History Attractions to See in D.C.

For those of you who plan to brave the cold weather and bone-crushing crowds for Obama's inauguration, be sure not to miss these newly refurbished and popular tourist destinations in Washington D.C.

The National Museum of American History, recently reopened after a two-year renovation, features a dramatic display of the flag that inspired the national anthem. The museum also features exhibits on the presidency and first ladies, and costumed historic characters wander through the halls every weekend. Open daily 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; free admission, http://americanhistory.si.edu.

Visitors can also see the new Capitol Visitor Center, an underground museum that's now the first stop for people touring Congress. It features documents from milestones such as President John F. Kennedy's 1961 speech calling for the nation to send a man to the moon. Tours of the Capitol are limited to free timed-entry tickets that should be reserved in advance online at http://www.visitthecapitol.gov or through a congressional office.

LINCOLN BICENTENNIAL: A citywide celebration of the 200th anniversary of Honest Abe's birth begins in January and will feature more than 80 exhibits and programs. The Smithsonian Institution will offer five exhibits on the 16th president, including "Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life," with more than 60 artifacts from Lincoln's life at the American history museum. The exhibit opens in January along with a display of rare documents from the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Illinois. Details at http://www.lincolnindc.com.

In February, Ford's Theatre, where Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, will reopen for tours and performances after an extensive renovation. There will be an open house on Feb. 12 to mark Lincoln's birthday, and tours resume Feb. 17. The theater also commissioned a new play on Lincoln set in 1862 entitled, "The Heavens are Hung in Black." The play tackles the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of slavery. Details at http://www.fords.org.

The Peterson House across the street, where Lincoln died, remains open for tours.

CIVIL RIGHTS: Visitors can "walk in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr." and others who fought for equality along the Civil War to Civil Rights heritage trail that winds through downtown Washington. Stops along the way include the alley where John Wilkes Booth fled after shooting Lincoln and the hotel where King finished his "I Have a Dream" speech. Details at http://www.culturaltourismdc.org.

Powerful images from the civil rights movement will be on display in the exhibit, "Road to Freedom," through March 9 at the Smithsonian's Ripley Center International Gallery. Nearly 200 images are on display from about 50 photographers who documented the 12 years between the time Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in 1955 to King's assassination in 1968. The gallery is located underground on the National Mall with an entrance near the Smithsonian Castle; http://nmaahc.si.edu.

Later in 2009, on Easter Sunday, the National Park Service will recreate Marian Anderson's landmark concert on those steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where she sang in 1939 after a nearby concert hall turned her away because she was black.

INAUGURAL BALLS: For visitors who can't wait to attend their first inaugural ball, there will be a plethora of options during the inaugural weekend. Peace activists can gather at the "Inaugural Peace Ball," which will be hosted at the Smithsonian Postal Museum. Alumni and others connected to historically black colleges and universities will hold their own ball on the Washington Harbor. Tickets sell for $300. MTV will televise its own ball from the Ronald Reagan Building on Pennsylvania Avenue. And the Smithsonian American Art Museum will be the site of the Lincoln 2.0 Inaugural Ball. In 1865, the building also played host to President Lincoln's inaugural ball. Victorian-era attire is welcomed. Tickets are going for $375 to $500, proving that for this year, history still sells.

A listing of inaugural balls is available at http://www.washington.org.

Photos: Getty Images

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