The Smithsonian Institution was founded for the "increase and diffusion" of knowledge from a bequest to the United States by the British scientist James Smithson, who had never visited the US himself.
With average summer temperatures reaching 106 degrees, it is important to stay hydrated and to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before exposure. There’s a way to stay well.
Construction began in 1914, and the memorial was opened to the public in 1922. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech to a crowd by the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 .
TRAVEL FACT: See the original diary of Anne Frank in the house where she and her family hid from the Nazis.
