Smithsonian Institution

Whether visitors want to try one of the first family's favorite restaurants, discover a sense of history or escape from the crowd to find a museum off the beaten path, Washington is the nation's cultural capital this weekend for inauguration visitors.The presidential swearing-in on Monday, after all, is only a brief moment in time. So, hundreds of thousands of visitors will be searching for what else to do in a city that has evolved even during the Barack Obama era.Beyond the big-ticket balls, the best place to party may be in the capital's neighborhoods, said historian Jane Freundel Levey of the group Cultural Tourism D.C. In the 19th century, she said, it was the citizens of Washington who put on the inaugural parties and paid for them. And the heavily Democratic city will be partying this time, too."Our neighborhoods are going to be great for restaurants and for nightlife, and people will be celebrating," she said. "You know, Washingtonians do care a lot about what happens nationall...

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