Capitol
Let's start with the most important thing: The US Capitol is the federal government’s legislative branch. You can book guided tours free online in advance. The tour takes you inside the massive dome, known as the rotunda. You will also learn some history about U.S. politics. Additionally, you can also get free tickets for the House of Representatives and Senate. You should definitely go there if you're visiting the city.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest court of the country, located next to the Capitol Building. You should also check it out for a few minutes if you're already there.
White House
The White House is the place where the President lives. The place is surrounded by huge fences, so it’s almost impossible to get a good picture. It’s cool to see it for a few minutes, but that’s about it. Also, you don't want to disturb Mr. Trump. Thus go somewhere else.
Monuments & Memorials
The city is full of free historic monuments to check out. I will go over the ones that I visited.
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is a tall stone structure that used to be the tallest man made thing in the world! I heard some people calling it “The Needle.” There’s an elevator inside that takes you all the way up to the top. You can get tickets for free at the entrance. I highly recommend going there in the morning so you can avoid the crowds. Once you’re up there, you’ll be rewarded with an amazing view of the entire city.
WW II Memorial
The World War II memorial is dedicated to the Americans that served in the armed forces (I copied that from Wikipedia). It's located next to the Washington Memorial. The entire place is built out of granite, and there is a huge fountain in the middle.
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is a place to honor the former President Abraham Lincoln. It’s a building that houses a massive marble statue of the former President. You can also get a great view of the Washington Memorial there.
Albert Einstein Memorial
Just a short walk from the Lincoln Memorial is the Albert Einstein Memorial. It’s a tiny metal statue of Einstein holding a book. I liked it!
Museums
The best part of D.C. is that there are tons of free museums in the city center. I was able to visit most of them during my stay.
Air and Space Museum
This museum showcases a collection of aircraft and space exploration exhibits. You can see rocket engines, rovers, aircraft motors, and other related stuff.
Museum of Natural History
The museum's collections consist of plants, stuffed animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, and meteorites. My highlight was Lucy, a female Australopithecus afarensis. The stuffed elephant was also cool.
National Gallery of Art
The gallery primarily features paintings from Europe and North America from the 11th to 19th century. The basement also houses a collection of sculptures. In my opinion, this was the best museum in D.C.
NGA East Building
The east building of the National Gallery of Art houses modern and contemporary art. It's similar to the MoMa in New York City, but I think the MoMa was better (although more expensive).
Museum of African American History and Culture
The museum, the world’s largest dedicated to African-American history and culture, showcases exhibits on African American history and influential individuals.
Botanic Garden
The United States Botanic Garden is a lovely place to visit, even though it’s not the biggest. It’s filled with all sorts of exotic plants, and it’s super humid and hot inside.
Public Transport
The public transport system here is pretty reliable, with subways and buses. But, you’ll need a special metro card or app to get on the buses or subways. You can’t just pay with a credit card or cash for a ride directly. I don’t think that’s very convenient.
Conclusion
Washington, D.C. is one of the most beautiful cities in the USA and great for for museum enthusiasts. You can spend days exploring all museums, and the best part is that they are all free to visit. It’s also a great place to hang out during the summer. In the spring, the city is covered with cherry blossoms, which I unfortunately missed. I have another story to share: I managed to ruin my jacket, which I had bought a few months earlier, by leaning against a freshly painted lantern pole. Make sure to not lean against any lantern poles!