District of Columbia

HISTORICALLY FREE – While everyone has heard of the Smithsonian Institute, did you know admission is free to all 19 of their world-class museums, most of them in Washington? And that includes the National Zoo. From art, to animals, to asteroids, you’ll find it all along the Mall.

SPACED OUT – Visit the Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium, open Wednesday through Sunday. They offer environmental education programs, nature walks and night sky viewing. Go to www.nps.gov/archive/rocr/naturecenter/index.html for details.

STAND ON GUARD – Watch the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery. The Tomb of the Unknowns, a white sarcophagus located at the top of a hill overlooking Washington, is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Watch the elaborate, unimaginably precise ritual of the changing of the guard every hour on the hour from October 1st to March 31st. From April 1st through September 30th, another change is added on the half hour and the cemetery closing time moves to 7 p.m.

Make your household budget stretch further. Save money by playing tourist in your own backyard.