DC Landmarks
Politics & Government
Black History & Culture in DC
Museums & Culture
Federal Government Civics
100

What iconic obelisk honors the first U.S. president?

Washington Monument

100

Where does the President of the U.S. live?

The White House

100

What historic Black university was founded in D.C. in 1867?

Howard University

100

What museum holds the Hope Diamond and dinosaur fossils?

National Museum of Natural History

100

How many branches make up the U.S. federal government?

Three (Legislative, Executive, Judicial)

200

What iconic stretch of green space in Washington, D.C. is home to monuments like the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and U.S. Capitol?

The National Mall

200

What building houses the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives?

The U.S. Capitol

200

What D.C.-based abolitionist and orator’s home is now a national historic site in Southeast D.C.?

Frederick Douglass

200

Which Smithsonian museum celebrates African American history and culture?

National Museum of African American History and Culture

200

What building is home to the U.S. Congress?

The Capitol Building

300

Unveiled in 2011, this memorial on the National Mall features a 30-foot statue carved out of the "Stone of Hope," is the first to honor an African American on the National Mall.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

300

What’s the name of the highest court in the U.S., located in D.C.?

The Supreme Court

300

What genre of music, born in Washington, D.C., blends funk, percussion, and call-and-response—and is known as the city’s official soundtrack?

Go-Go music

300

What annual festival celebrates Japanese cherry blossoms in D.C.?

National Cherry Blossom Festival

300

Who signs bills into law after they pass both the House and Senate?

The President

400

What building sits atop Capitol Hill and has a large dome?

The US Capitol

400

What department has its headquarters on Constitution Avenue and oversees federal law enforcement?

Department of Justice

400

In the early 20th century, what thriving Black business district along U Street was known as “Black Wall Street of D.C.”?

Black Broadway

400

What cultural center, named after a U.S. president, hosts concerts, ballets, plays, and houses the Millennium Stage?

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

400

What is the highest court in the United States?

The Supreme Court

500

What memorial features 58,000+ names from a 20th-century war?

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

500

What D.C. institution prints U.S. currency?

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

500

This free African-American mathematician and astronomer helped survey the land that would become Washington, D.C., and is credited with reproducing parts of the city’s layout from memory after the lead architect left with the original plans.

Benjamin Banneker

500

What museum explores espionage, codebreaking, and spy gear from around the world?

International Spy Museum

500

What principle allows each branch of government to limit the power of the other two?

Checks and Balances

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