Washington, D.C. guide
Things to do in Washington, D.C.
Things to do in Washington, D.C.: start with 9:30 Club, Eastern Market, and Library of Congress. Use the 204 places below to build a plan around this theme; each place has source-backed details behind its description.
204 places
Places to start with
Source-backed place · Parks and outdoors
East Potomac Park
A 330-acre man-made island sanctuary in the Potomac River, featuring historic miniature golf, scenic cherry blossoms, and expansi…
Source-backed place · Public art
Emancipation Memorial
A bronze monument in Lincoln Park depicting Abraham Lincoln and a freed man, funded by formerly enslaved people and veterans of t…
Source-backed place · History
Foggy Bottom Historic District
A preserved pocket of 19th-century working-class history in Washington, D.C., featuring narrow brick rowhouses and quiet streets…
Source-backed place · History
Fourteenth Street Historic District
A vibrant commercial corridor blending historic architecture with modern urban energy, this National Register district showcases…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Francis Scott Key Bridge
An elegant reinforced concrete arch bridge carrying U.S. Route 29, connecting the historic Georgetown neighborhood of Washington,…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Francis Scott Key Memorial
A serene Georgetown park featuring a bronze bust and a 15-star replica flag, honoring the author of the U.S. national anthem near…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Gallaudet University
A historic, federally chartered private university in Washington, D.C., Gallaudet stands as the world's only institution specific…
Source-backed place · Museums
George Washington University Museum and Textile Museum
A unique intersection of global artistry and local history, this free museum showcases 5,000 years of international textile art a…
Source-backed place · Museums
Georgetown University Art Galleries
Explore contemporary art at Georgetown University Art Galleries, featuring rotating exhibitions by acclaimed artists and students…
Source-backed place · Parks and outdoors
Georgetown Waterfront Park
A stunning 10-acre civic space along the Potomac River, featuring an interactive fountain, a meditative labyrinth, and panoramic…
Source-backed place · History
Greater Fourteenth Street Historic District
A premier Northwest Washington corridor blending late 19th-century commercial prosperity with modern nightlife, recognized on the…
Source-backed place · History
Healy Hall
The iconic flagship building of Georgetown University, Healy Hall is a massive Neo-Romanesque and High Victorian Gothic masterpie…
Source-backed place · Museums
Heurich House Museum
Known as the Brewmaster's Castle, this Gilded Age mansion is the best-preserved example of Richardsonian Romanesque residential a…
Source-backed place · Museums
House of Sweden
A stunning glass-and-wood architectural landmark in Georgetown, this building serves as the diplomatic home for Sweden, Iceland,…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
House of the Temple
An imposing Masonic temple in Dupont Circle, modeled after the ancient Tomb of Mausolus, serving as the national headquarters for…
Source-backed place · History
Industrial Bank
The oldest and largest African American and family-owned community bank in the metropolitan Washington region, Industrial Bank is…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
J. Edgar Hoover Building
The imposing headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, this concrete landmark on Pennsylvania Avenue serves as a cente…
Source-backed place · Museums
Katzen Arts Center / American University Museum
A modern hub for creativity at American University, featuring a 30,000-square-foot museum and sculpture garden showcasing contemp…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Kogod Courtyard
A stunning, light-filled sanctuary within the National Portrait Gallery, featuring a wavy, floating glass canopy designed by Fost…
Source-backed place · Museums
Kreeger Museum
A Modernist architectural gem designed by Philip Johnson, this nonprofit museum showcases a prestigious collection of 19th- and 2…
Source-backed place · Theaters and music
Lincoln Theatre
A historic landmark on Washington's Black Broadway, this 1922 theater served as a cultural sanctuary for the African American com…
Source-backed place · Theaters and music
Lisner Auditorium
A historic Art Deco performance venue on George Washington University's campus, home to the Washington Concert Opera and a landma…
Source-backed place · History
Logan Circle Historic District
A stunning eight-block historic district in Northwest D.C. featuring 135 late-19th-century residences and a central 1.8-acre roun…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Marine Barracks Washington
Established in 1801, this National Historic Landmark is the oldest post in the Marine Corps and serves as the official residence…