Museums & Galleries in Washington, D. C.

Though spectral forms and shadowy figures still reside in The Haunted Cottage, its greatest legacy is as the occasional vacation home of assassin John Wilkes Booth. Also known as the Booth House, The Haunted Cottage is home to paranormal researcher Vince Wilson, who helms the haunted abode's ghost tours and maintains the paranormal library and history museum, where guests can spy a vampire skeleton among other supernatural exhibits. All this knowledge pours from Vince's mouth during tours and investigations, which pair breakdowns of the house's 150-year history with actual equipment designed to catch ghosts, from cameras and digital recorders to EMF meters delicately hoisting a morsel of cheese.

The Haunted Cottage also strives to school spirit-seekers with paranormal-research training that cycles through parapsychology topics such as extrasensory perception, hypnosis, and psychic healing.

In 1959, David and Carmen Kreeger began a personal collection of modern art, forming a shared vision based on creative passion instead of investment. David Kreeger himself said, “Art that embodies the creative spirit of men transcends the value of money." In 1994, four years after David’s death, the Kreeger Museum opened under the direction of Judy A. Greenberg with the mission of enhancing “the understanding and appreciation of art, architecture and music,” three of the Kreegers’ lifelong passions and favorite Jeopardy! categories.

Today, their personal acquisitions form the foundation of a collection of 19th- and 20th-century paintings from masters such as Monet, Cézanne, and Picasso, along with works of traditional African and Asian art. Art pervades every inch of the museum campus, from the 5.5-acre wooded sculpture garden surrounding the building to the building itself designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Philip Johnson using a modernist approach and limestone imported from Italy. The building uses light and movement to guide visitors through the great hall, gallery spaces, and recital hall for performances of Beethoven’s B-sides.

Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. escorts guests on an interactive journey through American history. Only here, the past isn't manifested through movies, but through wax. Inside, The President's Gallery brings visitors face-to-face with all 44 US presidents, from Harry Truman to Abe Lincoln and his signature spinning bowtie. Cultural leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr., stand tall nearby, and rock stars such as Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan compose silent jam sessions in the Vintage Music Room. Hollywood stars, sports heroes, and nonpresidential political figures round out the collection, which can be visited 365 days a year.

Since opening in 1921, The Phillips Collection has nurtured an exquisite collection of modern and impressionist works by canvas camouflaging masters such as Renoir, Rothko, Bonnard, O'Keeffe, van Gogh, and Degas. In celebration of its 90th anniversary, the internationally recognized Dupont Circle landmark will orchestrate a rich bouquet of programs, exhibitions, and events throughout 2011 before blowing out the 90 candles blazing on its birthday cake.