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Smithsonian Castle

WASHINGTON, USA - APRIL 10: People visit the Smithsonian Institution on April 10, 2014 in Washington DC. 18.9 million tourists visited capital of the United States in 2012. 188876363 educational, mall, tower, brick, doorway, america, flag, stone, natural, cultural, secretary, national, smithsonian, travel, red, culture, attraction, castle, history, washington, hall, tour, building, learning, tourist, district, victorian, architecture, city, blue, sky, institute, education, space, columbia, exterior, museum, american, capital, institution

©f11photo/Shutterstock

James Renwick designed this turreted, red-sandstone fairy-tale in 1855. Today the castle houses the Smithsonian Visitor Center, which makes a good first stop on the Mall. Inside you’ll find history exhibits, multilingual touch-screen displays, a staffed information desk, free maps, a cafe and the tomb of James Smithson, the institution’s founder. His crypt lies inside a little room by the main entrance off the Mall.

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