The summer 2015 class of Newsmax interns hit the streets of Washington, D.C., to explore, report, and learn. This series features a look at D.C., including monuments, memorials, and museums, through the eyes of a Millennial.
Washington, D.C., is home to more than 600,000 people and all three branches of the United States government. The city draws some 17 to 19 million visitors each year as enthusiastic tourists flock to the country’s capital to see the sites and experience the remarkable history firsthand.
With the advent of social media and its rise in popularity in recent years, more and more of these tourists take to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to post pictures and selfies to document these trips.
With this in mind, here are the top nine selfies tourists must take while visiting the nation's capital:
1. The White House
The White House, as the president’s official residence and principal workplace, is not only one of Washington D.C.’s most iconic national symbols, but it's also a hot-spot for the thousands of selfie-snapping tourists who flock to the city each year.
2. Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool
Sure, we’ve all seen those selfies where the proud picture-taker
pinches the Washington Monument between his or her thumb and index finger and marvels at how “small” the monument is in real life. And how could we forget the one where the
photographer gapes at the monument sitting in the palm of his or her hand. But with a more creative angle, the Washington Monument selfie can become much more of a work of art.
3. Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial, which is located across from the Washington Monument near the western end of the National Mall, is also the site where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. Nearly 6 million tourists visit the memorial each year, including chronic selfie-takers. Despite the memorial’s popularity, it’s always fun to try snapping photos with different angles of Abraham Lincoln — especially if they can be taken to make it look like Lincoln is staring straight at the camera, too.
4. Jefferson Memorial
This memorial to the third president of the United States rests on the banks of the Tidal Basin off the Washington Channel of the Potomac River and it, too, is a perennial favorite with D.C. tourists, especially during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Selfie-takers-to-be may choose to either snap a shot outside the structure to emphasize its neoclassical architecture, or they may choose to walk inside and share the limelight with Thomas Jefferson’s statue.
5. Cherry blossoms
Speaking of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, it is essential that springtime tourists photograph the breathtaking blossoms alongside the Tidal Basin. And while they’re at it, why not take an artsy selfie to commemorate the experience?
6. Dinosaurs at the Smithsonian
When D.C. tourists visit the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, the dinosaur skeletons are always a huge draw. So what could be more fun than memorializing your trip to D.C. with a selfie of a T-Rex getting ready to decapitate you?
7. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States also provides an excellent opportunity for D.C. tourists and selfie aficionados to show off a bit more of their love for the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law. Selfie-takers can even try to fit the inscription engraved on the front of the building in their shots: “Equal justice under law.”
8. U.S. Capitol
The United States Capitol provides the origin point for the District of Columbia’s four quadrants and has long been an iconic, favorite attraction for D.C. tourists. Although scaffolding was erected around the dome in 2014 for restoration efforts, the building itself still offers great potential for some selfie creativity.
9. National Zoological Park
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is home to more than 1,800 animals from approximately 300 different species and offers D.C. visitors a chance to observe the animals up-close. If tourists can maneuver their way around the barrier and enclosure restrictions, there are many creative ways in which they can snap an awesome shot to document their experiences.
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.