highlights \ Exploring the city

The city has also opened a number of new or newly renovated attractions in the past year. Here are some highlights for you to consider exploring while in town for the Cherry Blossom Festival:

The National Museum of American History, which recently reopened after a two-year renovation, features a dramatic display of the flag that inspired the national anthem. The museum also features exhibits on the presidency and first ladies, and costumed historic characters wander through the halls every weekend. Free. Details at americanhistory.si.edu.

The new Capitol Visitor Center, an underground museum that’s now the first stop for people touring Congress. It features documents from milestones such as President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 speech calling for the nation to send a man to the moon. Admission is free. Tours of the Capitol are limited to free timed-entry tickets that should be reserved in advance online at www.visitthecapitol.gov or through a congressional office.

A wax figure of first lady Michelle Obama will be unveiled on April 7 at Madame Tussauds wax museum. Her figure will stand behind President Obama’s in the museum’s replica of the Oval Office, and will feature a special, custom sleeveless dress. Admission: $18 for adults, $12 for children. The museum also will have special cherry blossom-related events. Details at www.madametussauds.com.

The story of a Japanese monster, samurai and a sake potion is told through brightly illustrated scrolls, screens and fans in “The Tale of Shuten Doji” exhibition at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery through Sept. 20. Visitors can also check out the Freer Gallery of Art, which features an exhibit by Japanese artists from the ninth to 19th centuries who specialized in using gold and silver in painting, calligraphy and metalwork. In nearby galleries, see ceramics from China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan that were once broken, but mended with plant resin lacquer, transforming their appearance. Both exhibitions are through Nov. 8. Free. For details, visit www.asia.si.edu

The Lincoln Bicentennial Commission will pay tribute to Marian Anderson’s landmark rendition of “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where she sang in 1939 after a nearby concert hall turned her away because she was black. The tribute concert will take place at 3 p.m. on April 12 — Easter Sunday — at the Lincoln Memorial Plaza. It will feature world-renowned mezzo-soprano and D.C. native, Denyce Graves, the women’s a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock, the Chicago Children’s Choir and the U.S. Marine Band. Free. For details visit www.abrahamlincoln200.org

The Ford’s Theatre — where Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 — reopened in February after an extensive renovation. The Tony-nominated production “The Civil War” — a musical tribute to people affected by that war — runs through May 24 at the theater. Meanwhile, visitors can take part in timed tours of the theater from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Across the street, The Peterson House, where Lincoln died, is also open daily for tours. For ticket information, visit www.fords.org.