José de Rivera’s Infinity seems almost impossible - the thin stainless steel ribbon rotates on top of its granite pedestal with total stability. Standing at 13½ feet tall, the delicate balancing act is one that repeats every 6 minutes as the ribbon…

The Smithsonian Quadrangle features four buildings in a campus-like setting on the south side of the National Mall: the Smithsonian Castle (1847-55), the Arts and Industries Building (1879-81), the Freer Gallery of Art (1923), and the largely…

Built to house the international exhibits left over from the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876, the Smithsonian Institution's Arts and Industries Building reflects the three principal requirements of buildings constructed to house world's…

The District of Columbia War Memorial was constructed in 1931, following a five-year-long campaign by the DC community to raise money for a memorial that would honor the 26,000 residents who served (and the 499 who died) in World War I. It was…

Located on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, the United States Botanic Garden is rooted in the nation's heritage. During the late 18th century, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison shared the dream of a national botanic garden and…

The National Museum of Natural History, which opened in 1910 as the United States National Museum, is a large Neoclassical style building located on the National Mall, between Constitution Avenue NW, 9th Street, 12th Street, and Madison Drive.…

The development of the National Mall Historic District reflects two seminal historic plans for the federal city: the plan designed by Pierre Charles L’Enfant in 1791 and the 1901-1902 McMillan (Senate Park) Commission Plan. As such, the Mall…

Designed by architect John Russell Pope and built in 1941, the National Gallery of Art is the United States' national art museum. The institution has its roots in 1937, when it was privately established via Act of Congress, using funds and a donated…

Located at the eastern edge of the National Mall near the base of the Capitol Building, this memorial pays tribute to American Civil War General and 18th U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant. It faces the Lincoln Memorial approximately two miles to the…

The Freer Gallery is housed in an isolated, rectangular building designed by architect Charles A. Platt in the style of a Florentine Renaissance fortress palace. A classical entablature and balustrade crown the building on all four sides.Plans for…