If you haven't been, you'll want to see the monuments. They're best at night. Our favorites are really all of them: Washington Monument, WWII, the small DC War Memorial, MLK, FDR, Korean War, and of course Lincoln. You can also walk by the White House. During the day, there's also the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

In terms of museums, it really comes down to what you're interested in: art, history, gems, planes, etc. Any "Smithsonian" museum is free, including the zoo. Most don't require tickets, but a couple do. The museums are on the National Mall, not far from the monuments. It's a pretty area, just be warned there's not much to eat in the area and the food trucks are universally terrible. There's another Smithsonian that's actually near Dulles Airport -- an air and space museum that's pretty incredible and better than the one in DC, so if you're flying into Dulles, you should consider making a stop.

Registry

We know travel is expensive and your presense is gift enough!