22 Trivia Questions About Washington D.C.’s Iconic Design & Landmarks

Which French-American engineer designed the planned capital city of the United States with a grid of streets overlaid by broad diagonal avenues?

Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan for the federal city was framed by the confluence of the Eastern Branch and which major river?

Which section of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to exercise exclusive legislation over a district, not exceeding ten miles square, to become the seat of government?

The land for the original District of Columbia was ceded to the federal government by which two states?

In L’Enfant’s original vision, which structure was placed on Jenkins Hill, the highest point in the city?

In which year was the Smithsonian Institution established following a bequest from British scientist James Smithson?

What is the predominant exterior building material of the Smithsonian Institution Building, known as ‘The Castle’?

Which U.S. President selected the site for the federal district along the Potomac River in 1790?

Which museum on the National Mall is home to the Hope Diamond?

The Washington Monument, a dominant feature of the National Mall, was completed in which year?

Who won the competition for the design of the U.S. Capitol building in 1793?

Which early 20th-century urban planning project helped restore the core of the National Mall to L’Enfant’s original vision?

Which Constitutional Amendment granted residents of the District of Columbia the right to vote in presidential elections?

Which free African American mathematician and astronomer assisted Andrew Ellicott with the original survey of the District of Columbia?

In what year did the U.S. government officially relocate from Philadelphia to the new federal city?

Which museum, opened in 2016, is the newest major addition to the Smithsonian’s National Mall collection?

The famous dome of the U.S. Capitol, completed during the Civil War, is constructed primarily of what material?

Which grand boulevard was designed as the ceremonial axis connecting the U.S. Capitol to the White House?

The National Zoological Park, a Smithsonian facility, was officially established by an act of Congress in what year?

Before the federal city was established, the land comprising the central part of the district was primarily used for what purpose?

What was one of the primary ecological challenges faced by the ‘West End’ of the National Mall in its early development?

Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan for Washington, D.C. included a building meant to serve as a church and a final resting place for great Americans; what did he call it?