23 of the Best Things to Do in Washington, D.C.

If you are planning a DC trip, and wondering what to do in DC, you are in for a treat.

This is one of those questions I get asked the most from friends who are not local to the D.C. area. We have lived here off and on since 2009, and we have ALWAYS loved hosting our friends and family when they come visit the DC area.

One time we had so many guests that the older boys’ room looked like a summer camp type situation, with 5 young kids on air mattresses in one bed room. That was so much fun! I wish we had a bigger house so we could host more people more often!

Everyone always wants to know where are the best places to go, what are the best things to do, especially when it is their first visit to our nation’s capitol. You want to pack only the best places into your vacation, and usually you are limited on time.

There are always so many places to go in DC, and most of them are FREE.

This city is so special. You will love your vacation here. I think the fact that it will not leave you completely broke really seals the deal. The main expenses are lodging and food, no need to buy pricy admission tickets.

#1. DIY Moonlight Monument Tour

This is by far our favorite DC activity. And when I say “our”, I mean my husband and me. We wait for rush hour to end, pile whoever is visiting into ye old minivan, and go see visit our favorite monuments without having any trouble finding parking spaces.

If you are wondering what to do in DC in only a weekend or a night, do the moonlight monument tour. It is such an easy trip add-on because it costs nothing, and it is after business hours.

Most of the museums close around 5:30, but the monuments are open and well lit at night too.

There are also tour buses downtown that will take you around. I would only do that if someone is your group has a hard time with walking because those are around $59 a person, and this stuff is fairly accessible on foot. However, some times of the year you can get these tickets more cheaply.

It is super easy to park around the National Mall once the Smithsonian museums close at 5:30. You will find plenty of parallel spaces open.

We tend to park close to the Lincoln Monument. Then we go hike around that area. You can see the Lincoln, the famous long reflection pool overlooking the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Wall, the Korean War Memorial all right there, fairly close together, without having to move your car.

If you are spry, you can hike a bit and also see the World War II Memorial, but honestly we rarely make it that far.

If we are suffering from sore feet or backs, we sometimes skip the Korean War or the World War II at that stop because, well, people can only do so much, and those are a little further from where we tend to park.

However, the cool thing about where we park is that it is also fairly close to the White House. So before or after we go see the Vietnam Wall/ Lincoln Memorial area, we walk in the opposite direction to where you can get a glorious view of the White House.

So that is several major landmarks, with only having to park once and no train riding required.

Actually, I could go on and on about this, so I should make the Moonlight Monument Tour its own post in the near future with even more details.

#2. Tour the Capitol Building

You can go online and sign up for a time about a week out or more from when you want to go. I went online to check how far out it is currently booking in January. Currently Capitol tours are booked out 4 solid days in advance, and then a few times are left for each day after that.

So make sure you book your Capitol tour at least a week in advance, especially if it is over a weekend. Saturdays book a month and a half in advance, currently, and that is in January.

The Capitol building is beautiful and has so much history on display. You can even eat lunch in their food court.

#3. Tour the White House

This one takes a little more planning. You have to do this at least a month out, through a request to your state’s Congressional office. Go here to read how to do that.

Of all the places I have visited in DC, this one felt the most exciting and surreal to me. My mother-in-law arranged a visit for us many years ago. Back then, in 2010, we were not allowed to take photos, so I have no photographic evidence, but it was AWESOME. I loved getting to see all those famous rooms!

#4. Library of Congress

(closed Sundays and Mondays)

You will love the inside of the Library of Congress! This is the most underrated place to visit in D.C. Well, this and the art museums. The actual art museums are incredible too.

Of all the buildings you can tour, this one is the most ornate. The ceiling is a marvel. The decor! The books! And anyone can go in!! Go online here to schedule your timed ticket. This one is much easier to get than the Capitol. You can log in any time in the day and probably find a good time available at any time of the day that the library is open.

It is breathtaking in there. I hope you get to go inside!

#5. Smithsonian’s National Zoo

They have pandas!! And orangutans!

Just be warned that if you go on a hot day, this will be a physically exhausting day. Plan to buy yourself an ice cream or an ice cold beverage, which the zoo does sell.

It is an excellent zoo. It is a one-way giant hill though. Just know you are going to get good exercise. If you have small children or babies, bring or rent a stroller for sure.

Do check their website for parking and pass information. Admission is free, but parking is not. It is north of DC, not near downtown, so you will need transportation of some kind.

#6. Go see a Nationals Game!

This is another huge favorite of our family. We love the Nats and watching them play. Did you know you can make any kid like just about any sport if you buy them enough concession stand food? Ha! But at this stadium, especially in the summer, my other advice is to look for seats in the shade.

The mascots are four former presidents, and they race, and it is hilarious. Sometimes they fall too, with their giant heads, and it is just adorable.

Also, this activity is not as expensive as some of the other professional sports, which makes it my favorite. Ha!

#7. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

Did you know that out of all the Smithsonians this one gets the most people going through it each day? I guess it is just insanely popular with kids and flying enthusiasts. Also, it has a McDonald’s in there. I remember that being a selling point when our boys were little. Those other museum cafeterias were so much more expensive.

So yes, this one is wildly popular, and it is thoroughly interesting and fun. Can you tell it isn’t my personal favorite? I like it though. It just isn’t my number one pick.

#8. Smithsonian Carousel

We tried to fight it at first, but the fact is the carousel is kind of a lifesaver for kids. Sometimes they are selling ice cream cones near there too. They know where the kids are.

But after a day, or even an hour, of walking around in the hot sun or cold wind and hiking through all these museums and trying to figure out Metro train schedules, the carousel is a necessary treat for the whole family.

My best advice is if you want a happy day out in DC with children, do not skip the carousel and a good ice cream stand if it is hot outside. It will keep the family from staging a mutiny. That way you can stay out enjoying your time in D.C. longer.

You can find the Carousel on the side of the mall kind of close to the Air and Space Museum.

#9. National Gallery of Art

This one is free admission to everyone! In fact, all Smithsonian museums are free to all.

I wrote all about taking our kids to this museum here. It made for a pretty hilarious day. They aren’t supposed to touch things, and jumping up and down on the benches will get them reprimanded by the gallery security guards. There are security guards everywhere, and I think kids make them nervous.

So if you go with little ones, or even energetic big kids, do your best to just keep the group moving so they do not get bored and rowdy. Have low expectations for how long you will get to stay in the art museums.

But these museums are incredible, and I think you will be glad you went. One day I went in there alone and had the BEST day, calmly perusing the galleries. D.C.’s art galleries are actually my favorite museums in the city.

If you go alone or with other adults, you could have the BEST time.

#10. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (the dinosaur museum) is right next to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History— so you can knock these out back to back.

I want to reiterate that all Smithsonian museums are free.

These are both fascinating museums. You can fill up a whole day between the two of these. You could do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They are right next door to each other.

No advanced tickets are needed for the Museum of Natural History or the Museum of American History, and all Smithsonians are free.

If you are quick, you could also squeeze in the new Museum of African American History & Culture, which is also next door to these.

The African American Museum is very new, so you still have to get a timed ticket for entry to that one. The good news is you can get one for the same day you request it, fairly easy, so long as it isn’t a Saturday. That is why I have not been yet, but one of my teenagers went. He said it was very good.

If your kids love dinosaur bones or animals, the Museum of Natural History is a must-see.

I think I have seen every inch of this museum a dozen times, but it is exciting to see so many dinosaur bones. If that is not your thing, they also have the giant Hope Diamond there in another section of the museum.

The American History museum has a wide variety of exhibits, from the history of transportation to First Ladies gowns.

They used to have a huge presidential section that seems smaller to me now, but it is still there, and it does include President Abe Lincoln’s hat. For more information, this is another of my favorites, so I have written about this museum twice, both here and here.

#11. National Portrait Gallery-Smithsonian

This one is my favorite for how well it tells the story of America. Also, I love the complete collection of Presidential portraits upstairs.

It is not on the National Mall with many of the Smithsonians, but it is only a couple of metro stops away, and it is AWESOME. I actually like it better than the Smithsonian American History Museum. I feel like it tells the story of real America better.

There are halls of portraits and art from famous Americans, going all the way back to our country’s colonial period. Then on the opposite side of the building there is the most enjoyable collection of American folk art I have ever seen. No stuffy art here. This is entertaining, and you will really connect with it.

Then upstairs, they have every single Presidential portrait. I absolutely love it.

#12. US Holocaust Memorial Museum

I have been a couple of times, and it is such a moving and impactful place. My favorite part is the videos of survivor interviews at the end. You get to see all these elderly people tell their story of how they survived. They tell about their fears, their triumphs, running from Nazi soldiers, life in a concentration camp, and fleeing to other countries.

These stories at the end enrich the experience so much because they are stories of hope after a whole museum of horror and sadness.

You will need to get your timed ticket for this museum here. Some times you can get them same day, sometimes you need to book it prior, depending on when you visit and how busy they are.

#13. Arlington National Cemetery

This can be exhausting if you try to do it all on foot. If you are spending a lot of time at the cemetery, and you want to see it all, you will want to buy an Arlington National Cemetery bus tour ticket, which they sell at the visitor center where you first arrive. You can buy those same day.

If you opt to go the free-on-foot route, just chart a course to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That is the main attraction.

It sounds funny to say, because this is a cemetery, but it is a beautiful place. If you travel up the hill to the Robert E. Lee house, which is called The Arlington House and museum, there is a perfect view of Washington, D.C. You can tour the house too.

The Northern generals felt like they had the perfect revenge on Lee when they took his estate and turned it into a giant graveyard.

The whole park does have a quiet, solemn vibe. You might want to warn your children to think of it as a quiet place.

#14. Museum of the Bible

We actually just went there for the second time the other day. This is good for the whole family too. I mean babies and toddlers will get tired of any place, but this museum is surprisingly interactive.

Some exhibits are more traditional, but even those have lots of good videos and statues to look at. For more about the Bible Museum, you can read the full article I wrote here.

This one is not free, but children, military, and seniors do get a discount. Anyone under 18 qualifies as “children.” The child ticket is way cheaper than the adult price. You do not need these in advance. Tickets can be purchased same day on site.

#15. Mount Vernon, Home of President George Washington

This is the number one choice field trip destination for kids in the D.C. area. It is so kid friendly because it is not just an antique house to explore, with a museum feel. Mount Vernon is also home to many farm animals and outdoor displays. Some times of the year there are also hay rides. We have always had a great time taking our children to Mount Vernon.

At Christmas you can sign up for a candlelight tour, and you get to meet Martha Washington on your tour. They also do colonial style dancing, hot cocoa and fires, and live camels at the candle light tour.

But be warned. Mount Vernon is not free. For more info, go here.

#16. Old Town Alexandria

You may be able to find a hotel more affordably in Alexandria, and if you do, take a little time to check out Old Town Alexandria. Most of Old Town predates Washington, D.C. There is so much history here. Stroll the streets. Go shopping. Have a lovely lunch. There is rarely ever a wait for lunch at most places.

#17. Thomas Jefferson Memorial and surrounding monuments

Park your car close to the Thomas Jefferson monument. They have a ton of parking over there, divided into several different lots, near the Tidal Basin. There you walk along the path beside the water, and you can see the Martin Luther King Jr. Monument and a huge display dedicated to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Depression. Plus, it has a beautiful view of the Thomas Jefferson Monument and the tidal basin. There are even rocks that kids love to climb on in some areas near the FDR Memorial.

If you come in spring, be warned the Thomas Jefferson area becomes the most popular spot in town as the gorgeous cherry blossom trees that surround the tidal basin bloom. It is a breathtaking sight to behold.

#18. National Botanical Gardens, right in front of the Capitol

When our kids were little, we used to LOVE to go through the US Botanical Gardens. It is just a quick, easy thing to do that our kids always enjoyed. At Christmas they often have electric trains running through there too, an added bonus for our little boys.

#19. The Pentagon 9/11 Memorial

This is a powerful tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. The Memorial is located outside in front of the Pentagon, easily accessible through the Pentagon parking lot.

If you get to go inside the Pentagon, there are even more tributes inside.

#20. Chinatown– At least drive or ride by it.

DC’s Chinatown is not very big, but they do have a beautiful archway that is worth seeing, and there are good restaurants near there too.

#21. Go to a Wizards Game

Disclaimer: This list is not in preference order because I can assure you my oldest son would put this as number one on the list. Alan took two of our boys this year, and they had the best time. If your group likes to eat popcorn, yell, and carry on at a basketball game this is for you.

#22. Visit the National Archives building where they have the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence on display.

One time I even happened up on a genealogy conference going on down there, and I got to attend for free. You can check the Archives’ website to see if they will be hosting anything special during your visit.

#23. And so much more. Take your pick from the MANY MANY other museums and attractions in town.

This was just a quick list of our favorite 23.

The US Navy Museum on Washington Navy Yard is also so good, as well as the US Army Museum on Fort Belvoir. Come to think of it, there is also a humongous US Marine Corp Museum on I95, South of the D.C. When the kids were little, they actually deemed the US Marine Museum playground, which is practically in the woods by the parking lot, the BEST playground in all of DC.

We actually went to the US Army Museum recently because it is new. I will have to write about that one soon.

Oh! And if you come in winter, the crowds are so small, and there are ice skating rinks!!

Plus, you can go to Ford’s Theatre to see where Lincoln was assassinated. That is on my list of places I still have not made it to but want to. You can go see a show there, or you can take a tour. Tickets are free and available same-day from what I can tell, so long as there is no show going on at that time. Here is the website for tours.

And! You can even go see a top notch, but probably pricey, show at The Kennedy Center.

We have done a lot of traveling as a military family, and Washington, D.C. still holds a special place in my heart as my favorite city.

It is just so clean!! The Metro train throughout DC and its suburbs feels so much safer to me than New York City’s subway system.

The National Mall has a feel of crisp, green optimism with all the grass and the white marble-looking architecture. I hope you get to come and enjoy it as much as I do. Feel free to ask any questions you have about touring DC in the comments.