Having been to DC multiple times - I have a few favorites of my own. Many of which are Smithsonian-related . National Art Museum - by far my favorite. where else can you go into a gallery and see 5-7 Monet's at any given time? the art in there is absolutely breathtaking Nighttime Monument Tour - many of the hotels around the area are a pick-up point or there is a pick-up point nearby. These range from $25-$60 depending on length of tour and number of sites (this would be a good idea to do Monday night - especially if the weather is good) Arlington National Cemetery - the changing of the guard is one of the more emotional things I have ever witnessed. I really could go on, as DC is one of my favorite places to visit. If you are staying in DC beyond the tour, I would recommend visiting Georgetown University (beautiful old buildings and lots of good eateries). Also beginning the day after the conference (Thursday) if you are interested in baseball, the Washington Nationals start their home season. Tickets for Opening Day will be probably a little pricey, as they will be handing out World Series Rings, however games for the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) should be pretty reasonable. It's a very nice ballpark (and an up and coming area of DC over by the Naval Yards). It's accessible by public transportation, or an Uber will cost you around $9-11 one way.
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