The National Archives is the ultimate historical storage unit. Every significant document and tangible piece of history is cataloged and stored here. The site houses everything from the Declaration of Independence, to the Louisiana Purchase, to the Watergate tapes. When you walk in, you'll be struck by the fortuitous, 75-foot rotunda where the most treasured documents are on display. Maps, movies, photographs, texts and more are all here, and you can delve into your own research if you are looking for something in particular.
The Mount Vernon Trail is located just across the river from Downtown Washington, DC and is a great multi-use recreation trail. The recreational trail is nearly 18 miles long and it follows the Potomac's Virginia shoreline from Theodore Roosevelt Island to George Washington's Estate located at Mount Vernon. The excellent scenery and consistently well-maintained condition of this paved surface makes the Mount Vernon Trail a favorite of cyclists, hikers and runners.
Ford's Theatre has a built-in drama all its own. This is where John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln, and that unsettling episode still resonates in the structure today. Take a tour that retraces the incident, and you can also get a look at some of the interesting backstage areas. And if you are visiting for a performance, the excellent acoustics and inviting seating arrangement will ensure that whether you are watching a play or a musical production, the entertainment takes on a deeper significance when you consider that you are sitting within some truly historic walls.