Holidays Ideal Time to See Washington
W A S H I N G T O N, Dec. 12, 2003 -- New York has the Christmas show at Radio CityMusic Hall and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Florida hassunshine and theme parks. But truth be told, when it comes to aDecember vacation, the nation's capital is not high on manypeople's list.
Maybe it ought to be.
"This may be the best time of all to visit the city, becauseyou don't see the crowds, you get to see the monuments, and you getto have the good times without having to push your way through,"said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., the District of Columbia'snonvoting representative to the U.S. Congress.
The period from Thanksgiving Week through Martin Luther King Jr.'sbirthday traditionally marks the slow season for hotels,restaurants and other firms dependent upon travelers drawn toWashington for government business.
Nothing You Can’t See
According to Norton, this may be the best holiday tourism seasonfor visitors to Washington since the year 2000. Many of theattractions that had been closed since the Sept. 11, 2001, terroristattacks are now open, although visitation policies have beenmodified for security reasons.
"We've got the White House to open up some of the tours, andwe've gotten the Capitol completely opened up, so there's reallynothing you can't see if you come to Washington now," Norton said.
White House tours for groups of 10 or more can now be arrangedthrough the offices of members of Congress up to six months inadvance. Visits should be scheduled about one month in advance.Tour hours are between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Tuesdays throughSaturdays.
Guided tours of the U.S. Capitol are available between the hoursof 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Both the Capitoland the White House are closed on Christmas.
As for tree-lighting spectaculars, Washington has several torival Rockefeller Center's: The 80th lighting of the NationalChristmas Tree took place on Dec. 4 on the Ellipse, near the WhiteHouse, followed a week later by the U.S. Capitol tree lighting. "You not only have the experience of a beautiful city, but anincredible array of art and performance arts," said DorothyMcSweeny, chairwoman of the D.C. Commission on the Arts andHumanities.
More Freebies Than Anywhere
The National Theatre, Ford's Theatre, Kennedy Center and otherperforming arts venues are offering special holiday presentations.In addition to their collections, many of the SmithsonianInstitution's museums offer special exhibits during the wintermonths.
"We have more free things to do in Washington than in any othercity in the world." said William A. Hanbury, chief executiveofficer of the Washington, D.C., Convention and Tourism Corp. Thereare a total of 650 memorials and national historic sites in thedistrict, most located away from the National Mall.
"You could spend weeks going to each one of them, and they areall for free," said Hanbury.
In recent months, the tourism and hospitality industry in thenational capital region has recovered to activity levels prior tothe terrorist attacks.
Hanbury's group is spending $500,000 to promote its third annual"Holiday Homecoming" tourism campaign. Much of the money will beused to purchase ads in major newspapers in the southeast andmid-Atlantic regions, within driving distance of Washington. Hotelsare offering special discount rates, and tickets to some holidayevents are offering discounts as part of the package, Hanbury said.
If You Go…
CHRISTMAS PAGEANT OF PEACE: On the Ellipse near the White House.Display of 57 holiday trees, one for each state, five U.S.territories and the District of Columbia, plus the NationalChristmas Tree. Choral groups, dancers and other entertainment arefeatured almost nightly through New Year's. Web site:www.pageantofpeace.org. U.S. CAPITOL CHRISTMAS TREE: On the front lawn of the U.S.Capitol building. Web site: www.capitolholidaytree2003.org.
JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS: 2700 F St., NW. National Symphony Orchestra features several concerts, including Pops: Happy Holidays, Dec. 11-13 and Handel's Messiah Dec.18-21. The Kirov Ballet's production of Tchaikovsky's TheNutcracker is featured Dec. 23-28. Call (800) 444-1324 or visitwww.kennedy-center.org. NATIONAL THEATRE: 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Mamma Mia!musical, based on the songs of the pop group ABBA, through Jan. 18.Call (800) 447-7400 or visit www.nationaltheatre.org. FORD'S THEATRE: 511 Tenth St., NW. A Christmas Carol,Tuesdays to Sundays through Dec. 31 (except Christmas Day). Call(800) 955-5566 or visit www.fordstheatre.org. MOUNT VERNON: George Washington's famous estate in nearbyAlexandria, Va., is decorated much as it would have been in the18th century, through Jan. 6. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily,including Christmas Day. Admission: adults, $11; seniors, $10.50;children, 6 to 11, $5; under 5, free. Customers may visit the giftshop, which features a variety of holiday items, without payingadmission. Call (703) 780-2000 or visit www.mountvernon.org. WARNER THEATRE: 13th & E streets, NW. Through Dec. 28, theWashington Ballet performs The Nutcracker. Call (800) 551-SEATor visit www.washingtonballet.org. POPE JOHN PAUL II CULTURAL CENTER: 3900 Harewood Road, NE. Through Jan. 25, the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center features"Joy to the World: Third Annual International Nativity Exhibit."Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5p.m.; closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Call(202) 635-5400 or visit www.jp2cc.org. WHITE HOUSE TOURS: Contact your congressional representative orvisit www.whitehouse.gov/history/tours. U.S. CAPITOL: Tickets for guided tours of the U.S. Capitol arefree on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are distributedbeginning at 9 a.m. daily from the Capitol Guide Service kiosklocated along the curving sidewalk southwest of the Capitol, nearthe intersection of First Street, SW, and Independence Avenue.Visit www.aoc.gov/visit/visit-overview.htm for more information. WASHINGTON, D.C., CONVENTION AND TOURISM CORP.: For help infinding lodgings and packages, call (202) 789-7000 or visitwww.washington.org.