The seminary (or "castle" as I called it in high school, for apparently no reason, because castle…read moreis maybe the one type of building that the campus doesn't have) lived rent free in my mind when I was younger. It's just a crazy place, especially tucked right by Silver Spring, right by 16th and Georgia, and yet few people know it exists. Starting out as an inn and then a finishing school for girls, there's a Japanese pagoda, a Dutch windmill, a Parthenon looking building, and so many beautiful statues. After WWII it got taken over by the army. And then it slowly decayed. Save the Seminary, the organization whose mission is to restore the seminary, did a pretty damn good job at restoring the buildings, the ballroom, and the statutes. They do free walk tours, and most insane, the structures are now homes, where actual human beings live. I can't quite wrap my head around it, but if you have an extra mil lying around one of these places could be yours (if any of them happen to be up for sale).

Forest Glen, Maryland: Do you know where Forest Glen Maryland is?…read more Take a look at this map (This is the point of the presentation where I wish I could embed a map into my review) Well, imagine an isosceles triangle. Those are the ones that have a corner with 70 degrees- another corner with 70 degrees- and the third corner with 40 degrees. But make it stand straight up... like a pyramid. Ok, just think of a pyramid... but just one side, not like an actual 3D Pyramid. Ok... ya know what, think of a Yield Sign. There we go, just think of a Yield sign. The bottom left corner is Bethesda, the bottom right corner is Silver Spring and the top of the Yield sign is Forest Glen. See, that was so much easier than just showing you a map. In that time, I hope that you've just googled Forest Glen and seen exactly where it is. So in Forest Glen there is an enormous building on Linden Lane and you'll see a Japanese Pagoda right in front of it. Yes, a true to form, authentic color paint, bamboo what not Japanese Freakin' Pagoda. That'll make you say something like "This Is the FR*&*in' Catalina Wine Mixer!".. of buildings. And then you'll say, "Why have I never seen this before." Here's some real short history. I did the research for you. The building was built as a Hotel/ Vacation Resort in 1887 for DC vacationers: Ye Old Forest Inn. But that didn't work out. Apparently the people who ran it were less than savvy. Then in 1894 it became an all girls school. And it remained that way until 1942. But, as you remember, we were dragged into WW2 in 1942 after Pearl Harbor happened December 7th 1941 "A Day Which Will Live In Infamy". Quick side note. In addition to Pearl Harbor the Japanese on that day also attacked the following: American ships the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu, Malaya, Hong Kong, Guam, the Philippine Islands,Wake Island. And the next morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island. Something I didn't know because everything is really ethnocentric here in America. And now back to National Park Seminary So the building in 1942 became sort of an Annex for Walter Reed and was controlled by the army. But in 1977 most of the buildings were left abandoned. Which essentially became a playground ( a very expensive and beautiful playground) for vandals. After years of neglect and vandalism a company called The Alexander Company helped in it's rehabilitation for the purpose of preserving this listing on the "National Register of Historic Places." For a very long time an organization called SOS (Save Our Seminary) has been working to raise money to preserve and repair so many of the historic buildings, structures, and intricate details that make this place so G-D Da*n Magical! The building used to face railroad tracks where people would travel off the railroad and right onto the campus. Now, that railroad is 495 so the front faces a non accessible point. Coming up from Linden, you're actually coming from the back and don't get to see the entire majesty of what the Seminary is. Quick info: National Park Seminary- the name After Ye Old Forest Inn the school took notice of Rock Creek Park which was constructed and opened during that time ( an attraction that many people were coming to see), the spot was named "National Park" in reference to being so close to that site. The Seminary comes from the older meaning of seminary which is: "a school of secondary or higher level for young women." So the campus is big 23 acres. And on that campus lives several sorority houses done in an international theme ( I KNOW! Awesome!) Which explains the Japanese Pagoda- some of the others include a : "Dutch windmill, a Swiss chalet, an Italian villa, An American Bungalow and an English castle" Quick note- In 1936 the National Park Seminary was renamed National Park College and served as a very prestigious woman's college for a while. The name was changed back to National Park Seminary after it was reacquired from the army. The campus is brilliant and beautiful. Large sculptures decorate the beautiful buildings at almost every turn. A mix of styles inside the buildings. Especially the wonderful ballroom. The site is just something to behold. They do tours on Every 4th Saturday at 1PM Here are the rest for 2014 - They start at 1PM and are 5 bucks per person Saturday, June 28 Saturday, July 26 Sunday, August 3 Saturday, August 23 Saturday, September 27 Saturday, October 25 Saturday, November 22

I really like this theater great service and everything you could want to watch a movie. Its a…read morelittle small. There are a great amount of options for beer and wine too. Its a great place to see a reasonably priced movie.

This is the closest movie theater to where I live. While the staff was friendly, and the theater…read moremostly empty, I felt like this is a solid 3 star experience and has a bit of improvement. The movie theater used to have a full bar. However, as of writing, lost its liquor license. They do hope to re-gain it, but have no immediate plans in the future. The food menu is very basic -- hot dogs, pizza, pretzels. We tried to order 2 different types of pizza. A cheese pizza and a buffalo chicken pizza version. However, they ran out and could only do cheese. That's fine. We ordered 2 pizzas as they were small but only got one. I did appreciate that they comped the second pizza. Service was very slow, but friendly. The theater space is small and intimate. Would I rush back here? Definitely not. I prefer AMC Georgetown, Alamo Drafthouse in Crystal City and E Street Cinemas.

Dear reader, It is…read moreonly fair that I report the National Arboretum remains one of the coolest places in DC. It is massive, gorgeous, and the kind of place that makes you feel like you have briefly escaped the city without actually going very far. There is so much space to walk, relax, and just be outside for a while, and it never really feels crowded. Every time you turn a corner there is something new to look at, which makes the whole place feel like a very peaceful little adventure. The bonsai museum is easily one of the crown jewels. It kind of blows my mind every time that there are so many bonsai there, and some of them are up to or over 400 years old, including the famous Yamaki Pine. It is one of those places that really makes you slow down and pay attention because the amount of care, history, and detail in everything is just incredible. A very quiet flex, if you will. I also love that the Arboretum is not just about plants, although those alone would be enough. We saw bald eagles, there are beavers on the grounds, and it always feels like some kind of wildlife cameo could happen at any moment. Between the trees and plants from all over the country and the world, the Capitol Columns, the bonsai, the gardens, and all the open space, there is so much to take in without it ever feeling overwhelming. Dogs are welcome too, which feels very civilized, though they cannot go into the bonsai museum. Overall, this place is just such a gem. Beautiful, relaxing, and full of little surprises. I will absolutely keep going back, and frankly, I think society should too.

I had the pleasure of visiting the National Arboretum on an August trip to the area. It was unlike…read moreany national monument (or arboretum) I've ever visited! This place is huge...vast and forest-like, with roads and trails meandering throughout. I was happy for GPS, or I would most definitely have gotten lost! I didn't have a lot of time, but I did take a few minutes to stop at the vegetable garden, where many seasonal items were growing. They even invite you to pick something (but just one!) if you'd like to try it. And the flowers....oh the flowers. So beautiful! I'd love to come back here someday with a bike and visit more spots.

We recently visited the Museum of Illusions in DC, and overall, we had a fun time! First of all,…read morethis place is a little hidden. We literally walked right past it before realizing where it was, but once we found it, we were ready to explore. There are a lot of really cool optical illusions and interactive exhibits, and some of the effects make for really fun pictures. Since it was just me and my daughter, there were a few exhibits where having someone else around to take the picture would have been helpful. You can certainly ask other visitors, but sometimes everyone is so busy enjoying their own experience that it's not always easy. There was also some confusion with figuring out how certain exhibits were supposed to work. Even though there are instructions posted, sometimes they didn't immediately make sense. There were staff members walking around who were happy to help, but there were only one or two people on the floor at a time. One of the employees mentioned that they were short-staffed, which explained why there weren't more people available. That said, whenever we did need help, someone eventually came over and assisted us. My biggest issue is the size. The museum is on one floor and is pretty small, so I was expecting a little more for the price. I definitely think it's something worth doing once, especially if you've never been, but I'm not sure I'd pay full price to do it repeatedly. We did take advantage of their September special, where first graders were free, so that definitely helped! Overall, I'm glad we went. We had fun, got some cool pictures, and my daughter enjoyed herself. I'd recommend it as a fun DC activity, especially if you can catch a discount or special.

Had to come here since I've always seen the pictures online! Plenty of things to do inside and look…read moreat, but you can be in and out very quickly if you came for photo ops and that's it. Employee at the desk upon entering wasn't very friendly or welcoming. Didn't have much to say and no personality, too busy on their phone. Please do better when you are working with the public! Cool experience if you're needing something to do to waste time on a trip out of town, otherwise wouldn't spend my money on this.

Review #239 - 2019 I…read morehonestly do not understand what the whole protesting situation was all about, but then again I don't understand a lot of things that liberals do! But here is a short reading on the upsetting situation: "Five miles from the United States Supreme Court, a 40-foot-tall World War I memorial in the shape of a cross has stood for nearly a century. Now, it is at the center of a battle over the separation of church and state that may end up on the court's docket. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit declared this month that the Peace Cross, which sits on state-owned land in Maryland and has been maintained with public funds, was unconstitutional, a ruling that supporters of the monument warned could result in a "cleansing" of memorials on public grounds across the country." Supreme Court's Ruling as of June 20, 2019: "The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that a 40-foot cross honoring soldiers who died in World War I could remain on state property in suburban Maryland. The cross, the court said, did not violate the First Amendment's ban on government establishment of religion." When my girlfriends & I were driving around looking for it, we were expecting it to be a monumentally gigantic cross that can be seen from miles & miles away; but when we finally arrived, we were like, "Wait! This cross caused that much commotion! Wow! Liberals really are that easy to trigger!" Thank goodness for people who aren't PC or easily triggered by everything or else we won't have anything nice left on this planet.

This building has amazing architecture and paintings. Get the free tour with a volunteer guide…read more She pointed out so many interesting facts that I would have missed on my own. You can also get a free library card if you want to do research or go into the reading rooms. First time visiting this beautiful building.

If you're in DC for just a few days, I'd add Library of Congress to the list. Note that you do need…read moretickets to enter, but the best part about the tickets is that it's free. The architecture is beautiful. There was a lot of thought that went into the structure and design of the building. I took the advice of one of the people and went into the viewing room first, but I wish I had gotten a later "timed entry" to see the library itself so that I could've taken the time to learn what I was looking at. If I were to do it again, I'd follow the order online of how to view the Library of Congress, and I'd time the viewing of the library itself to be the last part. Fun fact: you also can get a library card for the Library of Congress! As long as if you fill out the form and have an ID, you can get a library card the same day and it'll last for 2 years.

Friendship Arch in Chinatown [Washington, D.C.]…read more C ultural attraction H istoric neighborhood I ntersection of H Street and Seventh Street N ational Register of Historic Places A bustling neighborhood for nightlife, shopping, and entertainment T he Capital One Arena helped revitalize the neighborhood O ne of the most popular destinations for tourists visiting DC W alking distance from the National Mall N ational unity G ateway structure A rchitectural arch T he Friendship Arch was built in 1986 E xpect plenty of foot traffic Review #3654

Chinatown is always in the US major cities. DC one is one of them. It was relatively small. Even it…read moreis smaller than Houston's one. DC is the capital city of the USA. Judging from the importance of politics, China and Taiwan governments spend more money on DC Chinatown. I used the Metro subway and enjoyed good access to the town. I ate ramen noodles at Daikaya, a Japanese restaurant. Just like this, I couldn't see a lot of Chinese restaurants and businesses. There is a concert and sports arena near Chinatown. Hope to visit an NBA game in the near future.

Aww man, how did I know this center existed til Latin Heritage Month!? A friend and I came here for…read morethe viewing of Olma, a film included in the LHM film lineup, and boy did we have the best time! For my ladies, please be reassured that the bathrooms are clean! They are located close to the theater which of course is convenient. But overall, this place is so cool! So nostalgic as to what exactly a theatre and film center have to offer. There are also food and drink options available to purchase too, so come solo... come with a friend or family, or book a whole row - please make your way over here, you will not be disappointed.

I cannot believe that it took me almost 3 years after moving to the area to visit AFI Silver…read moreTheatre and Culture Center. This is kind of interesting/funny because I'm usually hanging out in this part of Silver Spring 2-4 times a week. The AFI Latin American Film Festival 2026 is what brought us to AFI. While the prices of pretty much everything are rising, I thought the $15 ticket prices were pretty reasonable. Also, the prices for food and drink were very fair. I think that a large bag of popcorn was like seven bucks. Nowadays, popcorn prices can easily creep up to $14+. Also, I thought the theater had a nice selection of canned beers. I'll say the lobby is not too impressive, but I thought the theater was very nice. First, the seats are very well-cushioned and are of a nice size. While the main theater can seat about 400 folks, the seats and rows are spaced out enough so visitors shouldn't feel like they are sardines packed into a small can. Also, I thought the sound and video quality was pretty decent. All in all, I don't think that I have any major complaints regarding my first experience at AFI silver. I hope to visit again in the future. Actually, I have a feeling that I may make another visit very soon because there are a couple more movies from AFI Latin American Film Festival 2026 that I might check out. Although the theater itself does not have its own parking and there are not too many street parking options, there are several parking garages (which decent rates) that are within walking distance to the theater. The closest parking garage is about a 5-10-minute walk from the theater.

Haven't been here in years. Plenty of parking garages nearby. Free for the first 2 hours, when…read morevalidated Concession stand: prepare for long waits. If you're a Regal member, popcorn is 1/2 off! Theatre seats are auditorium style. Hard, not a lot of room. Hard to hold your food. There is a cupholder. Our screen was kind of dark There is no validation machine to use. We had to ask someone at the concession stand. Movies are naturally longer than 2 hours, but the validation sticker still allowed us for $2 off.

As a Regal Unlimited member, I'm always here at this location to watch new movies. I enjoy this…read morelocation because it's closer to where I live and they good restaurants nearby. I prefer coming here during matinees versus at night. I've always received great customer service.

Absolutely beautiful and powerful!…read more The visual of MLK's figure carved out of a mountain is incredibly powerful and thought provoking! Photos do not do the scale of this memorial justice. I loved the engraved quotes on the walls. Then this memorial is right off the water and surrounded by trees. I highly recommend stopping by, if memorials are your thing.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is very cool and absolutely worth visiting. There are so many…read morepowerful quotes from Reverend King throughout the memorial, which really add to the experience. The memorial itself is made up of two pieces, symbolizing the "stone of hope" from the "mountain of despair" referenced in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. My only complaint was the lighting. We visited around dusk on a guided tour, and apparently several of the lights weren't functioning. We ended up relying on our guide's flashlight to see parts of the memorial and read some of the inscriptions. It's disappointing to see such an important national memorial not properly illuminated and maintained. I'm glad we were able to visit again during the day so we could see it better. Despite that, this is a meaningful and impressive memorial that I'm very glad we visited.