Trz Jewlers

Deciding that you will take a day to see the Smithsonian Institution is allowing too little time, as the Institution is much wider in scope than you may have originally thought. It actually encapsulates 19 museums as well as the National Zoo, all home to must-see exhibits and attractions. Some of the more popular stops within the Smithsonian include the National Air and Space Museum, the national Museum of American History and the National Museum of the American Indian. The depth and breadth of everything here justifies the time and space that it takes to see it all.

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.

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.