House of the Temple, Washington DC
A Masonic Temple, the headquarters of the Scottish Rite, and a prominently featured location in Dan Brown's latest novel, The Lost Symbol.
A Masonic Temple, the headquarters of the Scottish Rite, and a prominently featured location in Dan Brown's latest novel, The Lost Symbol. It's almost absurdly grand, pretty easily outshining the similar Supreme Court Building downtown, and there's nary a Washingtonian around who hasn't at some point walked by it, surprised by this enormous but unidentified building. Courtesy of the author of the Da Vinci Code, though, everyone will from this point on know what the building is. The interior is a wild Orientalist fantasy in way that only the Masons could bring to life, and is open to the public for tours and exhibits. Following The Lost Symbols publication, the previously empty tours are now filled with crowds - early morning is the best time to avoid them.
Hours
Sun
Closed
Mon
10:00
16:00
Tue
10:00
16:00
Wed
10:00
16:00
Thu
10:00
16:00
Fri
Closed
Sat
Closed
About House of the Temple
1733 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
+1 202-232-3579
House of the Temple and Nearby Sights on Map
Meridian Hill Park
Meridian Hill Park is a hidden gem if there ever was one
The Thurgood Marshall Center
This building is a Shaw landmark, built as the local YMCA in 1912, and designed by one of the nation's first black architects, W
Lincoln Theatre
Native Washingtonians Duke Ellington and Pearl Bailey performed in the Lincoln Theatre
National Geographic Museum
The National Geographic Museum showcases a variety of changing exhibitions on nature, history, and culture
Mexican Cultural Center
Housed in the beautiful former Embassy of Mexico, the cultural center has a nice collection of Mexican artwork, and puts on frequent classical and other musical performances, as well as film screenings, lectures, and other events
D.C. War Memorial
The Mall's only local memorial, and the only memorial to WWI, is this small structure in the form of a Doric-style open-air temple serving as tribute to the 26,000 Washingtonians who served in the Great War
African-American Civil War Memorial
The nation's only monument to African American Civil War soldiers
The Phillips Collection
The Phillips Collection, opened in 1921, is America's first museum of modern art
St. John's Church
A smaller, less spectacular church near St
Townsend Mansion
Built by Mary Scott Townsend in 1899, the house features a Beaux Arts, French-inspired design