Our sources
We point readers to the agencies that own the facts. For live details — hours, passes, fares, closures — these official sources are the last word.
- National Park Service — National Mall & Memorial Parks — Monument hours, closures, cherry-blossom bloom watch and permits.
- Smithsonian Institution — Museum hours, free admission and the few timed-entry passes.
- WMATA (Metro) — Metrorail and Metrobus routes, fares, SmarTrip and elevator/outage status.
- Destination DC — City-wide visitor information and the official events calendar.
- The White House Visitor Center / NPS — White House tour requests and visitor-center details.
- U.S. Capitol Visitor Center — Capitol tour booking and security rules.
How we use these sources is set out in our editorial policy.