Page 216 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

214  W ASHINGT ON , DC & THE C APIT AL REGION

The zoo’s most famous
residents are the giant pandas,
Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and baby
Bei Bei who can be seen
roaming around the large trees,
pools, and air-conditioned
outdoor grottos in the Giant
Panda Exhibit.
Equally popular with visitors is
the Great Ape House, which
houses lowland gorillas, each
weighing around 400 lbs (180 kg),
and arboreal orangutans.
The Reptile Discovery Center
features the rare Komodo
dragons, lizards that can grow
up to a length of 10 ft (3 m) and
Auguste Renoir’s masterpiece, The Luncheon of the Boating Party (1881) weigh up to 200 lbs (90 kg).
In Amazonia, which
f Phillips Collection Music Room, with performances re-creates the lush green
by classical artists of world Amazonian habitat, visitors can
1600 21st St at Q St, NW. Tel (202) 387-
2151. q Dupont Circle. Open renown. These popular concerts see poison arrow frogs and
10am–5pm Tue–Wed & Fri–Sat, are free to anyone who has giant catfish, while the Asia
10am–8:30pm Thu, 11am–6pm Sun. purchased a ticket for the Trail features red pandas and
Closed Mon, Jan 1, Jul 4, Thanksg., gallery on that day. sloth bears.
Dec 25. & 8 11am Fri & Sat. 7 Other rare creatures include
∑ phillipscollection.org the endangered Golden Lion
g National Tamarins and red wolves.
This is one of the finest Zoological Park
collections of Impressionist art 3001 Connecticut Ave, NW. Tel (202) h Washington
in the world, and the first 673-4800. q Cleveland Park, Woodley Nation al Cathedral
museum in the US devoted to Park-Zoo. Open Apr–Oct: 10am–6pm
modern art of the 19th and 20th daily (buildings), 6am–8pm daily Massachusetts & Wisconsin Aves, NW.
centuries. Housed in the beautiful (grounds); Oct–Apr: 10am–4:30pm Tel (202) 537-6200. @ 32, 34, 36.
1897 Georgian Revival mansion daily (buildings), 6am–6pm daily Open 10am–3:30pm Mon–Sat, 12:45–
of the collection’s founders, (grounds). Closed Dec 25. 4pm Sun. & (free entry to garden).
Marjorie and Duncan Phillips, 8 call (202) 673-4671. 7 = - 8 group reservations call 537-6207.
this museum has a more ∑ natzoo.si.edu/ 9 7 - = 5 noon Mon–Sat,
intimate and personal ambience hourly 8am–11am & 4pm & 6:30pm
than the larger Smithsonian Located in a sprawling 163-acre Sun, 5:30pm Mon–Fri, 4pm Sat & Sun.
art museums. (66-ha) park designed by ∑ nationalcathedral.org
Among the wonderful Frederick Law Olmsted (the
selection of Impressionist and landscape designer of New The building of the Church
Post-Impressionist works on York’s Central Park), the National of St. Peter and St. Paul (its
display are Dancers at the Barre Zoo was established in 1887. official name) was financed
by Degas, Self-Portrait by Since 1964 it has been part of entirely by donations. It is the
Cezanne, Entrance to the Public the Smithsonian Institution, world’s sixth largest cathedral,
Gardens at Arles by Van Gogh, which has developed it as a measuring 518 ft (158 m) in
and Renoir’s masterpiece, dynamic “biopark” where length and 301 ft (95 m) from
The Luncheon of the Boating animals are studied in the ground to the top of the
Party (1881). environments that replicate central tower. It uses building
Other great paintings in the their natural habitats. techniques of the Gothic style
collection include El Greco’s of architecture, evident in the
The Repentant Saint Peter (1600), pointed arches, rib vaulting,
The Blue Room (1901) by Picasso, and exterior flying buttresses.
Piet Mondrian’s Composition No Inside, sculpture, needlework,
III (1921–25), and Ochre on Red wrought iron, and wood carving
(1954) by Mark Rothko. depict the nation’s history and
The museum hosts a number biblical scenes.
of special events, such as Above the west entrance is
gallery talks, film retrospectives, a splendid relief of The Creation
and live jazz concerts. Especially by Frederick Hart, which depicts
popular are its Sunday after- The Komodo dragon, a huge species of mankind being formed from
noon concerts, staged in the lizard, in the National Zoological Park chaos. The pinnacles on the
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp234–6 and pp237–9

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm