Guidebook for Washington
Sightseeing
If you are a big history buff or are interested in the founding of the United States, the Capitol is of course a must see. It gets pretty busy during the weekdays in summer, so to avoid the crowds later tours are better.
670 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Capitolio de los Estados Unidos
First Street SoutheastIf you are a big history buff or are interested in the founding of the United States, the Capitol is of course a must see. It gets pretty busy during the weekdays in summer, so to avoid the crowds later tours are better.
Although the Lincoln Memorial is just one of the District's many monuments, the larger-than-life Honest Abe is also among travelers' favorites. History buffs might enjoy the man of few (albeit powerful) words' two famous speeches, the second inaugural address and the Gettysburg Address, which are both etched into the memorial's opposing walls.
Though most agree the Lincoln Memorial is worth checking out during the day or at night, many recent travelers say the most captivating time to visit is after dark when the attraction is lit and less crowded. Plus, evening temps will make peak summer visits more comfortable.
697 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Monumento a Lincoln
2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NWAlthough the Lincoln Memorial is just one of the District's many monuments, the larger-than-life Honest Abe is also among travelers' favorites. History buffs might enjoy the man of few (albeit powerful) words' two famous speeches, the second inaugural address and the Gettysburg Address, which are both etched into the memorial's opposing walls.
Though most agree the Lincoln Memorial is worth checking out during the day or at night, many recent travelers say the most captivating time to visit is after dark when the attraction is lit and less crowded. Plus, evening temps will make peak summer visits more comfortable.
A popular memorial, the National World War II Memorial was dedicated in 2004 to the 400,000-plus Americans who died during the war. A circle of 56 pilings (representing the then 56 U.S. states and territories) looks over the Rainbow Pool. At night, with lights shining, this memorial can be quite ethereal.
55 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
1750 Independence Ave SW
1750 Independence Ave SWA popular memorial, the National World War II Memorial was dedicated in 2004 to the 400,000-plus Americans who died during the war. A circle of 56 pilings (representing the then 56 U.S. states and territories) looks over the Rainbow Pool. At night, with lights shining, this memorial can be quite ethereal.
One of the most moving war memorials, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – or "the Wall," as it's commonly referred to – is a long black granite wall with the names of more than 58,000 Americans who perished during the Vietnam War emblazoned on its surface. Recent travelers said their visits to the site were heartbreaking but thought-provoking and powerful, adding that even the toughest of individuals will find it hard to not become emotional while reading the wall's names. If you're looking for a specific person, keep in mind that the soldiers' names are ordered by the date they died, not alphabetically. Also, reviewers recommend using the attraction's name books and visiting during the day when
115 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Monumento a los Veteranos de Vietnam
5 Henry Bacon Dr NWOne of the most moving war memorials, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – or "the Wall," as it's commonly referred to – is a long black granite wall with the names of more than 58,000 Americans who perished during the Vietnam War emblazoned on its surface. Recent travelers said their visits to the site were heartbreaking but thought-provoking and powerful, adding that even the toughest of individuals will find it hard to not become emotional while reading the wall's names. If you're looking for a specific person, keep in mind that the soldiers' names are ordered by the date they died, not alphabetically. Also, reviewers recommend using the attraction's name books and visiting during the day when
You need to be in the right frame of mind to visit this sobering museum that focuses on the atrocities of the Holocaust during World War II. Upon entering the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, you'll be given an identification card with the name and personal information of an actual person who experienced the Holocaust; as you move through the exhibits – Hitler's rise to power, anti-Semitic propaganda, the horrors of the Final Solution – you'll be given updates on your person's well-being.
192 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Museo Conmemorativo del Holocausto de los Estados Unidos
100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl SWYou need to be in the right frame of mind to visit this sobering museum that focuses on the atrocities of the Holocaust during World War II. Upon entering the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, you'll be given an identification card with the name and personal information of an actual person who experienced the Holocaust; as you move through the exhibits – Hitler's rise to power, anti-Semitic propaganda, the horrors of the Final Solution – you'll be given updates on your person's well-being.
Located beside the Tidal Basin, this 30-foot-high granite memorial pays homage to civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Everything from its address at 1964 Independence Ave. (a reference to the year the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed by Congress) to its design (which shows King emerging from the "Mountain of Despair"), are meant to reflect King's significant contribution to American history. What's more, this towering sculpture opened to the public in 2011, making it one of the newest memorials to open in the District. It is also the National Mall's first memorial dedicated to an African American.
197 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Monumento a Martin Luther King Jr.
1964 Independence Ave SWLocated beside the Tidal Basin, this 30-foot-high granite memorial pays homage to civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Everything from its address at 1964 Independence Ave. (a reference to the year the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed by Congress) to its design (which shows King emerging from the "Mountain of Despair"), are meant to reflect King's significant contribution to American history. What's more, this towering sculpture opened to the public in 2011, making it one of the newest memorials to open in the District. It is also the National Mall's first memorial dedicated to an African American.
Getting Around
The streetcar is completely free and runs down H Street to Union Station.
Benning Rd & 19th St, NE station
The streetcar is completely free and runs down H Street to Union Station.
Entertainment & Activities
A catalyst for the revitalization of H Street, the former 1938 movie house reopened in 2006 as a community-focused arts organization. It hosts art shows, dance performances, plays, and spoken word. This summer, check out the resident Mosaic Theater Company’s Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival—two plays that delve into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 1333 H St., NE; 202-399-7993.
111 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H St NEA catalyst for the revitalization of H Street, the former 1938 movie house reopened in 2006 as a community-focused arts organization. It hosts art shows, dance performances, plays, and spoken word. This summer, check out the resident Mosaic Theater Company’s Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival—two plays that delve into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 1333 H St., NE; 202-399-7993.
Gather a group of friends and pay to get locked in a room—really. For $25 a person, you can “Escape the Oval Office,” an hourlong game in which your team puzzles through clues to uncover a White House scandal before time runs out. If that one hits too close to reality, try another option, such as kid-friendly “Escape the Classroom,” in which your group must find the key to get out of school before the last bus leaves. 1322 H St., NE; 202-399-0900.
6 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
The Escape Lounge on H Street
1322 H St NEGather a group of friends and pay to get locked in a room—really. For $25 a person, you can “Escape the Oval Office,” an hourlong game in which your team puzzles through clues to uncover a White House scandal before time runs out. If that one hits too close to reality, try another option, such as kid-friendly “Escape the Classroom,” in which your group must find the key to get out of school before the last bus leaves. 1322 H St., NE; 202-399-0900.
Arts & Culture
After a major renovation in 2013, this early-20th-century building—made of the same stone used in the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery—was transformed into an indoor/outdoor community space that hosts art and photography shows as well as music performances. Weather permitting, local jazz artists play free weekend concerts in the courtyard all summer. 1354 H St., NE; 202-649-0210.
10 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Gallery O on H
1354 H St NEAfter a major renovation in 2013, this early-20th-century building—made of the same stone used in the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery—was transformed into an indoor/outdoor community space that hosts art and photography shows as well as music performances. Weather permitting, local jazz artists play free weekend concerts in the courtyard all summer. 1354 H St., NE; 202-649-0210.
Attracting millions of people each year, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum contains a trove of celebrated aircraft, including Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5B, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis and Wilbur and Orville Wright's 1903 Wright Flyer, among others. Exhibits include a flight simulator, an IMAX theater and the Einstein Planetarium. And parents beware: The three-level gift shop is huge, so get ready for pleas from your kids.
809 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Museo Nacional del Aire y del Espacio
600 Independence Ave SWAttracting millions of people each year, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum contains a trove of celebrated aircraft, including Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5B, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis and Wilbur and Orville Wright's 1903 Wright Flyer, among others. Exhibits include a flight simulator, an IMAX theater and the Einstein Planetarium. And parents beware: The three-level gift shop is huge, so get ready for pleas from your kids.
If you're any kind of art connoisseur, you should make a stop at the National Gallery of Art. Composed of the East Building, which houses the gallery's more modern works (think: Henri Matisse and Mark Rothko), and the West Building, which contains the collection's older works (from Sandro Botticelli to Claude Monet), this museum has enough to fill an entire afternoon; pace yourself and maybe order a coffee, gelato or lunch at one of the gallery's five bars and cafes.
Also, if you're traveling in the summertime on a Friday evening, past visitors recommend heading into the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. for some jazz. Or, travelers suggest catching one of the
385 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Galería Nacional de Arte
Constitution Avenue NorthwestIf you're any kind of art connoisseur, you should make a stop at the National Gallery of Art. Composed of the East Building, which houses the gallery's more modern works (think: Henri Matisse and Mark Rothko), and the West Building, which contains the collection's older works (from Sandro Botticelli to Claude Monet), this museum has enough to fill an entire afternoon; pace yourself and maybe order a coffee, gelato or lunch at one of the gallery's five bars and cafes.
Also, if you're traveling in the summertime on a Friday evening, past visitors recommend heading into the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. for some jazz. Or, travelers suggest catching one of the
Now entering its fifth decade, the Hirshhorn is a leading voice for contemporary art and culture and provides a national platform for the art and artists of our time. Located in the heart of Washington, DC, on the National Mall, we are free to all, and open 364 days a year. As one of the most visited modern art museums in the U.S., we seek to share the transformative power of modern and contemporary art by creating meaningful, personal experiences in which art, artists, audiences and ideas converge. Through groundbreaking exhibitions, events, research and acquisitions, we create the space where people encounter the most important artists of the 21st century.
230 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Museo Hirshhorn
7th Street SouthwestNow entering its fifth decade, the Hirshhorn is a leading voice for contemporary art and culture and provides a national platform for the art and artists of our time. Located in the heart of Washington, DC, on the National Mall, we are free to all, and open 364 days a year. As one of the most visited modern art museums in the U.S., we seek to share the transformative power of modern and contemporary art by creating meaningful, personal experiences in which art, artists, audiences and ideas converge. Through groundbreaking exhibitions, events, research and acquisitions, we create the space where people encounter the most important artists of the 21st century.
Drinks & Nightlife
Head to this campy haunt for taco- and margarita-fueled competition. After getting your fill of Tex-Mex, partake in a collection of arcade games, including shuffleboard, skeeball, and the main attraction—a nine-hole mini-golf course of tiny DC landmarks. The games are first-come, first-served, but you can wait your turn on the 2,000-square-foot roof deck, the largest on H Street. 1335 H St., NE; 202-399-4722.
196 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
H Street Country Club
1335 H Street NortheastHead to this campy haunt for taco- and margarita-fueled competition. After getting your fill of Tex-Mex, partake in a collection of arcade games, including shuffleboard, skeeball, and the main attraction—a nine-hole mini-golf course of tiny DC landmarks. The games are first-come, first-served, but you can wait your turn on the 2,000-square-foot roof deck, the largest on H Street. 1335 H St., NE; 202-399-4722.
When nightlife impresario Joe Englert opened this music venue and bar in an old funeral home in 2006, most of H Street was vacant and you could forget about finding a cab. But his bet paid off—more than a decade later, it remains a staple of the H Street corridor, now lined with other bars and restaurants. Rock & Roll Hotel still packs its upstairs dance floor every weekend, while its first-floor concert hall hosts acts nearly every night of the week. 1353 H St., NE; 202-388-7625.
188 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Rock & Roll Hotel
1353 H St NEWhen nightlife impresario Joe Englert opened this music venue and bar in an old funeral home in 2006, most of H Street was vacant and you could forget about finding a cab. But his bet paid off—more than a decade later, it remains a staple of the H Street corridor, now lined with other bars and restaurants. Rock & Roll Hotel still packs its upstairs dance floor every weekend, while its first-floor concert hall hosts acts nearly every night of the week. 1353 H St., NE; 202-388-7625.
Food Scene
Get your cocktail and dumpling fixes at this haven for Chinese street food and creative libations. Owner Devin Gong (ex-Barmini) takes the chalkboard approach to his drink menu, meaning you may find tiki one night and a half dozen styles of julep the next. Skewers, buns, and pot stickers pad the stomach into the early morning. 1110 H St., NE; 202-241-1952.
161 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Copycat Co.
1110 H St NEGet your cocktail and dumpling fixes at this haven for Chinese street food and creative libations. Owner Devin Gong (ex-Barmini) takes the chalkboard approach to his drink menu, meaning you may find tiki one night and a half dozen styles of julep the next. Skewers, buns, and pot stickers pad the stomach into the early morning. 1110 H St., NE; 202-241-1952.
Chef Erik Bruner-Yang’s indoor/outdoor emporium is a draw any time of day. Mornings call for the cafe’s Vigilante coffee drinks and pastries, while the shaded courtyard is our preferred spot for Cambodian sandwiches or dim sum brunch on sunny afternoons. Dinner—and that duck bao platter—is a knockout. 1351 H St., NE; 202-838-9972.
284 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Maketto
1351 H St NEChef Erik Bruner-Yang’s indoor/outdoor emporium is a draw any time of day. Mornings call for the cafe’s Vigilante coffee drinks and pastries, while the shaded courtyard is our preferred spot for Cambodian sandwiches or dim sum brunch on sunny afternoons. Dinner—and that duck bao platter—is a knockout. 1351 H St., NE; 202-838-9972.
U Street icon Ben’s Chili Bowl expanded to H Street in 2015 with a shiny new outpost for its renowned half-smokes and chili fries. Above it is Ben’s Upstairs, a more upscale restaurant with rooftop dining featuring Southern-meets-Caribbean fare. 1001 H St., NE; 202-733-1895.
84 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Ben's Chili Bowl
1001 H St NEU Street icon Ben’s Chili Bowl expanded to H Street in 2015 with a shiny new outpost for its renowned half-smokes and chili fries. Above it is Ben’s Upstairs, a more upscale restaurant with rooftop dining featuring Southern-meets-Caribbean fare. 1001 H St., NE; 202-733-1895.
Shopping
One of the city’s longest-running seasonal markets, these booths of produce and gourmet goodies will appear every weekend through mid-December. In addition to fruits and vegetables, you can shop skin-care products from Amalthea Ridge, smoothie bowls from JustJuice, and locally made pickles and kimchee from Number 1 Sons. Open Saturday 9 to 12:30. 13th St. between H and I sts., NE; 202-362-8889.
FRESHFARM H Street NE Market
800 13th St NEOne of the city’s longest-running seasonal markets, these booths of produce and gourmet goodies will appear every weekend through mid-December. In addition to fruits and vegetables, you can shop skin-care products from Amalthea Ridge, smoothie bowls from JustJuice, and locally made pickles and kimchee from Number 1 Sons. Open Saturday 9 to 12:30. 13th St. between H and I sts., NE; 202-362-8889.