Top attractions include:

• Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (7 million visitors)
• National Air & Space Museum (6 million visitors)
• National Museum of American History (3 million visitors)
• National Zoological Park (3 million visitors)
• Lincoln Memorial (4 million visitors)
• World War II Memorial (4 million visitors)
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial (4 million visitors)
• Korean Memorial (3 million visitors)
• FDR Memorial (3 million visitors)
• Rock Creek Park (2 million visitors)

Tours

One of the ways to get an overview of the city is to take a guided tour. There are many such tours available and the concierge in the Washington Hilton can assist you with booking such a tour. Examples of some of the available tours:

• Old Time Trolley Tours http://www.trolleytours.com/washington-dc/
• Tourmobile http://www.tourmobile.com/
• City Segway Tour http://citysegwaytours.com/washington-dc
• Bike and Roll – Washington D.C. http://www.bikethesites.com/

Use the Metro

Washington, DC is proud to have one of the world's best public transportation systems. Most visitors quickly master the Metro system and, in the process, they discover that it's a very quick, efficient and affordable way to get around the city, and many find it to be an enjoyable attraction - the trains and escalators are especially popular among kids.

Metro operates Monday through Thursday from 5 a.m. to midnight; Friday until 3 a.m.; Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m.; and Sunday from 7 a.m. to midnight. Base fares start at $1.75 per trip (including trips between all downtown points), but the rates are higher for visitors traveling from the suburbs and during rush hour. The maximum one-way fare is $4.50. You can purchase a one-day ticket for $8.30, which allows you to ride as many times as you'd like after 9:30 a.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. There are five colored lines: Red, Blue, Orange, Yellow and Green, connected to each other at transfer stations in downtown and the close-in suburbs. Some stations are serviced by more than one line. Trains are clearly marked with the color of the line. Trains indicate the direction in which they are traveling with the name of the end-point of the line. During rush hour, trains usually come every 5-6 minutes. At off-peak times, trains come every 12 minutes. Late-night trains come every 15 to 20 minutes.

Tickets can be purchased by cash or credit cards from vending machines located at the stations. Station managers are on hand to assist you in purchasing your tickets. More information: www.wmata.com/

White House Tours

Public tours of the White House are available. Requests must be submitted through one's Member of Congress.  These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Fridays, and 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturdays (excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted). Tour hours will be extended when possible based on the official White House schedule. Tours are scheduled on a first come, first served basis. Requests can be submitted up to six months in advance and no less than 21 days in advance. You are encouraged to submit your request as early as possible as a limited number of spaces are available. All White House tours are free of charge.  (Please note that White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellation.)

If you wish to visit the White House and are a citizen of a foreign country, please contact your embassy in Washington, DC for assistance in submitting a tour request. The closest Metrorail stations to the White House are Federal Triangle (blue and orange lines), Metro Center (blue, orange, and red lines) and McPherson Square (blue and orange lines). On-street parking is not available near the White House, and use of public transportation is strongly encouraged.

All tours are significantly enhanced if visitors stop by the White House Visitor Center located at the southeast corner of 15th and E Streets, before or after their tour. The Center is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and features many aspects of the White House, including its architecture, furnishings, first families, social events, and relations with the press and world leaders, as well as a thirty-minute video. Allow between 20 minutes and one hour to explore the exhibits. The White House Historical Association also sponsors a sales area. Please note that restrooms are available, but food service is not.

U.S. Capitol

The U.S. Capitol is open to the public for tours Monday through Saturday. Tickets are also required to tour the U.S. Capitol. To guarantee availability, you should reserve your tour in advance online at visitthecapitol.gov or through your congressional representative or senator. A limited number of same-day tour tickets may also be available at the Capitol Visitor Center. Tickets are not required to tour the Capitol Visitor Center, which is open 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, Monday through Saturday. Visit aoc.gov for more information.

To obtain passes to see the House and Senate in session, call your representative or one of your senators at (202) 224-3121. International visitors are always welcome to view a session of the Senate or House, and should enter through the House of Representatives Gallery line on the South side of the Capitol complex. Capitol Guide Service personnel issue international gallery passes inside the South Screening Facility. Information about tours for visitors with special needs is available from the Congressional Special Services Office at (202) 224-4048 or (202) 224-4049 (TDD).

The Mall

The National Mall runs from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. Officially established in 1965, National Mall and Memorial Parks actually protect some of the older parkland in the National Park System. Areas within this premier park provide visitors with ample opportunities to commemorate presidential legacies; honor the courage and sacrifice of war veterans; and celebrate the United States' commitment to freedom and equality. Taking a tour of the monuments at night along the Mall provides beautiful sights. More information on the National Mall: www.nps.gov/nacc/index.htm

Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Institution—the world's largest museum and research complex—includes 19 museums and galleries and the National Zoological Park. Most Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are free and open every day of the year except December 25. For a complete list of hours see the information on planning your visit or select a museum from the list on the Smithsonian website. More information on the museums that make up the Smithsonian Institute: www.si.edu/Museums

Holocaust Museum

The Museum's Permanent Exhibition "The Holocaust" spans three floors of the Museum building. It presents a narrative history using more than 900 artifacts, 70 video monitors, and four theaters that include historic film footage and eyewitness testimonies. The exhibition is divided into three parts: "Nazi Assault," "Final Solution," and "Last Chapter." The narrative begins with images of death and destruction as witnessed by American soldiers during the liberation of Nazi concentration camps in 1945. Most first-time visitors spend an average of two to three hours in this self-guided exhibition. Recommended for visitors 11 years of age and older. More information: www.ushmm.org/

Spy Museum

Guests are confronted with a giant photomural of a guard manning his foreign checkpoint. Guests are challenged to adopt a cover identity, memorize specific details about it, and learn first-hand the importance of keeping your "cover." Artifacts and examples of identification-related documents typically used by spies are on display, while an audio/visual presentation details the importance of learning and keeping a cover. Consider the induction to the spy world complete. Learn about microdots, invisible ink, buttonhole cameras, submarine recording systems, bugs of all kinds, and ingenious disguise techniques developed by Hollywood for the CIA. The School For Spies™ gallery has over 50 years of spy technology, developed by agencies from the OSS to the KGB, and still in use today. More information: www.spymuseum.org/exhibits

Crime Museum

Where else can you explore the history of crime and punishment, experience driving and shooting simulators, and learn the real CSI procedures? At the National Museum of Crime & Punishment you explore all this and more. Described by Good Morning America as a "must see for CSI fans," the National Museum of Crime & Punishment includes a crime lab and the filming studios for America's Most Wanted. A simulated FBI shooting range, high-speed police-chase, and hundreds of interactives and artifacts pertaining to America's favorite subject fill the 3-floor, 25,000 square foot museum. More information: www.crimemuseum.org/

Newseum

Fourteen major galleries blend five centuries of news history — including the people, places and times — with up-to-the-second technology. Around, above and below, visitors to the Great Hall of News are surrounded by a continuous flow of news. Instant, breaking, historic news that is uncensored, diverse and free. News breaks, and a deadline is looming. Can you prepare a complete, timely and accurate report? The Interactive Newsroom gives visitors a chance to play the role of a reporter or photographer. More information: www.newseum.org/index.html

Ford's Theatre

The site is open for visits beginning at 9 a.m. daily (except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day). Final entry into the museum is at 4 p.m. Final entry into the theatre is at 4:30 p.m. Ford's Theatre is a working professional theatre, and there will be occasions when visitors will not be able to enter the theatre or museum due to rehearsals, set load-ins and matinee performances. During the day, visitors can experience live historic interpretations by professional actors and National Park Service Rangers. More information: www.fordstheatre.org/

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon is the most popular historic estate in America. Located just 16 miles south of Washington, D.C. and 8 miles south of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, the plantation rests on the banks of the Potomac River. Visitors are invited to tour the Mansion house and more than a dozen outbuildings including the slave quarters, kitchen, stables, and greenhouse. Stroll four different gardens, hike the Forest Trail, and explore the George Washington: Pioneer Farmer site, a four-acre working farm that includes a re-creation of Washington's 16-sided treading barn. George and Martha Washington rest in peace in the tomb where wreath laying ceremonies are held daily, and the Slave Memorial and Burial Ground is nearby. The Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center and the Ford Orientation Center include 25 new theaters and galleries that tell the detailed story of George Washington's life. More than 500 original artifacts, eleven History Channel videos, and immersion theater experiences illuminate the remarkable story of the first American hero.

Following the "National Treasure Tour," visitors can take an hour-long walking tour that includes behind-the-scenes information about areas where "National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets" filming took place and how these locations were used during George Washington's time, including the basement! More information: www.mountvernon.org/visit/plan/index.cfm/

Staff Pick Their Favorite Places

AAGP staff were asked about their favorite DC haunts, and here are some of the responses:

All of the Monuments

Folgers Shakespeare Library
The Folger Shakespeare Library is located on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. And is home to the world's largest and finest collection of Shakespeare materials and to major collections of other rare Renaissance books, manuscripts, and works of art, the Folger serves a wide audience of researchers, visitors, teachers, students, families, and theater- and concert-goers. The Folger is a world-renowned research center on Shakespeare and on the early modern age in the West. Its conservation lab is a leading innovator in the preservation of rare materials. The Folger opened in 1932 as a gift to the American nation from Henry Clay Folger and his wife Emily Jordan Folger. www.folger.edu/index.cfm

Walking around Old Town Alexandria (Virginia)
Experience an alluring mix of historical authenticity and urban sophistication in Alexandria. As the hometown of George Washington and Civil War General Robert E. Lee, Alexandria attracts visitors from near and far to enjoy America's historic main streets. Alexandria offers a collection of over ten historic museums that preserve the city's important heritage amidst modern day delights including the Potomac River waterfront with vistas of Washington, D.C. Explore scenic neighborhoods such as Del Ray, "Where Main Street Still Exists" discover acclaimed restaurants, chic boutiques, a thriving arts scene, an eclectic business district, and diverse attractions.

The Phillips Collection
Located just a few blocks from the Washington Hilton, the Phillips Collection invites visitors to experience an extraordinary collection ranging from masterpieces of French impressionism and American modernism to art of the present day. The museum's founder, Duncan Phillips, used words like "enchantment," "joy-giving," and "life-enhancing" when he wrote about the experience of seeing art. By displaying superb modern works in an intimate setting, he hoped to encourage visitors to appreciate new, even challenging, forms of artistic expression. Unusual for his time, Phillips saw American modern artists as fully equal to their European counterparts, often hanging their works side by side. Today, the museum's collection includes nearly 3,000 works by American and European artists—among them, Degas, Cézanne, Gauguin, van Gogh, Bonnard, Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Klee, Homer, Whistler, Hopper, Stieglitz, O'Keeffe, Calder, Rothko, and many others. New pieces continue to be added, including a significant number of photographs in recent years. www.phillipscollection.org/homepage.aspx

Natural History Museum
Calling all kids! Visit the dinosaur and mammal exits and the live bug zoo. www.mnh.si.edu

Theodore Roosevelt Island
One of Theodore Roosevelt's greatest legacies was his dedication to conservation. Today, this island stands as a fitting memorial to the outdoorsman, naturalist, and visionary who was our 26th President. www.nps.gov/this/index.htm

World War II Memorial
The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S., the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people. The Second World War is the only 20th Century event commemorated on the National Mall's central axis. The memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004 and is located on 17th Street, between Constitution and Independence Avenues. www.wwiimemorial.com/

Dining

Great restaurants right around the hotel. Around DuPont Circle. Down Connecticut Avenue. North in Adams Morgan. Great neighborhood restaurants offering an array of dining choices found in few other cities. If you go a bit further afield, try the restaurants in Georgetown or on Pennsylvania Avenue. A few favorites:

• Rocklands Barbeque (Georgetown)
• Spices (Sushi & Asian Fusion) (Cleveland Park – Connecticut Avenue)
• Kincaids (Pennsylvania Avenue)
• 1789 (Georgetown)
• Citronelle (Georgetown)
• Cashion's Eat Place (Adams Morgan)
• Tabard Inn (Dupont Circle)
• Morrison Clark House (Convention Center Area)
• Dubliner (Irish) (Capitol Hill)
• Old Ebbitt Grill (White House Area)
• Filomena (Italian) (Georgetown)
• Sushi-Ko (Japanese) (Georgetown)
• Cafe Atlantico (Latin American – and for a truly unique experience – try the Mini Bar) (8th Avenue Area)

For more information on events during the AAGP Annual meeting, visit www.washington.org – the official DC Visitor's Bureau. Some of their helpful hints:

• Touring the White House: Contact your Representative or Senator at least two months before you arrive. International visitors should contact their embassies.

• Book in advance: Reserve tickets for attractions like the Washington Monument, Spy Museum, Bureau of Engraving and Printing and Holocaust Memorial Museum in advance.

• Tour at "off-peak" hours. Check for special early hours or late hours at select museums, or check out the monuments at dawn or dusk.

• Great views: Ride to the top of the tower at the Old Post Office Pavilion or cross the Potomac River to the U.S. Marines Memorial (Iwo Jima). The Frederick Douglass House in Anacostia also boasts a great view.

• Tickets: Many of Washington, DC's major attractions are open for the public and do not require tickets, including the museums of the Smithsonian system and the National Zoo, the National Gallery of Art and the national monuments and memorials. Washington, DC's most popular ticketed attractions, the Newseum, National Museum of Crime & Punishment, Madame Tussauds, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Washington Monument and International Spy Museum, allow visitors to avoid waiting in line by pre-reserving their tour tickets for a small fee.

• Visitors can pre-reserve individual tickets for the Washington Monument for a fee of $1.50 per ticket by calling 1-877-444-6777 or visiting recreation.gov. For groups, call 1-877-559-6777. If you do not pre-reserve your tickets to the Washington Monument, plan to arrive early in the morning for ticket distribution. Tickets are distributed at the 15th Street kiosk (east of the Monument) beginning at 8:30 am. Lines may form much earlier in the morning.

• Timed passes are needed for the permanent exhibition at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Passes are free and are distributed daily beginning at 10 am on a first-come, first served basis. You can pre-reserve tickets for a small service charge of $1.75. (for groups of 21 or smaller). Groups of 21 or more qualify to make a scheduled visit to the Museum for the Permanent Exhibition: The Holocaust or the current Special Exhibitions. Group reservations are free and must be submitted using the Museum's online reservation system. Requests are processed on a first-come, first served basis, and may be submitted from 24 hours to 12 months in advance of the visit date. It is highly recommended that groups who wish to visit during the spring and summer months complete their reservations well in advance of their visit date due to high demand during that period. Visit ushmm.org or call (202) 488-0400 for additional information.

• The Bureau of Printing and Engraving requires tickets for its tours from March through August only; these are only distributed on the day of your visit, beginning at 8 am. Lines form early and, during peak season, tickets are often distributed by 9 am. Reservations are required for Group Tours which take place 11:00 am - 12:15 am. 50 people max per tour). Complete a Group Reservation Request Form and fax it to 202-874-6331. The Bureau is closed on weekends, federal holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.

• Tickets are also required to tour the U.S. Capitol. To guarantee availability, you should reserve your tour in advance online at visitthecapitol.gov or through your congressional representative or senator. A limited number of same-day tour tickets may also be available at the Capitol Visitor Center. Tickets are not required to tour the Capitol Visitor Center, which is open 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, Monday through Saturday. Visit aoc.gov for more information.

• Tours of the White House are only available by advance arrangement through your member of congress or senator. You can contact your representative or senator's office up to six months in advance to request a tour. More information is available at whitehouse.gov.

• While the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, Ford's Theatre, the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian museums do not require tickets, you may want to check schedules in advance to take advantage of guided interpretive tours, lectures, IMAX movies and other programs.

• At this time, the FBI tour at the J. Edgar Hoover Building is closed for renovations. Please call (202) 324-3447 or visit fbi.gov for more information.

• Touring the Pentagon - Members of the general public must contact their state representative's office to request a tour. You can find your senator's contact information at senate.gov and your representative's information at house.gov. All tour requests must be made at least two weeks in advance and no earlier than three months prior to the requested tour date.

• Military personnel assigned to the Pentagon with escort privileges may request to accompany their friends and family on tours of the facility. If you are assigned to the Pentagon or if you are visiting a Pentagon staff member, contact the Pentagon Force Protection Agency at 703-697-1001 to determine escort status.

• The Pentagon tour office will accept and process group tours from educational institutions (schools/colleges/Academies), churches, government agencies, or military organizations consisting of 5 or more visitors. Please review the Group Tour Guidelines before making a Group Tour request. Call (703) 697-1776 or visit http://pentagon.afis.osd.mil for more information.

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Photo courtesy Jason Hawkes via http://washington.org