Must-see attractions in Washington, DC

  • Enid A Haupt Garden

    Washington, DC

    The lovely green space behind the Smithsonian Castle is actually a rooftop garden, with three peaceful sections: a Moon Gate garden inspired by a 15th…

  • Dupont Underground

    Washington, DC

    An enormous, abandoned streetcar station lies beneath Dupont Circle, and a local arts group has transformed it into a cool underground gallery of art,…

  • Long View Gallery

    Washington, DC

    Longview specializes in contemporary art by emerging and midcareer artists, including many from the region. The room, with its peeling paint and exposed…

  • Madison Building

    Washington, DC

    One of the Library of Congress' three buildings. This has the Madison Cafe (open 8:30am to 3:30pm weekdays) on the 6th floor, a fine spot to refresh and…

  • Yards Park

    Washington, DC

    The riverside green space is just down the road from the Nationals' stadium. There are shaded tables by the water, a wooden boardwalk, fountains you can…

  • The Fridge

    Washington, DC

    First you have to find the Fridge, a friendly gallery specializing in street art. Follow the murals into the alley across 8th St from Ambar restaurant…

  • Art Museum of the Americas

    White House Area & Foggy Bottom

    The Organization of American States operates this small art museum in a separate building on its property. It features changing exhibits of modern and…

  • Congressional Cemetery

    Washington, DC

    Yes, that is a dachshund snuffling around J Edgar Hoover's tombstone, while a black lab lopes over the final resting place of composer John Philip Sousa…

  • Chinatown

    Washington, DC

    DC’s dinky Chinatown is anchored on 7th and H Sts NW. It was once a major Asian American entrepôt, but today most Asian Americans in the Washington area…

  • Signers' Memorial

    Washington, DC

    Honoring those 56 visionary men who signed the Declaration of Independence, this memorial in Constitution Garden shows how diverse this group of signers…

  • BloomBars

    Logan Circle, U Street & Columbia Heights

    You never know what you'll find going on at BloomBars, a cool community arts center. By day, children's story times and music classes take place; at night…

  • District of Columbia Arts Center

    Washington, DC

    The grassroots DCAC offers emerging artists a space to showcase their work. The 800-sq-ft gallery features rotating visual-arts exhibits, while plays,…

  • Studio Gallery

    Washington, DC

    Studio Gallery shows contemporary works by more than 35 emerging DC-area artists. Paintings, sculpture, mixed media and video are represented. The…

  • Foundry Gallery

    Logan Circle, U Street & Columbia Heights

    A nonprofit member-run organization, this small gallery features a diverse range of super-contemporary art – mediums include painting, sculpture and…

  • Touchstone Gallery

    Washington, DC

    Touchstone Gallery exhibits contemporary pieces created by its 45 member artists. Works cover multiple media, including sculpture, painting and the…

  • Hains Point

    Washington, DC

    The southern tip of East Potomac Park that juts out into the river is called Hains Point. Lots of folks come here to picnic, and the spot provides great…

  • Carousel

    Washington, DC

    Kids love taking a ride on this musical merry-go-round with its 58 brightly painted horses. It's on the Mall by the Smithsonian Castle.

  • Healy Hall

    Georgetown

    Near the Georgetown University campus' east gate, medieval-looking Healy Hall impresses with its tall, Hogwarts-esque clock tower.

  • World War II Memorial

    National WWII Memorial

    Washington, DC

    Dedicated in 2004, this grandiose memorial honors the 16 million US soldiers who served in WWII. Groups of veterans regularly come here to pay their…

  • Anacostia Museum, museum of Afro-American history and culture, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; Shutterstock ID 257274409; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; Project no. or GL code: 56530; Network activity no. or Cost Centre: Online-Design; Product or Project: 65050/7529/Josh Vogel/LP.com Destination Galleries

    Anacostia Community Museum

    Washington, DC

    This Smithsonian museum has good rotating exhibitions on the experience of diverse and underserved communities in the USA. They typically focus on art …

  • WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30:  The entrance to the National Museum of the American Indian, as seen November 30, 2013, showcases the unusual curved architecture of the stone building.; Shutterstock ID 166031348; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; Project no. or GL code: 56530; Network activity no. or Cost Centre: Online-Design; Product or Project: 65050/7529/Josh Vogel/LP.com Destination Galleries

    National Museum of the American Indian

    Washington, DC

    Ensconced in an architecturally notable building clad in honey-colored limestone, this museum offers cultural artifacts, videos and audio recordings…

  • Floral Library

    Washington, DC

    In spring, just steps from the fabled cherry blossoms surrounding the Tidal Basin, some 10,000 tulips explode in vibrant color in a sweet garden called…

  • WASHINGTON, USA - APRIL 10: People visit the Smithsonian Institution on April 10, 2014 in Washington DC. 18.9 million tourists visited capital of the United States in 2012.
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    Smithsonian Castle

    Washington, DC

    James Renwick designed this turreted, red-sandstone fairy-tale in 1855. Today the castle houses the Smithsonian Visitor Center, which makes a good first…

  • A visitor watches the Kingdom of Colors exhibition, an immersive visual experience from French filmmaker Thomas Blanchard and artist Oilhack, at the ARTECHOUSE gallery in Washington, DC on November 8, 2017..It all began as an accident. After hurting his wrist, artist Oilhack started mixing paints, oil and soap in a bowl, experiments that eventually morphed into brightly colored moving seascapes in a collaboration with fellow Frenchman Thomas Blanchard that Apple used to promote its iPhone X. In their US debut, the pair who form the WeAreColorful collaborative are bringing an immersive experience featuring 270-degree projections of their liquid mixtures that fill the main gallery space at Artechouse, a venue marrying art, science and technology in Washington. . / AFP PHOTO / Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION        (Photo credit should read ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
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    Artechouse

    Washington, DC

    Straddling technology, art and science, this 15,000-sq-ft, three-level state-of-the-art digital gallery mesmerizes with large-scale, interactive, multi…

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    Korean War Veterans Memorial

    Washington, DC

    Nineteen steel soldiers wander through clumps of juniper past a wall bearing images of the ‘Forgotten War’ that assemble, in the distance, into a panorama of…

  • St John's church.

    St John’s Church

    White House Area & Foggy Bottom

    St John’s isn’t DC’s most imposing church, but it is arguably its most important. That’s because it’s the ‘Church of the Presidents’ – every president…

  • WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 15:  The George Mason Memorial, seen on December 15, 2012 in Washington, DC, commemorates the contributions of an important Founding Father, George Mason.; Shutterstock ID 166296854; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; Project no. or GL code: 56530; Network activity no. or Cost Centre: Online-Design; Product or Project: 65050/7529/Josh Vogel/LP.com Destination Galleries

    George Mason Memorial

    Washington, DC

    This little oasis of flowers and fountains honors the famed statesman and author of the Commonwealth of Virginia Declaration of Rights (a forerunner to…

  • Octagon House facade

    Octagon Museum

    White House Area & Foggy Bottom

    Designed by William Thornton (the Capitol’s first architect) in 1800 for one of the largest slave-owners in the state of Virginia, this minimally…

  • Blind Whino SW Arts Club

    Washington, DC

    Psychedelic designs cover the facade of this one-time Baptist church, alerting you to the fact that something different is going on here. The 15,000-sq-ft…

  • United States federal reserve

    Federal Reserve

    White House Area & Foggy Bottom

    ‘The Fed,’ is the Olympus of the Gods of the American Economy. Housed in a monolithic white building that closely resembles a Soviet ministry, it is…

  • Lafayette Square

    White House Area & Foggy Bottom

    The land north of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave was originally deeded as part of the White House grounds. However, in 1804 President Thomas Jefferson decided to…

  • Museum of the Bible

    Washington, DC

    This six-story museum explores the history and impact of the Bible through a mix of scholarly displays and theme-park-style exhibits. On the 4th floor,…

  • George Washington University

    White House Area & Foggy Bottom

    Known as ‘G-dub’ or ‘GW,’ this university has been a bedrock of Washington identity since its founding in 1821. Besides shaping much of the American…

  • Dumbarton House

    Georgetown

    Often confused with Dumbarton Oaks (the mansion and gardens), Dumbarton House is a modest Federal-style historic home, constructed by a wealthy family in…

  • Nature Center & Planetarium

    Upper Northwest DC

    The Nature Center & Planetarium is the main visitor center for Rock Creek Park. Besides exhibits on park flora, fauna and history, it can provide hiking…

  • Mansion on O Street

    Washington, DC

    This 100-room 1892 mansion is part inn, part gallery, part cluttered antique shop and part private event space. The decor is like a wedding at Castle…

  • Mount Zion Cemetery

    Georgetown

    The crumbling graveyard dates from the early 1800s. It takes its name from Mt Zion United Methodist Church, which used to be located beside the site…

  • Fort Stevens Park

    Logan Circle, U Street & Columbia Heights

    In a raid on July 11, 1864, Confederate General Jubal Early attacked Fort Stevens, the northernmost of the defensive ramparts ringing DC. A small but…

  • McMillan Reservoir Sand Filtration Plant

    Logan Circle, U Street & Columbia Heights

    On Michigan Ave and North Capitol St you’ll notice a string of cylindrical concrete structures that look like the entrance to the Kingdom of the Mole…

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