Capitalizing on the Memory of Jackie Kennedy

Washington, D.C., this summer is offering a citywide celebration of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.

Through September, scores of exhibits, tours, lectures, concerts and other events will celebrate the style and substance of the trend-setting Kennedy.

Some of the links are tenuous, such as the blurb for classic Indian manuscripts at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (“Jacqueline Kennedy found India fascinating”) or whimsical (the Topaz Bar says it’s featuring “Jackie’s fav champagne cocktail, with strawberries, French champagne and Cointreau, $13”). But they add up to a festival of big proportions.

The main exhibit, through Sept. 30 at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, is “Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years.” It offers more than 70 original and replica costumes and accessories from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston, including those worn during Kennedy’s presidential inauguration.

There are also documents on the first lady’s campaign to restore and preserve White House treasures. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Tuesday. Adult tickets are $10 weekdays, $14 weekends. Advance purchase is recommended. (202) 639-1700, www.corcoran.org.

The Black Fashion Museum focuses on Ann Lowe, who designed Jacqueline’s wedding gown, in a show June 1 to Aug. 31. The museum is open by appointment only; (202) 667-0744. The National Gallery of Art, the Woodrow Wilson House, the Capital Children’s Museum and the Library of Congress are among other museums with related exhibits.

Concerts include “Music at the White House During the Kennedy Years” (June 30 and July 28, Pope John Paul II Cultural Center). Tours include “Jackie Kennedy’s Georgetown” (Tour DC, June 1, 22 and 23) and “Touring the Kennedy Family’s Catholic Heritage” (Betsy Ross Tours, June 19, July 17 and Aug. 21).

For a full list of events, tours, contacts and hotel packages, visit www.washington.org.

Another recent addition in Washington is a tour aimed at children and families called “The White House Un-Tour,” by Washington Walks. Although school group tours have been allowed in the White House, it has remained mostly off-limits to the public since Sept. 11. The hourlong “un-tour,” offered Tuesday through Saturday, is billed as “a fascinating investigation of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue from the outside.” (202) 484-1565, www.washingtonwalks.com.