The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is the largest cultural facility of its kind; it is also designed to serve as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. More than 8,000 visitors pass through the complex daily. Even if one never sees a single performance here, a tour through the building, designed by Edward Durell Stone, is sure to be one of the highlights of any sightseeing itinerary. The courtly rectangular structure, massive in size and surrounded on all sides by a broad colonnade of slender pillars, is covered with Carrara marble from Italy. Many of the materials, decorations, and furnishings throughout the building are donations from more than 40 countries.

There are many fabulous performance venues in Washington DC, but perhaps the most significant is the Kennedy Center. In its 30th year, the Kennedy Center continues to fulfill Kennedy's vision, presenting the greatest performers and performances from across America and around the world, nurturing new works and young artists, and serving the nation as a leader in arts education.