Things to Do in Washington Dc

This man-made reservoir located in West Potomac Park offers some of the most extraordinary views of Washington, DC's most spectacular sites. Whether visitors wander its parameter or hire paddle boats and cruise out into its waters, they will surely be treated to a picture-perfect look at the Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr. and George Mason memorials. Close proximity to the National Mall, Washington Monument and all of the top museums make it the perfect place to spend an afternoon wandering, biking and exploring in DC.

Formerly known as the MCI Center, this Penn Quarter/Chinatown sports and entertainment arena is home to a few of Washington’s top teams: the Wizards and Mystics (basketball), and the Capitals (hockey). Formally sponsored by telecommunications giant MCI (1997-2006) and now sponsored by Verizon Communications, the arena is often locally referred to, tongue-in-cheek, as the “Phone Booth.”

In addition to games, matches and bouts, the Verizon Center regularly hosts the biggest musical acts in the world, as well as ice skating shows, the circus, and equestrian and wrestling events.

While several of the Center’s restaurants and nightlife options are privately reserved for their own members, there are a few public eateries and/or bars on site: Hard Times Café (concession stands), The Clubhouse and The Greene Turtle (both sports-focused cocktail bars), and Dunkin’ Donuts. Additionally, the Center is set amidst two of the most condensed commercial districts in the city, with a slew of nearby restaurants and bars from which to choose.

Overlooking the Potomac River at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, at the site of the U.S. Marine War Corps Memorial, the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps presents the free Marine Sunset Review Parade (aka The Sunset Parade) on Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m., generally the first Tuesday in June through mid-August. Wearing red-and-white dress uniforms, the corps – who have been conducting these evening tributes since 1956 -- performs a variety of military standards and vintage tunes from wartime eras.

Visitors are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs and picnics and spread out on the surrounding lawns to enjoy the Parade. No on-site seating is provided.

It’s impossible to dress appropriately for a visit to the United States Botanic Garden; each room you enter is a completely different environment. Set one block southwest of the U.S. Capitol Building, the garden nurtures plants from around the world – including subtropical, tropical, and arid regions. There are a variety of gardens and rooms, all connected through intertwining, labyrinthine paths. Two of the most interesting features are the ever-beautiful rose garden and a room designed solely for fragrances. Perhaps the most unique exhibit is Return of the Titan. This exhibit celebrates the titan arum, also known as the corpse flower or stinky plant. The corpse flower can grow up to 12 feet tall. The flower bloomed for the first time in July 2013, and it may be several more years before it does so again.
The Conservatory is arguably the most popular section of the museum, with exhibits on a wide variety of the world’s natural landscapes. Always warm and humid indoors to keep the plants happy, here you’ll find a fern-filled jungle beneath a 93-foot-high glass dome, and a sprawling room full of over 5,000 different types of orchids.

Overlooking the Potomac River at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, this statue of Marines raising the American flag on Japanese soil after the Battle of Iwo Jima is dedicated to the military service of U.S. Marines since 1775. Sculpted by American artist Felix de Weldon, the 32-foot soldiers and 60-foot flagpole comprise the largest bronze memorial in the world, while the Stars and Stripes here are made of real cloth. In accordance with a 1961 proclamation made by President John F. Kennedy, the statue’s flag flies 24 hours a day.

The scene depicted by this memorial is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph called Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, taken by D.C. native Joe Rosenthal in 1945.  Five of the six soldiers in the scene were Marines (one was part of the Navy Corps), and three died in this famous last battle of World War II.

At the memorial site, the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps presents the Marine Sunset Review Parade on Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m., generally the first Tuesday in June through mid-August. Wearing red-and-white dress uniforms, the corps perform a variety of military standards and vintage tunes from wartime eras.

With 19 museums, nine research centers, and the National Zoological Park, it's no surprise the Smithsonian Institution is one of the most famous collections of museums in the United States and around the globe. Whether you're a history buff, a science lover, or an art enthusiast, you'll definitely want to spend at least a few hours—or maybe even a few days—in these world-renowned collections.

This historic Episcopal church, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the British-born architect of the U.S. Capitol Building. Called the “Church of the Presidents” for having hosted every president since James Madison in its pews, this Neoclassical place of worship was the second structure built on Lafayette Square – after the White House.

Completed in 1816, St. John’s features dozens of intricate stained-glass windows, as well as a wooden steeple with an almost-1,000-pound bell cast by Paul Revere's son, Joseph, at his Boston foundry in 1822; reminiscent of Revere’s bell during the American Revolution, St. John’s bell once served as an alarm for the surrounding neighborhoods.

Walking distance from both Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle, this condensed, stylish center of black culture and boutique shopping was formerly one of D.C.’s sketchiest neighborhoods. Its Victorian homes echo its post-Civil War origins as a bedroom community for newly-migrated Southern blacks, and a few preserved Art Deco club and theater facades belie its history as a Harlem-owned “Black Broadway,” but for decades after being the epicenter of D.C.’s violent 1968 riots (sparked by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), this area was sadly known best for drug trafficking.

However, the U Street area was almost wholly revitalized during the real estate boom of the 1990s. Still a bit gritty in the evenings (when music clubs like Black Cat and the 9:30 Club draw hip, young crowds), milder daytime attractions here include the famed Ben’s Chili Bowl (where longtime fan Bill Cosby offers the on-hold accompaniment for to-go orders), the funky, literary-themed café scene at Busboys and Poets, and the African-American Civil War Memorial and Museum. The independent shops here offer some of the city’s most unusual and artistic finds, from jewelry to clothing and housewares.