History attractions prepare for presidential inauguration
Presidents are “in” again, and that means Washington is a hot spot.
With Barack Obama moving into the White House this month and the ongoing celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s life, the nation’s capital and its many tourism sites have been thrust into the spotlight.
As the nation installs its first black president, dozens of exhibits and attractions in early 2009 are touching on the inauguration, the nation’s history and its progress from the struggle for civil rights.
Obama will be inaugurated as the 44th president one day after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and a few weeks before the 200-year anniversary of Honest Abe’s birth on Feb. 12, 1809. The symbolism and power of history could draw millions of people to the inaugural and in the weeks that follow. For the city’s museums and memorials, this is a key moment.
Some unique sites are in the middle of Washington yet off the beaten path. One example, the Decatur House museum, was the first neighbor of the White House built on Lafayette Square in 1818. The house, once an unofficial residence for secretaries of state, includes slave quarters within steps of the White House.
“It’s a sensitive subject. It’s an important subject, though,” museum director Cindi Malinick said of an exhibit on black history in the White House neighborhood. “The more we discuss it and discuss . . . how these people lived and worked and got through their lives, I think the better off we all will be as a society.”
Decatur House, now administered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, holds one of the few remaining examples of what urban slavery was like in 19th century America.
It was there that 15 members of the King and Williams families lived together in three rooms on the second floor of a building located behind the red-brick house. They were considered the property of John Gadsby, owner of the National Hotel in the 1800s.
A 2002 renovation uncovered the original floor, walls and fireplaces of the slave quarters, which are on view in the exhibit, “The Half Had Not Been Told Me: African Americans on Lafayette Square.” The title of the exhibit is drawn from a Frederick Douglass quote. Visit www.decaturhouse.org . Here are some highlights of other fresh sites in Washington.
New attractions: 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 has exhibits on the presidency and first ladies, and costumed historic characters wander through the halls every weekend. Info: www.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 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 ( www.visitthecapitol.gov ) or through a congressional office. Lincoln Bicentennial: A citywide celebration of the 200th anniversary of Honest Abe’s birth begins this month 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. Details at www.lincolnindc.com . In February, Ford’s Theatre — where Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 — will reopen for tours and performances after an extensive renovation. Details at 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. Details at 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. Details: http://nmaahc. si.edu.
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