Explore neighboring National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C. The Octagon House, distinct for its corner lot near the White House, is a federal-era brick home that the Madison family lived in during repairs to the White House after the War of 1812. The red brick roof of the original Bureau of Pensions building can be seen from blocks away, and visitors can discover the frieze depicting Civil War soldiers once up close. Both National Historic Landmarks are now architecture museums.

Tour the Public Works Administration-era Murals in the Department of Interior Building. The murals depict Depression-era public works, conservation of National Parks, and tribal life across the United States. The building hosts the most PWA murals in one location and has the second most PWA artists represented. Visitors must schedule a mural tour in advance to see artwork in areas not otherwise publicly accessible.

Visit the Renwick Gallery, a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The Renwick Gallery exhibits American crafts and decorative arts in a historic building located across from the White House. The building was designed by James Renwick Jr. as the first U.S. building designed specifically as an art museum. The gallery originally housed William Corcoran’s collection and earned the nickname the “American Louvre.” Its location and collection was so beloved in Washington that First Lady Jacquline Kennedy saved the building from demolition in the 1960s.