Washington National Cathedral

The sixth largest cathedral in the world and the second largest in the United States, a full Gothic cathedral built between 1907 and 1990 on Mount St. Alban, the highest point in the city, about 5 km northwest of the White House. Officially the Episcopal cathedral of Washington, it functions as the national church for state funerals (Eisenhower, Reagan, Ford, George H. W. Bush, McCain) and inaugural prayer services. Woodrow Wilson and Helen Keller are buried here. Among its 200-plus stained glass windows is the Space Window, which contains a piece of lunar rock brought back by Apollo 11, and one of the gargoyles on the north tower is Darth Vader, the result of a 1980s children's design competition. The 2011 earthquake damaged the towers and repairs are still ongoing.

Practical: Admission is charged for sightseeing on weekdays and Saturdays (free for worship and on Sundays). The tower climb and the Bishop's Garden are worth the extra time, and the terrace on the south side has one of the better long views over the city. Free parking garage under the cathedral on weekends; paid on weekdays. Reachable in about 20 minutes by car from the Mall via Massachusetts or Wisconsin Avenue.