What You'll See!

Here's where the old and new blend in a lively rhythm of sights and sounds. Downtown Washington's historic streetscapes showcase the city's newest arts, dining, sports, and entertainment scene along with world-renowned theaters, museums, and memorials.

Historic downtown, located between the White House and the Capitol, was once the heart of political, social, and commercial life in the nation's capital. Daniel Webster's home and office stood across the street from the Old City Hall and Walt Whitman helped nurse the Civil War wounded in the Patent Office, now home to the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Nearby, Samuel Morse opened the world's first telegraph office.

In this central part of the city, thousands of newcomers to Washington - Germans, both Christian and Jewish, Chinese, Greeks, Italians - and many others got their start. They lived and worked in this neighborhood, setting up local shops and restaurants, often living above their stores. Their religious structures remain as monuments to their historic presence and offer a fascinating social history.

Architecture

Stunning commercial buildings reinforce the historic significance of Washington's downtown. On almost every block you'll discover fine examples of diverse architectural styles: Italianate, Romanesque Revival, Gothic Revival, Beaux-Arts, and Classical Revival, with façades made from brick, stone, cast iron, terra cotta, and cast stone. Approximately 200 buildings within the Downtown Historic District carry a historic registry designation.

Civil War to Civil Rights: Downtown Heritage Trail

Walk in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., Walt Whitman, and other great Americans whose lives were intertwined with the history of the nation and its capital city.

Want to surround yourself with sound as you walk the Civil War to Civil Rights: Downtown Heritage Trail through historic downtown? Check out the Civil War to Civil Rights audio tour hosted by NPR’s Korva Coleman. It’s the first in a new series known as Cultural Tourism DC’s Audio Journeys.

These free tours take listeners by the ear and lead them through the streets of Washington, telling the city’s great stories in dramatic fashion. The tour is organized in three 45-minute loops.

Tour Map