Click to view the Tips further down this page. A Walking Tour of America... America and its history are within easy walking distance of the Hotel Harrington. Walk four blocks west and tour the White House. Then go south across the green grass of the Ellipse to the Washington Monument; turn west and pass beneath stately trees to the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials. Another day, walk two blocks south to the Mall and see the American History Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Air Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art - there is always more to see. Tour Ford's Theater or the FBI headquarters one block east of the Harrington; five blocks further east brings you to the Pension Building, home of the Building Museum. Look inside to see the most spectacular interior space in Washington. The US Capitol and the Library of Congress are further east, half an hour's walk from the Harrington, or take the Metro, Washington's subway, two blocks north of the Hotel. The Harrington is a gateway to American past and present. Gold Line / Gray Line Tours: (301) 386 - 8300. Tours can be arranged through our gift shop. Other tours are available with pick up stops on Pennsylvania Ave. and 12th Street. Historic Tours of America: (202) 832 - 9800. Three different tours available. Visit http://www.historictours.com for more information and pick up points. Tourmobile: (202) 554 - 5100. Shuttle tour of 18 historic sights, including White House, Smithsonian museums and Arlington Cemetery. Major Places of Interest. Arlington National Cemetery: Metro: Arlington Cemetery. Bureau of Engraving and Printing: (202) 874 - 3188, 14th and C Sts. SW. Metro: Smithsonian. Capital Children's Museum: (202) 543 - 8600, 800 Third St. NE. Metro: Union Station. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): (202) 324 - 3447, 10th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Metro: Metro Center, Gallery Place - Chinatown. Ford's Theatre: (202) 347 - 4833, 511 10th St. NW. Metro: Metro Center. Library of Congress: (202) 707 - 5458, 10 1st St. NE. Metro: Capital South. National Archives: (202) 501 - 5000, 7th Street Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Metro: Archives - Navy Memorial. National Cathedral: (202) 537 - 6200, Massachusetts Ave Wisconsin Ave. NW. 14th Century- style Gothic cathedral. National Shrine: (202) 526 - 8300, 4th St. Michigan Ave. NE Largest Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Metro: Brookland - Catholic University. National Zoological Park: (202) 673 - 4800, 3000 block of Connecticut Ave. NW. Metro: Woodley Park- Zoo. Pentagon: (703) 695 - 1776. 90 min. tour with film. Metro: Pentagon. Smithsonian Institution: (202) 357 - 2700, The world's largest museum complex with 14 museums and the National Zoo. Free admission. Visitor information Center, 1000 Jefferson Dr. SW. Metro: Smithsonian. Supreme Court of the United States: (202) 479 -3030, 1 First St. NW. Metro: Capital South or Union Station. US Capitol: (202) 225 - 6827 (tours), National Mall (east end). Metro: Capitol South. US Holocaust Memorial Museum: (202) 488 - 0400, 14th and Raoul Wallenberg Place SW. Guided Tours recommended especially for school groups. Advance reservations required. Metro: Smithsonian. US Navy Memorial: (202) 737 - 2300, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #123. Admission. Metro: Archives Navy Memorial. Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Constitution Ave. between Henry Bacon Drive and 21st St. NW. White House: (202) 456 - 7041, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Metro: McPherson Sq. or Federal Triangle. Arena Stage: (202) 488 - 3300. Ford's Theater: (202) 347 - 4833. John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: (202) 467 - 4600. National Theater: (202) 628 - 6161. Shakespeare Theater: (202) 393 - 2700. Movie Theaters: AMC Union Station 9 (703) 998 - 4262, features and times. Ticketmaster: (202) 432- 7328. Some of the best times to visit Washington, D.C. are during the months of December, January and February. You will have a much better selection of rooms to choose from at the Hotel Harrington, the weather is usually fairly pleasant, and you will have all of the museums and attractions mostly to yourself. Be sure to ask for one of our awesome tourist maps. They are available at our front desk and are free of charge for our hotel guests. The front of this map shows the Hotel Harrington in relationship to all of the most important sights you have come to visit. A map of the Metro Subway System is superimposed over the map to assist you in using that system for the sites that are too far for walking. On the back of the map is a listing of all of the major points of interest along with their addresses and telephone numbers. Also listed on the back are driving directions for those guests planning drive into the city. If you would like to receive a map prior to your arrival in Washington, D.C., just complete the request using the menu button labeled Send me a Brochure Map, and we'll have it out in the next day's mail. Also, a copy of our map can be found on this website by clicking on the menu button Map / Driving Directions. Depending upon the length of your visit, you may want to start with a trip on the Old Town Trolley operated by Historic Tours of America. (Please see Guided Tours above this area for more information on times and pick up locations.) With your ticket in hand, this tour is good for the entire day. Trolleys start running at 9 AM and are finished for the day around 5 PM. Running on a continuous route, you will view up to 100 different points of interest, and you are free to get off and re-board as many times during the day as you would like at the 17 pre-determined stops. Some people use these trolleys as their personal transportation system for the entire day, others board the trolley and don't get off again until they return to their starting point. Those who stay on for the entire run of the tour tell us they like to have a total overview of the city's tourist district, along with the narration provided by the trolley driver, then they head back to see the particular sights that are of interest to them. If you will be visiting our city for several days, then we suggest you take the Trolley tour on the first or second day of your visit...that way you'll have a feel for how our tourist area is laid out, plus you may well discover there are places you would like to visit you hadn't even been aware of before your arrival in Washington. Take the free, National Park Service guided tour up to the observation deck of the Old Post Office Building. The Old Post Office is located just one block from the Hotel Harrington (on Pennsylvania Avenue), and is a spectacular, one-of-a-kind example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture remaining in Washington, D.C.. This grand old building nearly met its match when Congress appropriated funds in 1970 to have the building demolished. But fortunately, a dedicated lady by the name of Nancy Hanks, the politically influential chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts, successfully joined the local citizens in a desperate, and ultimately successful, effort to reverse that decision. Now you can ride the glass enclosed elevators up to the 270 foot-high observation deck where you will have a spectacular 360 degree view of Washington, D.C.. You will be able to see how all of the important sights relate to each other: every location from the sight of the U.S. Capitol to the White House to the Museums of the Smithsonian Complex are easily located. This clock tower is also the location of the famous Congressional Bells, one of the largest sets of change ringing bells in North America, and the official bells of the United States Congress. If you plan to be in town on any Thursday evening, try to be near the Old Post Office between 7 and 8PM that is when the bell ringers hold their weekly practice session, and it is a wonderful experience you will certainly enjoy.

History and Photo Album. Learn About Our History and Staff. The Hotel Harrington is the last of its kind in Washington, D.C.. Still owned and operated by members of the founding families, the Harrington continues its 94 year tradition of providing value and convenience to the tourists and visitors of our great Capital City. Now in its third generation of ownership, it has the longest record of continuous operation of any hotel in the city of Washington, D.C. The hotel was constructed in three phases over a period of 11 years. The first phase consisted of a six story building with 80 guest rooms which opened in 1914. In the lobby of the hotel you will find the original architectural rendering, for the original phase of construction, produced by the firm of Richard Fitzsimons. The second phase of construction was completed in 1918 and consisted of a 12 story addition on the E Street side of the original building. This addition consisted of 100 additional rooms, a grand ballroom, and a third elevator. On the left is a picture of our antique mailbox which was installed in 1918. This working mailbox has a drop chute that runs from the top floor down, with every floor having a drop slot and a glass panel front allows you to watch your mail, and the mail from the upper floors, sliding down toward the ornate holding box on the lobby level. In 1925, the hotel was extended on down to 12th Street with another 12 story addition. This added 125 more guest rooms and one more elevator to the hotel. The Hotel Harrington now had 305 guest rooms making it the largest hotel in the city at that time. Since 1925, the basic structure of the hotel has remained intact, however, in 1945 major interior changes were undertaken. In an effort to make the interior more contemporary for the period, the two story heights of the ballroom and hotel lobby were reduced by half, and the mezzanine level was eliminated. This gave the hotel a more modern feel, and allowed for the creation of an additional 10 guest rooms. In 1938, air conditioning was installed in the hotel replacing the original negative draft system that had been built into the building from the start. The negative draft system utilized huge fans located on the roof of the building to draw air from each of the hotel's hallways. By opening the guest room window, and by controlling the tilt of the valance above the guest room door with the adjustment lever, guests were able to establish a comfortable circulation of outside air into their rooms during the warm summer months up through the summer of 1937. By 1938, guests of the Hotel Harrington had something no other hotel guest in Washington, D.C. could boast: AIR CONDITIONING had arrived and was installed hotel wide. Yes, the Hotel Harrington was the very first hotel in Washington, D.C. to make air conditioning available to their guests, and summer visits were never more pleasant from that time forward. At about this same time, the former, full service fine dining restaurant was also completely re-worked. In addition to lowering the ceiling and relocating the entrance off the lobby, the concept was changed to a cafeteria style dining. The new restaurant, named the Kitcheteria, opened in the fall of 1941 and was an immediate success. Everyday brought a new variety of fresh, always from scratch Kitcheteria specialties. Homestyle cooking was a part of every Kitchiteria meal. Huge sacks of potatoes were always on hand for the homemade mashed potatoes, and the baker arrived every morning at 4 AM to bake fresh biscuits, breads, pies, and other desserts from our own ovens. During the 48 years the Kitcheteria operated, very few changes were made to the magic formula, and it is estimated that something exceeding 15,000,000 meals were served during the restaurant's memorable run. Unfortunately, times and tastes changed over the years, and in 1991 the Kitcheteria closed as the daily volume of customers declined. Today, in its place, is a mixture of the old and the new. The new restaurant, Harriet's Family Cafe. offers an economical buffet for breakfast until 11:00 AM. Traditional table service follows with lunch from 11 AM to 4:30 PM, then dinner from 4:30 PM to 9 PM. Although food services stops at this time, the cafe remains open until 11:00 PM to allow hotel guests free access to the Internet connected computers. In 1928 the hotel opened the Pink Elephant Cocktail Lounge. This popular gathering place became world famous during World War II, and continued in operation until 1986. Today it has been replaced by Harry's Pub which serves sandwiches and lighter fare for lunch and dinner and late into the night, along with a full selection of beers, wines, and mixed drinks. A pinball machine, two dart boards, and numerous televisions are operating all day long for everyone to enjoy. Pat - 42 years with the Hotel Harrington...currently in the Executive Housekeeper's department. Marianna and JoAnn - 64 years of combined housekeeping service to the Hotel Harrington. Wendall - 27 years of service in the Engineering Department. This photo was taken in 1989 during our transition. Note the black telephone system that replaced our old switchboard. No hotel can operate without a captain of the ship, and in the hotel business that captain is called the General Manager. The people who occupy this top spot can sometimes be legends in their own right, and we may have had a couple of our very own. In the 94 years the Hotel Harrington has been open for business, it has had a grand total of just FOUR General Managers this may well be a record that will never be broken. The very first was a man by the name of W. E. Fairfield. He opened the hotel in 1914. Then came Frank Gumpbert who was a veteran of the Spanish American War, and had a peg leg. He ran the hotel until 1934 when control was turned over to a young man by the name of Robert Bryce. Starting in 1934 Mr. Bryce ruled the Hotel Harrington for an astonishing 51 years!!!! (If anyone knows of another hotel General Manager who has managed to beat this record, we would certainly like to know the name of that person and the story they have to tell). Upon Mr. Bryce's retirement in 1985, the controls were handed over to our very own Ms. Ann Terry who is the current General Manager and overseer of all good things our guests enjoy during their visit to our hotel. We are always in search of more history of our fine hotel. If you, or someone you know, have been a part of the Hotel Harrington's wonderful past, we would love to hear from you. We are in the process of collecting memorabilia and historical information from the earliest days of the hotel, and we are planning to include selected samples in this section of our website. Photographs, stories, promotional items, whatever you might think would be of interest, might be of valuable interest to us. Any assistance you might be able to provide to us would be greatly appreciated.