Things to do in Washington, DC

Washington University The Pentagon Lincoln Memorial Space Museum Veterans Memorial

From world-class museums to the nation’s most important monuments and historical sites, you’ll find it all in Washington, DC. Discover the 19 fascinating museums of the Smithsonian Institution, including the National Air and Space Museum, the most visited of all Smithsonian museums. Take your pick historical districts like Dupont Circle and government buildings like the Pentagon and the Capitol Building.

George Washington University. Located down the street from the Best Western Georgetown Hotel & Suites, seeing the campus is one of the most popular things to do in Georgetown, Washington, DC. The 43-acre, downtown location is referred to as “the Foggy Bottom campus.” The Foggy Bottom area is widely believed to have taken its name from the fogs that often cover the area.

Arlington National Cemetery. The nation’s most famous military cemetery was founded during the Civil War to honor veterans of that war. Originally part of legendary Civil War General Robert E. Lee's 200-acre family estate, the land was claimed by the government against the Lee family's wishes. Later the Supreme Court ruled that the Lee family was owed $150,000 for land taken to create Arlington National Cemetery.  [Top]

The Pentagon. Located on five acres in Arlington, Virginia, the Pentagon is deservedly one of the world's most well-know structures and one of the most popular things to do in Washington, DC. The famed headquarters of the United States Department of Defense takes its name from its pentagon shape.

Dupont Circle. Discover one of the more historic things to do on a Washington, DC, weekend. Since the Civil War, Dupont Circle has been known as one of Washington, DC’s most fashionable residential neighborhoods. Many of the city’s grandest homes can still be found in this area, along with the famous shopping and hotels in Dupont Circle.  [Top]

Lincoln Memorial. One of the nation’s most important monuments, the stirring memorial pays tribute to fallen President Lincoln. Located on the National Mall, Henry Bacon was the architect who designed the building. Visiting the site of the Lincoln Memorial is one of the most popular things to do every summer in Washington, DC.

National Cathedral. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, visiting the Cathedral designated as the "National House of Prayer" of the United States is one of Washington, DC’s most popular things to do. More properly known as "The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington," it is an Episcopal Church. The National Cathedral is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, second in the United States only to St. John's Cathedral in New York.  [Top]

National Air and Space Museum. Among the prized pieces in the colleciton are "The Spirit of St. Louis," Charles Lindbergh's famed craft in which he made the world's first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean and the original Wright Flyer. It’s one of the best things for kids to do in Washington, DC.

Foggy Bottom Metro. Located at the northwest end of the George Washington University campus, your closest Washington Metro station runs on the Blue and Orange Lines. The Washington Metro Foggy Bottom station is at 23rd and I St. It’s a fast, inexpensive way to get to all the Washington, DC things to do.  [Top]

Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Solemnly placed in Constitution Gardens adjacent to the National Mall, it's located northeast of the Lincoln Memorial. Designed by American architect Maya Lin, the monument receives more than 3 million visitors each year.

National Zoo. Another one of the fun things to do with kids in Washington, DC, is to visit the Zoo. The National Zoo’s most famous residents are the giant pandas. All counted, about 2,000 different kinds of animals live at the National Zoo and the Zoo's Conservation and Research Center (CRC) in Virginia. Amazingly, almost all of these species live at the National Zoo’s main location in DC.

The US Capitol Building. The seat of our Congress is dominated by the central dome that towers over its rotunda and two building wings. The north wing houses the Senate, and the House of Representatives resides in the south wing. Visit the building's famed galleries to see congress in action. It’s one of the best things to do with an afternoon in Washington, DC.  [Top]