Saturday January 03, 2009
Religious Sites
While Washington, D.C., may not be regarded as a religious center for the country, it has several significant religious buildings and sites that reflect the cultural and religious diversity we have as a nation. Many of the sites, like the National Cathedral, are national in their use and function.
B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum (202) 857-6583 Currently closed for renovation No admission charged |
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This small museum, established in 1957, features Jewish folk and ceremonial art, providing a fascinating cross-section of Jewish life and culture. Ceremonial objects, art and antiquities related to Jewish religion and culture span 20 centuries and include a collection of ancient Judaic coins. Historical lectures and films are also available. | |
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception |
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This important Catholic shrine dedicated to the patron saint of the United States, located on land donated by Catholic University, was consecrated in 1959. It has an architecture mix of Romanesque and Byzantine. | |
George Washington Masonic Memorial |
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The Memorial is located in Alexandria, just a few miles form Mount Vernon. It stands atop Shuters Hill on King Street. This memorial was built to honor George Washington, who is the pre-eminent member of the Masonic fraternity. | |
| House of the Temple (202) 232-3579 1733 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 8am-2pm. Monday-Friday No admission charged |
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The House of the Temple, a Masonic temple modeled after the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is located in the Adams-Morgan section of Washington, DC. This is considered the first public library in the city. Displays include artifacts from Burl Ives, Robert Burns and J. Edgar Hoover. | |
| Islamic Center of Washington 2551 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC 10am-5pm, Monday-Saturday; 10am-2pm Sunday No admission charged |
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When it opened in 1957, the Islamic Center of Washington was the largest Muslim place of worship in the Western Hemisphere. Many high-profile dignitaries, including several presidents, have visited the mosque. | |
| LDS Washington DC Temple and Visitors' Center (301) 587-0144 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington, MD Visitors' Center 10am-9pm daily No admission charged for visitors' center; LDS-issued credential necessary for entrance to the Temple |
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This landmark, which features regularly in traffic reports in local news, is a six-spire building of Alabama white marble. It was completed in 1974. The temple is only open to credentialed members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but an on-site Visitors' Center features interactive exhibits and videos along with a reproduction of the Christus statue. The Visitors' Center also hosts frequent concerts and lectures throughout the year. | |
St. John's Episcopal Church |
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This small yellow building on 16th and H Streets, NW, just across Lafayette Park from the White House, is known as "The Church of Presidents." From 1816 to the present, every person who has served as President of the United States has attended a regular or occasional service. Pew 54 is the President's Pew. | |
Washington National Cathedral |
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The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul took 83 years to build, officially completed in 1990. In 2007, it was voted one of the top three most beautiful buildings in the U.S. by the American Institute of Architects. It has been the site of a number of Presidential funerals, with more than 150 interred (including Helen Keller, her tutor Anne Sullivan and President Woodrow Wilson). The National Cathedral is an Episcopal church that was chartered by Congress; it celebrated its Centennial in 2007. |
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