Exploring Washington, DC, with Dan Brown

If you want to learn about the history and architecture of Washington, DC, thousands and thousands of books are out there for you to read. And then there's The Lost Symbol, the latest thriller by Dan Brown. From start to finish, it is filled with the city's past and present; the power and the politics; the art and the architecture. So, after completing Anne Hodgson's exercise on The Lost Symbol, we'll take a tour of Washington, DC — with Dan Brown as our guide.

"The US Capitol Building stands regally at the eastern end of the National Mall, on a rising plateau that city designer Pierre L'Enfant described as 'a pedestal waiting for a monument'".
— Page 18, The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

1. Some of the novel's most thrilling action takes place in the US Capitol Building. During your visit, you'll want to spend some time studying The Apotheosis of George Washington, an enormous painting on the ceiling, before going down to the crypt, where a marble compass in the floor marks the point from which the city's streets radiate. The Visitor Center at First Street and East Capitol Street is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free tours take place daily, but reservations are required.