Peaceful Sights Along the National Mall

Sight seeing in Washington DC can be exhausting. If you're looking for a place to periodically slip away from the crowds, there are plenty of options near the National Mall. Instead of resting on the steps of your favorite monument or museum, try one of these sights:

The Hirshhorn Museum Sculpture Garden

This peaceful sculpture garden is located on the south side of the Mall just one block west of the Air and Space Museum and directly in front of the circular Hirsshorn Museum. Part of the Smithsonian collection, this outdoor space showcases modern and contemporary art. Throughout the rectangular garden, a variety of sculptures are on display, including human forms and more whimsical designs. Between sculptures there are plenty of shaded places and park benches, offering several places to sit down on a muggy DC day.

The US Botanic Garden

On the southeast side of the mall neighboring the US Capitol is the US Botanic Garden. Here various species of plants and flowers are meticulously labeled and pleasantly arranged. Closest to the Conservatory is the colorful Rose Garden and nearby is the First Ladies Water Garden. If you're looking to get out of the sun, near the doors to the Conservatory are a variety of picnic tables, surrounded with plants and shaded by umbrellas.

The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Between the Museum of Natural History and the West Building of the National Gallery of Art sits the Sculpture Garden. Like the Hirsshorn Sculpture Garden, this garden also showcases a variety of modern pieces. Here, though, they are on a grander scale. There is plenty of seating surrounding a central fountain, but I recommend sitting in front of one of the eye-catching works of art, such as Roy Lichtenstein's House I, which bends inward but appears to pop out in the opposite direction.

Mary Livingston Ripley Garden