401 F St NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 272-2448
The site of the April 14, 1865, assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, Ford's Theatre is a working theatre, historical monument, world-class museum and learning center. The theatre produces musicals and plays reflecting the unique, diverse character of American life. With its inspiring theatrical productions, live historic interpretation, and rich collection of artifacts, Ford’s Theatre is the premier destination in the nation’s capital for all audiences to explore and celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s ideals and leadership principles: courage, integrity, tolerance, equality, and creative expression.
The National Archives Building, known informally as Archives I, is the original headquarters of the National Archives and Records Administration. It is located north of the National Mall at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C.. The Rotunda entrance is on Constitution Avenue, while the research entrance is on Pennsylvania Avenue.ExhibitsIt holds the original copies of the three main formative documents of the United States and its government: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. It also hosts an original version of the 1297 Magna Carta confirmed by Edward I. These are displayed to the public in the main chamber of the National Archives, which is called the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom. The National Archives Building also exhibits other important American historical documents such as the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, the Emancipation Proclamation, and collections of photography and other historically and culturally significant American artifacts.
Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square combines simple elegance and modern design to create a versatile venue space perfect for any event. Located across the street from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, this historic landmark has awe inspiring architecture, spacious rooms, a 150-seat theater and a grand exterior plaza. Dedicated in 1903 by Theodore Roosevelt and Andrew Carnegie, Carnegie Library is part of the two hundred year history of Mt. Vernon and continues to serve Washingtonians and visitors alike. As a special event venue, Carnegie Library showcases its versatility by hosting weddings, galas, holiday parties and even the Capital Showdown boxing press conference featuring Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson. The Library is comprised of seven ornate rooms – including the L’Enfant Map Room which features an illuminated floor map of Washington, D.C. Carnegie Library also serves as home to the notable Kiplinger Library. Take your event to the next level and host your special event at Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. www.eventsdc.com To obtain more information on Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square, please contact Kristina Noell at [email protected] or 202.249.3229
America's transfer from civil war to peace was made more difficult on April 14, 1865, when Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed, just five days after General Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House. A well-known actor, John Wilkes Booth, desperate to aid the dying Confederacy, stepped into the president's box. Booth's decision to pull the trigger altered the nation's power to reconstruct after the war. Booth escaped into the night as Abraham Lincoln was carried to the Petersen boarding house across the street. It was there that President Lincoln died early the next morning, and became the first American president to be assassinated. Explore Ford's Theatre National Historic Site and discover some of the motivations behind this tragic act and its impact on a nation trying to heal.
The Petersen House is a 19th-century federal style row house located at 516 10th Street NW in Washington, D.C. On April 15, 1865, United States President Abraham Lincoln died there after being shot the previous evening at Ford's Theatre located across the street. The house was built in 1849 by William A. Petersen, a German tailor. Future Vice-President John C. Breckinridge, a friend of the Lincoln family, once rented this house in 1852.Lincoln assassinationOn the night of April 14, 1865, Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd were attending a performance of Our American Cousin when John Wilkes Booth, an actor and Southern sympathizer, entered the box and shot the President in the back of the head. Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris were also in the box with the Lincolns, and Rathbone suffered stab wounds. Attendants including Charles Leale and Charles Sabin Taft examined Lincoln in the box before having him carried across the street to the Petersen House, where boarder Henry Safford directed them inside.
The J. Edgar Hoover Building is a low-rise office building located at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It is the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Planning for the building began in 1962, and a site was formally selected in January 1963. Design work, focusing on avoiding the typical blocky, monolithic structure typical of most federal architecture at the time, began in 1963 and was largely complete by 1964 (although final approval did not occur until 1967). Land clearance and excavation of the foundation began in March 1965; delays in obtaining congressional funding meant that only the three-story substructure was complete by 1970. Work on the superstructure began in May 1971. These delays meant that the cost of the project grew to $126.108 million from $60 million. Construction finished in September 1975, and President Gerald Ford dedicated the structure on September 30, 1975.The building is named for former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. President Richard Nixon directed federal agencies to refer to the structure as the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building on May 4, 1972, but the order did not have the force of law. The U.S. Congress enacted legislation formally naming the structure on October 14, 1972, and President Nixon signed it on October 21.The J. Edgar Hoover Building has 2800876sqft of internal space, numerous amenities, and a special, secure system of elevators and corridors to keep public tours separate from the rest of the building. The building has three floors below-ground, and an underground parking garage. The structure is eight stories high on the Pennsylvania Avenue NW side, and 11 stories high on the E Street NW side. Two wings connect the two main buildings, forming an open-air, trapezoidal courtyard. The exterior is buff-colored precast and cast-in-place concrete with repetitive, square, bronze-tinted windows set deep in concrete frames.
The Carnegie Library of Washington D.C. is situated in Mount Vernon Square, Washington, D.C.. Donated to the public by entrepreneur Andrew Carnegie, it was dedicated on January 7, 1903. It was designed by the New York firm of Ackerman & Ross in the style of Beaux-Arts architecture.It was the first Carnegie library in Washington, D.C., and the first public library. It was also D.C.'s first desegregated public building.It was used as the central public library for Washington, D.C. for almost 70 years before it became overcrowded. The central library was then moved to Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. After being shut down for ten years it was renovated as part of University of the District of Columbia. Currently it is used by the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. and Events DC.In 2014, Events DC twice sought to move the International Spy Museum into the library, but failed to win historic preservation approval.In September 2016, Apple Inc. proposed renovating the library into D.C.'s second Apple Store location.
Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in the city of Washington, D.C. Established on September 30, 1965, the site is roughly bounded by Constitution Avenue, 15th Street NW, F Street NW, and 3rd Street NW. The historic district includes a number of culturally, aesthetically, and historically significant structures and places, including Pennsylvania Avenue NW from the White House to the United States Capitol, the Treasury Building, Freedom Plaza, Federal Triangle, Ford's Theatre, the Old Patent Office Building, the Old Pension Office Building (which now houses the National Building Museum), Judiciary Square, and the Peace Monument.Pennsylvania Avenue, the heart of the historic site, is recognized by many as "America's Main Street." The avenue plays a significant part in American political culture as well. "Since its creation in the head of L'Enfant, from the time Jefferson planted Lombardy poplars along its edge, this has been the most important avenue in Washington," noted author Jeffrey F. Meyer. "It is the corridor of power, linking the legislative, judicial, and executive branches." Professor of architecture Michael J. Bednar, commenting on the role the avenue plays in the nation's political life, has written, "A march down Pennsylvania Avenue...brings high visibility and prestige to a group and its cause." Historian Lucy G. Barber, who has studied the site's political meaning, has called it one of the "central and most potent national spaces of the nation." The American Planning Association said in 2014 that a "march down Pennsylvania Avenue holds great symbolic meaning and has played a role in the fight for workers' rights, women's suffrage, and civil rights."
Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building is the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the United States Department of Justice.The building is located at 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, on a trapezoidal lot on the block bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue to the north, Constitution Avenue to the south, 9th Street to the east, and 10th Street NW to the west, in the Federal Triangle. It is located west of the National Archives Building, east of the Internal Revenue Service Building, north of the National Mall, and south of the J. Edgar Hoover Building. The building is owned by the General Services Administration. It comprises seven floors and 1200000sqft. It houses Department of Justice offices, including the office of the United States Attorney General. Completed in 1935, it was renamed after the 64th Attorney General of the United States, Robert F. Kennedy, in 2001.
The E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse is a historic building in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1949–50 and currently houses the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.SignificanceThe courthouse is one of the last buildings constructed in the Judiciary Square and Municipal Center complex, an important civic enclave since the 1820s. It constitutes an almost entirely unaltered example of early 1950s Stripped Classicism, a non-representational abstraction of the classical style that permeated institutional (especially government) architecture after the Second World War. President Harry S. Truman laid the cornerstone on June 27, 1950, and the building opened in November 1952. It was listed by the National Register of Historic Places. and is a contributing property to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site. It was renamed in 1997 in honor of E. Barrett Prettyman, the former Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.Architectural descriptionThe courthouse was built on Reservation 10, a site bounded by Constitution Avenue, Third Street, C Street and John Marshall Place. The building faces south across Constitution Avenue towards the Mall, and was erected on the northwest quadrant of its site. This placement accommodated driveways along the south and west facades, and along with the subsequent plazas and landscaping, provided a buffer between the colonnades of the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse and the verdant Mall, onto which it opened before I.M Pei's 1970 addition to the National Gallery.
The Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon is a carillon dedicated as a memorial to U.S. Senator Robert Alphonso Taft, son of President William Howard Taft.The memorial is located north of the Capitol, on Constitution Avenue between New Jersey Avenue and First Street, N.W. Designed by architect Douglas W. Orr, the memorial consists of a Tennessee marble tower and a 10ft bronze statue of Senator Taft sculpted by Wheeler Williams. The shaft of the tower measures 100ft high, 11ft deep, and 32ft wide. Above the statue is inscribed, "This Memorial to Robert A. Taft, presented by the people to the Congress of the United States, stands as a tribute to the honesty, indomitable courage, and high principles of free government symbolized by his life." The base of the memorial measures 55 by 45ft and stands approximately 15ft high. Jets of water flow into a basin that rings the base.The twenty-seven bells in the upper part of the tower were cast in the Paccard Foundry in Annecy-le-Vieux, France. The largest, or bourdon bell, weighs 7 tons (6350 kg). At the dedication ceremony on April 14, 1959, former President Herbert Hoover stated, "When these great bells ring out, it will be a summons to integrity and courage." The large central bell strikes on the hour, while the smaller fixed bells chime on the quarter-hour. By resolution of Congress, they play "The Star-Spangled Banner" at 2 p.m. on the Fourth of July.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum, the nation's first collection of American art, is an unparalleled record of the American experience from the colonial period to today, featuring works by Homer & Sargent to Christo & Rauschenburg. FREE The Renwick Gallery, a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, features one of the finest collections of American craft in the United States. Its collections, exhibition program and publications highlight the best craft objects and decorative arts from the 19th century to the present. FREE Find us on other social media sites: www.americanart.si.edu/visit/social_media Any data that users post on this site or that the Smithsonian collects from this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policies which can be found at: www.si.edu/termsofuse/ and www.si.edu/privacy/. The Smithsonian may archive materials posted on this website pursuant to its document retention policies. By posting content, you are giving the Smithsonian and those authorized by the Smithsonian permission to use or modify it for any educational, promotional, or other standard museum purpose, in media of all kinds whether now known or later developed.
The International Spy Museum opened in Washington, DC on July 19, 2002. It is the only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to espionage and the only one in the world to provide a global perspective on an all-but-invisible profession that has shaped history and continues to have a significant impact on world events. The Museum features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display. Many of these objects are being seen by the public for the first time. These artifacts illuminate the work of famous spies and pivotal espionage actions as well as help bring to life the strategies and techniques of the men and women behind some of the most secretive espionage missions in world history. The mission of the International Spy Museum is to educate the public about espionage in an engaging way and to provide a context that fosters understanding of its important role in and impact on current and historic events. The Museum focuses on human intelligence and reveals the role spies have played in world events throughout history. It is committed to the apolitical presentation of the history of espionage in order to provide visitors with nonbiased, accurate information. The International Spy Museum is easily accessible by Washington, DC's Metrorail system. The closest Metro station is the Gallery Place/Chinatown stop, served by the RED,YELLOW and GREEN lines. Also nearby is the Metro Center station, served by the ORANGE, BLUE, and RED lines.
Any data that users post on this site or that the Smithsonian collects from this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policies which can be found at: http://www.si.edu/termsofuse/ and http://www.si.edu/privacy/. The Smithsonian may archive materials posted on this website pursuant to its document retention policies. By posting content, you are giving the Smithsonian and those authorized by the Smithsonian permission to use or modify it for any educational, promotional, or other standard museum purpose, in media of all kinds whether now known or later developed.
FREE ADMISSION About the Gallery: Masterworks by the most renowned European and American artists, including the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Americas and the largest mobile ever created by Alexander Calder, await visitors to the National Gallery of Art, one of the world's preeminent art museums. The Gallery’s collection of paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture, medals, and decorative arts traces the development of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present. Open to the public free of charge, the Gallery was created for the people of the United States of America by a joint resolution of Congress accepting the gift of Andrew W. Mellon in 1937. The Gallery’s campus includes the original neoclassical West Building designed by John Russell Pope, which is linked underground to the modern East Building designed by I.M. Pei, and the verdant 6.1-acre Sculpture Garden. Temporary special exhibitions spanning the world and the history of art are presented frequently. Learn more about the Gallery at http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/about.html Explore the collection at http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/Collection.html Browse the Gallery's many free public programs, including tours, lectures, concerts, films, and family programs, at http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/calendar.html Learn about the tours available in foreign languages at http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/calendar/guided-tours/foreign-language.html Consider the variety of dining options at the National Gallery at http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/visit/cafe.html Learn about the Gallery Shops and browse online at https://shop.nga.gov/ Stay up to date on Gallery news and events by subscribing to our free e-mail newsletters at http://subscribe.nga.gov/subscription_form_ngart.cfm Support the Gallery at http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/support.html
Welcome to our Facebook page! Please feel free to share thoughts about our posts, ask us questions, or tell us about your visit. We hope you’ll contribute to this interactive forum and to our ongoing conversation about the work we do to further the Smithsonian's mission to increase and diffuse knowledge. While on-topic discussion is encouraged, we ask that you express yourself in a civil manner and treat other users with respect. The National Postal Museum also monitors this page and may remove posts consistent with the Smithsonian's terms of use, as described at http://si.edu/Termsofuse#user-gen. Be aware that Facebook is a third-party website with its own terms of use and privacy policy. The Smithsonian does not control Facebook’s collection, use, or dissemination of information. To protect your privacy and the privacy of others, do not include any personally identifiable information that you do not wish to be made available to the general public. In addition, the Smithsonian may archive materials posted on this website pursuant to its document retention policies. By posting content, you are giving the Smithsonian and those authorized by the Smithsonian permission to use or modify it for any educational, promotional, or other standard museum purpose, in media of all kinds whether now known or later developed. Any data that users post on this site or that the Smithsonian collects from this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policies which can be found at: http://www.si.edu/termsofuse/ and http://www.si.edu/privacy/.
News from and about the NMNH Dept. Invertebrate Zoology & its affiliates: NOAA/NMFS National Systematics Laboratory and USDA National Parasite Collection.
The National Museum of the American Indian is part of the Smithsonian Institution and is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the Native Americans of the Western Hemisphere. It has three facilities: the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., which opened on September 21, 2004, on Fourth Street and Independence Avenue, Southwest; the George Gustav Heye Center, a permanent museum in New York City; and the Cultural Resources Center, a research and collections facility in Suitland, Maryland. The foundations for the present collections were first assembled in the former Museum of the American Indian in New York City, which was established in 1916, and which became part of the Smithsonian in 1990.HistoryFollowing controversy over the discovery by Native American leaders that the Smithsonian Institution held more than 12,000–18,000 Indian remains, mostly in storage, United States Senator Daniel Inouye introduced in 1989 the National Museum of the American Indian Act. Passed as Public Law 101-185, it established the National Museum of the American Indian as "a living memorial to Native Americans and their traditions". The Act also required that human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony be considered for repatriation to tribal communities, as well as objects acquired illegally. Since 1989 the Smithsonian has repatriated over 5,000 individual remains – about 1/3 of the total estimated human remains in its collection.
Welcome to our Facebook page! Please feel free to share thoughts about our posts, ask us questions, or tell us about your visit. We hope you’ll contribute to this interactive forum and to our ongoing conversation about the work we do to further the Smithsonian's mission to increase and diffuse knowledge. While on-topic discussion is encouraged, we ask that you express yourself in a civil manner and treat other users with respect. The Smithsonian also monitors and may remove posts consistent with its terms of use, as described at http://si.edu/Termsofuse#user-gen. Privacy Policy: http://www.si.edu/privacy/ Terms of Use: http://si.edu/Termsofuse
The National Museum of Women in the Arts brings recognition to the achievements of women artists of all periods and nationalities by exhibiting, preserving, acquiring, and researching art by women and by teaching the public about their accomplishments. To fulfill its mission, the museum cares for and displays a permanent collection, presents special exhibitions, conducts education programs, maintains a Library and Research Center, publishes a member magazine and books on women artists, and supports a network of state and international committees. NMWA also serves as a center for the performing and literary arts and other creative disciplines. If you are interested in hosting an event at NMWA, please visit: http://nmwa.org/host-event.
Welcome to the Facebook page for the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC. You can also find a Facebook page for our second location, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. We hope you will like both pages to find out what goes on behind the scenes, learn about aviation and space history, and share your thoughts with us. Let us know what you'd like to see from us on Facebook!
The National Museum of the American offers free admission and has two main locations, its museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and the George Gustav Heye Center in New York City. It is a museum of living cultures dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of the life, languages, literature, history and arts of the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere. Social Media Policy: http://s.si.edu/emVrm
The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) is one of the oldest botanic gardens in North America and informs visitors about the importance, value and diversity of plants, as well as their aesthetic, cultural, economic, therapeutic and ecological significance. With more than a million visitors annually, the USBG strives to demonstrate and promote sustainable practices. The Garden is a living plant museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
The Smithsonian Institution’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden welcomes visitors at all levels of understanding to experience the transformative power of contemporary art. The museum collects, preserves, and presents international modern and contemporary art in all media, distinguished by in-depth holdings of major artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. By collaborating with artists on exhibitions, programs, and special projects, the Hirshhorn provides an important national platform in Washington, DC for the vision and voices of artists. The museum is open daily from 10 am to 5:30 pm (closed December 25) and is located at Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW; admission is free. Smithsonian Institution Terms of Use: http://www.si.edu/Termsofuse
GALERIA ISAAG (Inter-American Development Bank Staff Association Art Gallery) offers exhibitions and cultural activities for Bank employees and the public to experience the various expressions of emerging and established contemporary artists from the member countries of the Bank in both Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as from member countries in America, Asia, and Europe. Through its programming, the GALERIA seeks to foster dialogue among local and international community members, arts organizations, and artists, as well as to increase the appreciation and understanding of contemporary art created in our member countries.