Downtown

Planning Your Time

Downtown is densely packed with major attractions—far too many to see in one day. You'll need at least an hour inside each attraction, so pick the two that appeal most and stroll past the rest. Art lovers might focus on the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum; history buffs might limit themselves to touring the National Archives and the National Building Museum; families with kids may prefer the International Spy Museum; and media junkies will want to visit the Newseum and the Marian Koshland Science Museum, which looks at the science behind media headlines.