Washington, DC: The Top 5 Wheelchair Accessible Attractions

As an American traveler, there are so many amazing places to visit within my own country. There are the more obvious choices like New York, Los Angeles and Disney World, but one destination that is often overlooked is actually the capital of the United States; Washington, DC. I’m not quite sure why exactly it’s overlooked so much because it is one of my favorite cities in the entire world. There’s history, plenty of attractions, and almost every aspect of the city is wheelchair accessible; from the metro to all attractions and landmarks. After all, what would you expect from the city where the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law? After my first visit to the nation’s capital at the age of 9, I immediately fell in love with DC. So much so that I actually moved there and lived for a year after graduating high school. During that year I experienced everything that the city offers and here are my top five favorite wheelchair accessible attractions in no particular order:

 

THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL & REFLECTION POOL

 

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Abraham Lincoln is perhaps the most popular American President ever and his memorial is a perfect tribute. The walls inside the Lincoln Memorial are filled with his quotes and they allow you to see exactly why he is remembered as an icon. Right in front of the memorial is the reflection pool. It’s quite literally a very large pool that is approximately 640 metres long. In the Summer, you’ll see people jumping into it, but it’s also just a terrific place to relax and take in the magnificent views on each end of the pool of the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

 

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

 

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It’s easy to spend several hours at Arlington Cemetery. It’s a very large cemetery with over 300,000 people buried there. This means that there is a lot of ground to cover so if you don’t have an electric wheelchair to easily get around, there is also a wheelchair accessible trolley that will take you to all the notable sights. Some of these include the burial sights of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This special tomb is meant to honor the fallen soldiers of World Wars I & II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. There is also the Changing of the Guard ceremony, which should not be missed if you’re in DC, every half hour during the Summer and every hour in the Winter.

 

THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUMS & ZOO

 

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The Smithsonian Institution is comprised of 19 museums and one zoo, all in DC. The other great thing is that they are all free. With this many museums, you could spend a week in DC and still not visit them all. There are so many great options. Some of my favorites include the National Zoo (I’m a HUGE animal lover), the Air and Space Museum, and the Natural History Museum, where you can learn about early human origins and ancient animals such as dinosaurs.

 

WASHINGTON MONUMENT

 

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The Washington Monument is one of the city’s most notable landmarks and stands at 169 metres tall. It’s hard to miss from almost anywhere in DC. Originally built as a monument to honor the first President of the United States, it is now an extremely popular tourist attraction. It is free to ride the elevator to the top and take in spectacular views of the city, but it does require a ticket. Tourists start lining up very early to get a ticket and they are given out at 8:30 in the morning. If you want to take in the best views in DC, be sure to set your alarm!

 

UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM

 

This is probably the saddest attraction in DC, but it’s such an important history lesson. I’ve been to this museum a few times and I always end up shedding a few tears at some point. There are many videos and exhibits throughout the museum, including one area that shows how disabled people were treated during the Holocaust. This part is especially personal to me and it makes me realize how lucky I am to have been born in this day and age. Admission to this museum is free, but you do need a ticket during the Summer months, which you can pre-book online.

 

 

*I originally wrote this post for Have Wheelchair Will Travel as a guest blog.  

 

 

 

 

7 Comments

  • Chris G Lund says:

    From the Little I’ve seen read compared with the hude amount still to follow I can say already this has to be by far the Most Interesting Site showing with a passport some faith in good natured people the world is still open for those forced to use Power Or Wheel Chairs .. Please keep the great work going till I and others can help encaptule the worlds delights for the People who just can’t travel … It should b a right for all to travel for free if they do what they can to help there community when back home … Who pays lets say all who have gathered more than £1,000,000 thats enough for any one person to have.. Just a poor mans view thats better thanks to this site..Thank You so very much ..

    • Cory Lee says:

      Thank you so much for your kind and inspiring comment. I am glad that you like this site and I hope that it continues to motivate you, and others, to travel. If you ever have any questions about accessible travel just shoot me an email. 🙂

  • Not that I’ve been there but I don’t understand why DC is so underrated. I’d love to visit it and it’s probably in my top 5 places I want to visit in the US. As you said it’s so full of history and there are so many important things to see there. I really love your photo of the Washington Monument Cory. Looks like you captured it at the perfect time of day.
    Jen Seligmann recently posted…Saving Money to TravelMy Profile

  • Amy says:

    Great list! I, too, love DC. I lived there for almost two years after college and then went back for another three a couple years later. Such a great city! And although not perfect, the Metro is much more accessible than many of the subway systems in the US (I’m looking at you, NYC).
    Amy recently posted…Monday moment of Zen: FlorenceMy Profile

  • Paul says:

    I want to visit DC so much! Was going to go in 2012 with a friend but we ended up going on a Caribbean cruise instead lol! I would love to go to all of the above sights you’ve mentioned, especially the Lincoln Memorial.

  • fadiyah says:

    Great list, so helpful for anyone who wants to bring their old family member visit DC. I wish to visit DC, especially to see the beauty of Shenandoah National Park ^_^
    fadiyah recently posted…Must Visit Places in Washington DCMy Profile

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