Washington, D.C.

Together with New York City, Washington D.C. is arguably the most popular cultural destination in the United States. Indeed, four of the six most visited US museums are in the federal capital. Many of the city’s most important museums are located on, or near, the National Mall, the 1.9 mile-long linear park which forms the backbone of Washington’s urban fabric and visually connects the Lincoln Memorial at its eastern end with the United States Capitol at its western one. The Mall is flanked by world-known monuments, museums, and cultural institutions, such as those part of the famous Smithsonian Quadrangle – a 388,000 square-foot district which contains several gardens, museums, and education centers managed by the Smithsonian Institution – or the National Gallery of Art, where you can also admire the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci on public view in America.

Cover image, the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard at the American Art Museum. Photo Bathlander / Smithsonian Institution.