Emma Collins

History brought to life at Civil War battle sites

Patrick Lacey and other participants at a recent "Living History" event at the Petersburg National Battlefield resembled Civil War scholars with a penchant for the dramatic, there to enact and educate.

September 9, 2014

Fields of glory: D.C.-area Civil War battlefields offer history and hiking

Tracing the footfalls of Ulysses S. Grant and visiting the room where Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson breathed his last can be experienced within a day's drive of the nation's capital, ringed by battlefields where thousands of soldiers fought and bled and died in the Civil War.

September 3, 2014

Seeing the sights on D.C.’s National Mall

The window seat of an airplane descending into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport might offer the best overall view of the National Mall and its multitude of monuments, but more accessible alternatives to see the sites and scenes of the nation's front yard abound.

July 24, 2014

Civil War-era forts in D.C. await to be discovered

If you have ever wondered what Abraham Lincoln saw when he came under Confederate fire, a visit to Fort Stevens would be in order.

July 17, 2014

Fourth of July celebrations in and around D.C.

The Fourth of July in Washington brings to mind images of fireworks exploding against the backdrop of the nation's grandest monuments. But the D.C. area offers much more than just the grand display on the national Mall, with parades, celebrations and festivals to honor Independence Day.

July 3, 2014

Off the Beaten Path: National Building Museum mixes grandeur, practicality

Architecture doesn't easily lend itself to enshrinement in a museum like portraits or sculptures, but the National Building Museum meets the challenge in a surprising way.

July 2, 2014