Holidays are great time to visit D.C.

WASHINGTON — When it comes to a December vacation, the nation's capital is not high on many people's list.

Maybe it ought to be.

"This may be the best time of all to visit the city, because you don't see the crowds, you get to see the monuments, and you get to have the good times without having to push your way through," said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-DC, the District of Columbia's nonvoting representative to the U.S. Congress.

The period from Thanksgiving week through Martin Luther King's Birthday traditionally marks the slow season for hotels, restaurants and other firms dependent upon travelers drawn to Washington for government business.

According to Norton, this may be the best holiday tourism season for visitors to Washington since the year 2000. Many of the attractions that have been closed since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are now open, although visitation policies have been modified for security reasons.

White House tours for groups of 10 or more can now be arranged through the offices of members of Congress up to six months in advance. Visits should be scheduled about one month in advance. Tour hours are between 7:30 and 11:30 a.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Guided tours of the U.S. Capitol are available between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Both the Capitol and the White House are closed on Christmas Day.

As for tree-lighting spectaculars, Washington has several to rival Rockefeller Center: The 80th lighting of the National Christmas Tree took place on Dec. 4 on the Ellipse, near the White House, followed a week later by the U.S. Capitol tree lighting.

"You not only have the experience of a beautiful city, but an incredible array of art and performance arts," said Dorothy McSweeny, chairwoman of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

The National Theatre, Ford's Theatre, Kennedy Center and other performing arts venues are offering special holiday presentations. In addition to their collections, many of the Smithsonian Institution's museums offer special exhibits during the winter months.

"We have more free things to do in Washington than in any other city in the world." said William A. Hanbury, chief executive officer of the Washington, D.C., Convention and Tourism Corp. There are a total of 650 memorials and national historic sites in the district, most located away from the National Mall.

"You could spend weeks going to each one of them, and they are all for free," said Hanbury.

In recent months, the tourism and hospitality industry in the national capital region has recovered to activity levels prior to the terrorist attacks.

Hanbury's group is spending $500,000 to promote its third annual "Holiday Homecoming" tourism campaign. Hotels are offering special discount rates, and tickets to some holiday events are offering discounts as part of the package, Hanbury said.