Definitely take some time to walk around the mall. It's quite large, but I'd recommend heading over in the direction of the capitol, or going over to the Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Memorial area.
this doesn't make most people's top list of things to do... but i think it's one of the coolest things in DC. You can see the originals of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. It's normally not very crowded and can be viewed quickly, unless you really want to spend some time reading this doesn't make most people's top list of things to do... but i think it's one of the coolest things in DC. You can see the originals of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. It's normally not very crowded and can be viewed quickly, unless you really want to spend some time reading stuff. Cool feature is the security mechanism on the exhibits... they drop 7 stories into vault if any security breaches take place. Tourist bonus points: it's dark and cool inside which making it very appealing on a hot day.…see moresee less
We went to the Empire State Building late at night (maybe 11 or 11:30). We walked down after we saw Jersey Boys. It was perfect because there were no lines....but you could see all the ropes for the queues, and they went on forever!!
In a city full of wondrous places, this is among its best attractions. While it's lovely just about any time of year it's incredibly special in the fall.