Photogenic Places in Washington DC
8 places ranked by visual impact
Washington DC, DC
Lincoln Memorial
One of America's most iconic monuments, the Lincoln Memorial offers sweeping reflective pool views and dramatic columns at any hour. Dawn and dusk transform the white marble into gold and rose.
Washington DC, DC
Tidal Basin Cherry Blossoms
The most celebrated spring spectacle in the mid-Atlantic - over 3,700 Japanese cherry trees ring the Tidal Basin in pale pink each late March through April.
Washington DC, DC
Jefferson Memorial
A neoclassical masterpiece on the Tidal Basin shore, the Jefferson Memorial is framed by cherry blossoms each spring and reflects beautifully in the water at blue hour.
Washington DC, DC
Washington Monument
The world's tallest obelisk dominates the Mall skyline and serves as a compositional anchor in nearly every DC landscape shot. The surrounding reflecting pools double the drama.
Washington DC, DC
WWII Memorial
The symmetrical oval of granite pillars and rainbow pool sits at the center of the National Mall axis. The 56 state and territory pillars frame the Washington Monument perfectly.
Washington DC, DC
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
The 30-foot Stone of Hope emerges from the Mountain of Despair in a striking sculptural composition on the Tidal Basin. Powerful at any hour.
Washington DC, DC
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Nineteen stainless steel soldiers patrol through juniper bushes beside a granite mural wall that reflects them - creating a ghostly double of the patrol in stone.
Washington DC, DC
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Maya Lin's sunken black granite wall holds 58,000 names and creates an extraordinary reflective surface that mirrors both sky and visitors. Deeply moving and photographically rich.