Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site

Address:The National Mall
Washington, District of Columbia
Tel: (202) 485-9880

Visit the heart of America's capital at the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site in Washington, D.C., located on Pennsylvania Avenue between the Capitol and the White House. Pennsylvania Avenue, dubbed "America's main street", is one of the world's most famous streets and serves as a setting for marches, parades, protests, and other cultural activities, including presidential inaugurations since Thomas Jefferson's second inauguration in 1805. The name Pennsylvania Avenue was first applied to this avenue by Thomas Jefferson in a 1791 letter, but there are controversial theories as to why it was named for the Keystone State.

The Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site, established in 1965, encompasses the Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, the Old Post Office Tower, and several federal structures, including the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building, the National Archives, and the Department of Commerce. The site offers ranger-guided tours of the historic buildings in its perimeter, as well as shopping opportunities. Visitors can find a variety of places to eat in the Old Post Office Tower and elsewhere within easy walking distance.

To get to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site, take the Blue Line Metro train to the Federal Triangle Metro Station or the Green Line Metro train to the Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter Metro Station.