Visit Capitol Hill!
Home to the United States Capitol, the Senate and House office buildings, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress and several other important institutions, Capitol Hill is an essential stop on your politics school trip!
Capitol Hill is not only a metonym for the United States Congress, it’s also one of the oldest and most densely populated neighbourhoods in Washington D.C.
It’s been home to the United States Congress since 1800 and was carefully selected for this role by Pierre Charles L’Enfant in his plans for the new federal capital.
Did you know?
The Capitol building is huge – it has 540 rooms with 658 windows!
See the Lincoln Memorial!
This impressive memorial to Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, has become a symbolic venue for the Civil Rights Movement.
The Lincoln Memorial has two of Lincoln’s most memorable speeches inscribed on its walls – the Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural address.
And the memorial has, of course, been the setting for other historic speeches, including Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech, which makes it a must-see on your politics and civil rights school trip to Washington D.C.
Did you know?
The Lincoln Memorial is absolutely enormous! It’s 99 feet tall and 202 feet wide. Plus, it’s foundations stretch 66 feet underneath it, in order to support the weight of this colossal marble structure!
Visit the Smithsonian Institution!
The Smithsonian Institution is the largest museum complex in the world, with 19 world-class museums, galleries and gardens – there’s even a zoo!
Around 30 million people visit the Smithsonian Institution every year and all are admitted completely free of charge.
The Smithsonian was founded in 1846 using funds from the estate of British scientist James Smithson. It was his wish that an institute be founded in his name for the ‘increase and diffusion of knowledge’.
Did you know?
The Smithsonian is nicknamed ‘the nation’s attic’ thanks to its vast, eclectic collection which consists of around 154 million items!
3 nights' bed and breakfast accommodation
