Beyond the cherry blossoms, things to see in D.C.
More than 15 million people travel to Washington, D.C., each year, with tourist seasons peaking from March through June and between September and October. Called "one of the most exciting restaurant cities on the East Coast" by "Travel + Leisure," D.C. has more than 100 downtown restaurants. Top tourist attractions such as the National Museum of Natural History and National Air & Space Museum average between 6 and 7 million visitors annually. Beyond the Washington Monument and Smithsonian museums, war memorials and cherry blossoms, the lesser-known but no less worthwhile list of places to visit in Washington, D.C., includes contemporary gallery exhibits, intimate tours of museums and tranquil gardens.
Corcoran Gallery of Art
Dubbed the "D.C. museum most dedicated to the local art scene" by the Washington Post, the Corcoran Gallery of Art was founded in 1869 by philanthropist William Wilson Corcoran for the purpose of "encouraging American genius" in the arts, according to the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary. Longstanding American and European collections include Charles Bird King's "Poor Artist's Cupboard" and Elisabeth Louise Vig e-Lebrun's "Portrait of Madame du Barry." Photography and Media Art, Decorative and Contemporary Art exhibits showcase sculpture by Petah Coyne, ancient rugs and vases, and the "Hitler Moves East" photography series by David Levinthal. On September 11, 2010, the gallery launched a contemporary art program "Now at the Corcoran," the inaugural exhibit of which is a one-man multimedia show, "My Business, With the Cloud," by Brooklyn artist Spencer Finch. Described as a "complex work that's deceptively simple" in the Washingtonian's After Hours blog, the cloud exhibit combines sculpture, photography and mosaics, and runs through January 23, 2011. Since 1879, the gallery has been at its current location between New York Avenue and West Potomac Park at 17th Street and New York Avenue. Free with the cost of admission, a 45-minute "Highlights Tour" offers an overview of the gallery's history and exhibitions. Take the tour daily at noon, at 7 p.m. on Thursdays, and at 3 p.m. on weekends.
Corcoran Gallery of Art
500 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
202-639-1700
corcoran.org
Teaism
Teaism, called "D.C.'s best tea house" in National Geographic Traveler's "44 Must-See D.C. Places," serves more than its three dozen teas ranging from Ben Shan oolong to Yinzhen Silver Needle white. The restaurant's critically acclaimed cuisine includes Indian tandoor breads, Thai curries and Japanese bento boxes. The Washington Post Dining Guide called the bento boxes, which come in salmon or vegetarian options, "still life on a tray." Bon App tit Magazine describes Teaism as a "simple and beautiful retreat that actually provides a serene alternative to the out-of-control coffee scene." Teaism has locations in Lafayette Park, Dupont Circle and Penn Quarter. If coming from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Lafayette Park location at 800 Connecticut Avenue is about three blocks away. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and MSG-free options are available across the menu.
Teaism Restaurant - Lafayette Park
800 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20006
202-835-2233
teaism.com
Teaism Restaurant - Dupont Circle
2009 R street NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-667-3827
teaism.com
Teaism Restaurant -- Penn Quarter
400 8th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
202-638-6010
teaism.com
Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Garden
An often overlooked sanctuary in residential Georgetown, Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Garden offer a quintessential afternoon serenity break. The museum features Byzantine and pre-Columbian collections, architectural and interior designs. The Music Room is decorated with Italian Renaissance marble arches and staircase murals, and the ceiling rafters themselves are a work of art by Parisian designer Armand Albert Rateau. The English and European gardens were designed by Beatrix Farrand, one of the first female landscape architects in the 1920s. Dumbarton Oaks was featured on the Cultural Landscape Foundation's "What's Out There Weekend" in September 2010 and has been an Editors' Pick of the Washington Post, which called the garden a "serene spot to enjoy spring." Guided tours of the garden begin at 2:10 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and tours of the non-public historic rooms are led on Saturdays at 3:00 pm.
Dumbarton Oaks
1703 32nd St. NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-339-6401
doaks.org
Georgetown Cupcake
For a sweet treat, stop by Georgetown Cupcake, which won the Washington Post's Cupcake Wars in 2008 for its Chocolate Ganache. Georgetown Cupcake has been raved about in the New York Times' Diner Journal, RedBook and the Washingtonian. Sisters Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne opened Georgetown Cupcake in February 2008, making theirs the first and only "cupcakery" in D.C. at that time. As of 2010, Georgetown Cupcake doesn't serve vegan or gluten-free options, but they are constantly updating their menu. Be prepared to wait a bit for your sugar fix, as the line sometimes wraps out onto M Street.
Georgetown Cupcake
3301 M Street NW (corner of 33rd & M)
Washington, DC 20007
202-333-8448
georgetowncupcake.com
Laogai Museum
The first museum in the U.S. to address human rights in China, the Laogai Museum was founded by Laogai survivor Harry Wu. Wu's mission is to educate the public about the atrocities of the Laogai, the system of forced labor prison camps in China. Expect to encounter a raw collection of first-hand accounts. Wu spent 19 years imprisoned but still went back to China undercover four times to obtain evidence of what was happening in the prison camps. The museum has been visited by the Dalai Lama, whose "special envoy" Lodi Gyari Rinpoche was also a featured speaker at the spring 2009 exhibition "Laogai in Tibet." The exhibit presented a pictorial overview of the past 50 years of human rights in Tibet under Chinese rule. The Laogai Museum "will leave you awestruck and humbled," according to Washington Flyer Magazine. In the spring of 2011, the museum will be moving to the Dupont Circle neighborhood from the small space it has occupied in Logan Circle since opening in 2008.
The Laogai Museum and Research Foundation
1109 M Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
202-408-8300
laogaimuseum.org
Tags: Georgetown Cupcake, Corcoran Gallery, Dumbarton Oaks, Laogai Museum, Washington Post, Dupont Circle