FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2007 

MEMORIALS AND LANDMARKS CELEBRATE
MILESTONES AND ANNIVERSARIES IN FALL 2007

This September, the Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Community Museum will celebrate 40 years of documenting the heritage and culture of one of Washington, DC's most historic African-American neighborhoods. Located in southeast Washington, DC, the museum tells the story of the Anacostia neighborhood through approximately 6,000 objects in a collection dating back to the early 1800s. Visitors and community residents flock to the museum for African American-focused exhibitions, educational programs, workshops, lectures and films. In honor of its 40th anniversary, the museum will play host to a special exhibition, East of the River: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Running Sep. 16-Apr. 27, the exhibition explores the history and community life of the neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River by focusing on the past, present and future of Anacostia and nearby areas.

On Oct. 13 the U.S. Navy Memorial will celebrate its 20th anniversary. The memorial is proudly billing itself as the Penn Quarter neighborhood's "anchor," and with good reason. It was one of the first landmarks to open in the now-booming arts and entertainment district. The memorial's entrance is marked by a seven-foot tall bronze statue entitled "Lone Soldier,"representing all past, present and future Navy servicemen and women. The memorial itself is an amphitheater-like construction featuring a 100-foot, 108-ton granite map - the largest in the world. The map is framed by two sculpture walls with 22 bronze reliefs that honor aspects of naval service. The memorial also maintains a computerized list of individuals who have served in the Navy, and visitors can add their names and the names of their loved ones to this searchable registry.

Visitors to the memorial can also check out a special exhibition, Sea-Air-Land: The Navy's Special Operations Sailors, honoring the 35th anniversary of the Navy SEALS. The exhibition runs through April 2008.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. From Nov. 6-11, the public can join in commemorative events, including the reading of the names, music and poetry readings, plus a special Veterans Day tribute.

The foundation of the magnificent Washington National Cathedral was laid in 1907. To mark its 100th anniversary, the Cathedral has opened a special exhibition, Dreamers & Believers: Cathedral Builders. Open to the public through Oct. 2008, this display tells an inspiring story of the tireless work and dedication of the visionaries who worked to create a majestic center of worship for the nation. The display chronicles nearly a century of planning and construction through historic photographs, letters, film and other artifacts.

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About Destination DC: Destination DC, the lead destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization of more than 1,000 businesses committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. Destinationdc.com