Washington attractions: photos, history, interesting facts

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Washington is one of the most popular cities in the world. It was founded in the late eighteenth century on the East Coast. The future capital of the United States of America is named after one of the presidents - George Washington.

Initially, the city was a square area divided into two parts. Washington was on one side and Alexandria on the other. The Potamak River flowed between them. But in the middle of the nineteenth century, they separated, and Alexandria became part of Virginia.

An interesting fact is that the slave trade was prohibited on the territory of the capital, and it was not prohibited on the territory of Alexandria, but still the laws were not observed. The last slaves in Washington were freed in 1862.

Now Washington is not included in the states of the country, it is a separate territory. This area is called the District of Columbia. Do not confuse the city with the state of the same name.

Washington's attractions are the most interesting in the whole country. That is why the area attracts millions of tourists from all over the world. Capital of the United States of Americaconsidered one of the richest historical monuments. There are many architectural structures, museums, theaters and more.

Most of the monuments are made of white marble. Thanks to this, the city stands out from all the rest. We will talk about all this in more detail in the next part of the article.

Washington, DC Attractions

As already mentioned, the district is rich in architectural monuments. There are many of them in this area, and you can talk about it for hours. We will talk about the most notable of them.

Indeed, most of Washington's landmarks are made of white marble. This is a distinctive feature of the city. In addition, there are many picturesque parks, beautiful fountains and ponds, as well as entertainment centers and expensive hotels.

The text will name the sights of Washington in English with translation.

The White House

The White House is the residence of the President of the United States of America. At the moment, he is one of the most famous entrepreneurs and showmen of the country, Donald Trump. This place is the main symbol of the power of the state.

By the way, this is the most famous monument in the world, made of white sandstone. Around the building there is a picturesque park and many flower beds.

Most people don't know why the President's Residence is one of Washington DC's landmarks -called the White House. In fact, there are several versions of the origin of this name. Basically, everyone is leaning towards the option with a white lining. By the way, the name of the building was given by one of the presidents, Theodore Roosevelt. But this happened only a hundred years after the end of construction.

It is also worth talking about the main events in the history of the presidential residence.

The first stone was laid in 1792. The building was designed by James Hoben. Construction was completed by the beginning of the nineteenth century. In 1901, the building was renamed the White House. In 1942, the building was reconstructed and acquired a modern appearance.

The Capitol Building

This is the second most important attraction in Washington (photo above). The city is extremely proud of her. Most likely, every person from anywhere in the world has at least once seen the image of this majestic structure. It is located on Capitol Hill. The idea of erecting this monument came to George Washington, and in 1793 construction began. The name of the architect of the Capitol is still unknown. Outwardly, the Roman Cathedral served as a Washington landmark.

In the middle of the second decade of the nineteenth century, England could not come to terms with the fact that America was independent and decided to burn down the Capitol building. The building was destroyed to the ground. It took the US more than five years to restore it.

Next to the building are the monuments of American presidents - George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Whatas for subsequent external changes, they were made only a few times. In the early sixties of the last century, a statue of liberty was erected on the dome of the building. After some time, heating was carried out, and elevators were also built. The east façade was later added.

Every year this place is visited by more than five million tourists. Today, there are about five hundred and fifty rooms inside the building, but only two of them can be seen by travelers. Tours to this Washington landmark are free. You only need to show your passport at the entrance and get a ticket.

The Lincoln Memorial

Abraham Lincoln is considered to be the most revered President of the United States of America, as most natives associate him with integrity and reliability.

The government of the country considered it necessary to erect a landmark in memory of Lincoln in front of the National Gallery in Washington State. It happened after the assassination of the president. For many, this place has become almost sacred. It is believed that the monument is a symbol of equality between people on the entire planet, no matter what religion or race they are.

Before the construction of the monument, a large-scale competition for the best work was announced in the country. Many participants from different parts of the country and the world decided to participate in this. The drawing of two American sculptors Daniel French and Henry Bacon was recognized as the best option.

Construction lasted more than five years and by the beginning of the seconddecade of the twentieth century was over. More than fifty thousand people attended the opening of the monument. It was truly massive. The main guest of the celebration was the son of Abraham Lincoln Robert. After honoring the sixteenth president of the United States, the government breathed a sigh of relief.

Several interesting legends are associated with this memorial. It is said that the name of the owner of the mansion in which the sculpture is located was carved on the back of the monument. According to another legend, it is believed that President Lincoln shows his initials in sign language.

Washington National Cathedral

In Washington County, this attraction is one of the most popular in the city, as well as in the entire country. In terms of scale, the cathedral ranks sixth in the world (in neo-Gothic style). The construction is made in the medieval Gothic style.

Construction began in the first decade of the twentieth century and continued for about eighty-three years. President George W. Bush attended the opening.

The monument is included in the register of the most valuable monuments of the United States of America. Unfortunately, three spiers were partially destroyed due to an earthquake several years ago.

Ceremonies before the burial of three presidents of America took place in this place. Among them are Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and Dwight Eisenhower.

Since the beginning of 2003, same-sex couples have been allowed to marry in the cathedral.

The Library of Congress

What other attractions are there in Washington DC? In addition to those presented above, there are several other main structures in the capital of the United States of America. For example, the building of the Library of Congress.

The structure is divided into four parts. The most interesting of them is the Thomas Jefferson Building. The architectural monument is notable for its luxury and elegance. In addition, there is the John Adams Building, the James Madison Memorial Building and the Audiovisual Preservation Center.

It is interesting that all parts of the structure are connected by underground passages. Readers will only have to go through security at the entrance.

In terms of organization, the library has eighteen rooms. In total, this is more than one and a half thousand places. There is a bureau of this library in the capital of Russia.

Seattle (WA) Attractions

This part of the article will focus on the largest city in the state of Washington. It is one of the most modern and dynamic. There are many skyscrapers here, as well as the most beautiful and picturesque parks in the country.

Space Needle (SpaceNeedle)

The tower was built in the early sixties of the twentieth century. Her style is associated with the era of those years. In America, the googie architectural style was very popular.

By the way, if you suddenly get hungry, then at an altitude of 160 meters is the Skycity restaurant with a beautiful view of the city. It offers the best views of Seattle landmarks as well as Eliot Bay.

As you know, the 2011 earthquakedamaged many important Washington state structures, but the Space Needle is capable of withstanding storms greater than nine.

Gum Wall

Another of the city's most interesting sights. The wall has been completely plastered with gum since 1993, and thousands of people add to it every day.

It all started with the fact that schoolchildren and students, passing by or standing in line at the box office, loved to constantly sculpt an elastic band. The city government tried to constantly fight this, but later gave up. And since then, this place has become a landmark in Seattle.

Public Library

The public library consists of twenty-seven branches. The head office is located in an eleven-story building, which is made of glass as well as steel. It is believed that this place is one of the most attractive in all of Seattle.

The collection of books in the library began in 1890. At the moment, the fund holds more than three million different publications.

Pike Place Market (Public Market Center)

The store began its work in the first decade of the twentieth century. This is a very popular market among the townspeople. Here you can buy old antiques and various used goods. In addition, it is possible to find seafood, as well as various farm products.

This place often hosts performancesstreet clowns and musicians on an impromptu stage. In addition, there are inexpensive restaurants on the territory of the market, where you can always have a tasty meal.

Safeco Field

The famous baseball stadium of incredible scale, built in 1999 in the Art Nouveau style. Its interesting feature is the retractable roof. Of course, many arenas have it, but in America it is special.

The capacity of the stadium is 48,000 people. The stadium was created not only for baseball games. Sometimes American football matches are held here.

Museum of Flight

The museum does not belong to the state. It is non-profit but private. Most tourists from all over the world are delighted with it.

Was built in 1965. As exhibits inside the building, you can see real aircraft, most of which are very unusual.

Here are air vehicles from Russia, Japan, Germany and more. Among the attractions you can see the aircraft that participated in the First and Second World Wars. In addition, photographs from the history of the Boeing Corporation hang on the walls of the building. After all, this is where the main office was located some time ago. Now in this architectural structure, many students of aviation universities and colleges are doing practice, gaining new interesting knowledge.

I would also like to note the presence of a large-scale library in one of the rooms.

Every year the museum is visitedabout five hundred thousand tourists, and it is possible that after some time even more travelers from different parts of the world will learn about this wonderful place.

Conclusion

Washington is one of the greatest cities in American history. The architecture of the capital of the United States differs from other settlements in the country, and this is what makes it different from other places. We hope that the sights of Washington in English helped you familiarize yourself with the original names of architectural structures.