to make reservations at some of the capital's best restaurants: http://www.opentable.com/.

For additional information on Washington, D.C., including where to go before and after the conference, please visit: http://www.washington.org/, http://www.dc.gov/, http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/, http://www.washingtonpost.com/.