Hello Pals,

Washington is the Capital of the United States and is a territory surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. Yes, it’s a political city (looking for a man in finance®, 6’5, blue eyes) it’s also home to the Smithsonian, one of the largest collections holding 21 museums and the National Zoo which are FREE (not pay as you wish, not donations (although appreciated) they are free.

I’ve been to Washington DC twice, once in 2022 (just after Covid so masks may still be in photos) and again in 2024 when my cousin visited. It’s simply impossible to see everything so I recommend planning a basic itinerary from the museums, galleries and monuments below. I suggest looking here for a full list of everything.

Washington DC sits upon the unceded ancestral land of the Nacotchtank people. I honour the generations of displaced and enslaved people who built the country.

If you would like to know “What to do in Washington D.C ” click ‘read more’

In this article, you’ll find: (click to be taken there)
The Basics: How to get there.
Getting Around: Transport Options
My Top Choices: What you should see.
Free Museums
Pay As You Wish Museums / Free Days
Museums that cost.
Monuments The monuments around DC.
My Recommendations: Where to eat & drink, What to listen to & read.
What I did: My diary entry.
Other Recommendations: Things we missed.

All my posts have a key:
⏰ Opening Hours. 📍Location 🕒Distance
💰Cost 🎫 Ticket 📝 To note. 🎒What to bring.
♿ Accessibility 🎧 Sensory 🌱Vegan / Veg Options.

TO NOTE:

You will require timed tickets to some Museums. If your date is sold out, museums release tickets that morning day at certain times. Check the 🎫 emoji under each museum.

I HIGHLY suggest a loose itinerary before you go and then book the tickets for Air & Space / Spy Museum and base your days around that.
Ours kinda looked like this – breakfast > art gallery + museum > lunch > museum + art gallery > break > monuments > dinner.
All the museums have free wifi, water bottle stations, and restrooms.
The National Portrait Museum (7pm), O Museum in the Mansion (9pm Tues – Sat), and Monuments are open late – plan those for the end of the day. You can check here for late events when you go.
Washington DC has a Metro + Bus System which uses the SmarTrip card (cost: $2.00 reusable card.) To use the app, you’ll require a USA phone number. Read. more on navigating the Metro here.

THE BASICS

Getting to Washington DC.

✈️ Fly

There are three major airports in the Washington, DC region: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) (the closest) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).

Allegiant fly into Dulles International. As well as American, Delta, Southwest, Westjet.

From Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) > Downtown
TAXI/UBER: $15-20 (10 Mins)
METRO: Yellow – $2.00 USD from Mount Vernon Square (15 mins) to Archives-Navy Memorial Penn Quarter.

Bus Basics :

You can catch FlixBus, MegaBus, Greyhound all to Washington DC from differing locations. Check the links for your route.

Amtrak

Amtrak to Washington DC

GETTING AROUND

Getting Around:

🚲 Bike.
Capital Bikeshare is the main one in Washington DC. You can get a day pass for $8.00 which gives you 24 hours of 45 min rides on classic bikes.

TOP CHOICES!

This post is what I did, however, there are so many museums in Washington. You can check out The Smithsonian Institution list here.

Smithsonian Institution Building

⏰ 10:00 – 17:50
📍1000 Jefferson Dr SW.
💰 Free
🎟️ Does not require tickets.
NOTE: *** TEMPORARILY CLOSED *** The Smithsonian Castle holds a small display cabinet for each museum that showcases some of the information you’ll find. It’s a good place to start if you’re unsure which museums to visit.

FREE MUSEUMS

Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum

⏰ 10:00 – 17:50
📍2 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002
💰 Free
🎟️ Does not require timed ticket entry. Tours at 11:30am.
📝 Bathrooms, Wifi, Water & Lockers all available in the ground floor.

Located right next to Union Station, it’s a perfect first museum before you can check in to your accommodation. Constructed in 1914, running as a post office until 1986. It’s designed in the classic Beaux Arts Style with a mix of neo-classical. In 2014, fifty-four stamps were introduced to illuminate the outside and inside of the building, telling a story of American history, culture and identity. You can read about them here.

It is still a working post office where you can purchase stamps. I must admit, the first time I went to Washington, I didn’t go cause it felt it might be boring and I wish to apologise to the Postal community. There are scavenger hunts, stamp collecting, postal sorting activities and various games (adults can also participate, which I did.) I found the delivery of the mail (Systems at Work exhibition) to be my favourite, getting the mail from A > B you never really think about it. If your mail is always delivered late, it’s because you have poor handwriting and the systems can’t pick it up. Check out their current exhibitions here.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Note: This museum is currently under construction until 2026. There are 8 exhibitions open.

⏰ Tues – Sun : 10:00 – 17:50
📍1400 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560
💰 Free
🎟️ timed tickets sell out, book in advance here. More tickets are released at 8:30am on the day.
📝 No coat/bag storage. Poor signage – you will be waiting in line for a while with reserved tickets so bring sunscreen & a hat.
♿ Wheelchair Accessible with escalators & ramps.
🎧 Very Crowded, Noises from interactive displays.

Even with 8 exhibitions, you’ll spend at least 2-3 hours here, excluding a visit to the planetarium (which incurs additional costs). The museum holds the original Wright Brothers’ plane from 1903, Armstrong’s spacesuit, the Apollo 11 Command Module (Columbia, the only one to return to Earth), Mars Rovers, and various commercial and private displays of jets and planes. There are multiple gift stores available.

8 exhibitions:
Early Flight
America by Air
Destination Moon
Nation of Speed
The Wright Brothers & Invention of the Aerial Age
Exploring the Planets
We All Fly
One World Connected.

The two exhibitions I spent the most time reading were Exploring the Planets – learning about the first planets to be discovered, the tectonic plates within the earth, and Saturn which was drawn in 1609 by Galileo. America by Air spoke about not only the creation of modern-day flight but the changes for flight attendants and their protests for equality such as marriage restrictions, gender bias, gay rights and race discrimination. While only 8 exhibitions are open, I found the lack of representation a bit frustrating. While a lot of STEM historically has been male, Katherine Johnson, Christie Darden, Sally Ride, Amelia Earhart and many more all exist. They had a section for the dogs Russia sent, but not for Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman.

National Museum of African American History & Culture

⏰ Tues – Sun : 10:00 – 17:50| Mon: 12:00pm – 17:30
📍1400 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560
💰 Free
🎟️ Requires timed entry ticket. Grab here. Tickets are released daily at 8:15am if you can’t see your day.
📝 Bathrooms, Wifi, Water & Lockers all available.
♿ Wheelchair Accessible with escalators & ramps. Wheelchairs availible to hire on first come, first served.
🎧 Crowded, videos play in separated rooms, dim lighting.

“The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture.”

There is an astounding amount of exhibits highlighting the history of African Americans. The curation of the museum leaves no aspect removed; talking about the enslavement, segregation, displacement of persons, the fight for change and the key people within history. The top part of the museum is focused on the creative and sports. While the subject matter is indeed heavy, if you are travelling to the USA, this museum is one to explore.

We spent 2.5 hours in the downstairs historical area before heading to get some lunch. We didn’t manage to see the cultural area. The giftstore has a lot of books written by African Americans both in fiction and non-fiction.

National Portrait Gallery

⏰ 11:30 – 19:00
📍8th and G Streets NW Washington, DC 20001
💰 Free
🎟️ Does not require timed ticket entry.
♿ The entrance at 8th and G Streets is accessible. Elevators serve all areas of the building
🎧 Bright Lighting.

The National Portrait Gallery is one to do at the end of the day. It stays open for one and a half hours later than the others. It’s home to the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. Over 220,000 works from the 8th century to the present day. Check the current exhibitions here.

Founded in 1962 by Congress to display portraits of individuals who have “made significant contributions to the history, development, and culture of the people of the United States.” It houses all United States presidents, including 20th-century Americans who have contributed such as Albert Einstein and Jane Addams. The second floor holds an exhibition on The Struggle for Justice. It displays those who campaigned, protested and stood up against discrimination against the status of people of colour, women, LGBTQ+ individuals and any persons with differences. People such as Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Friedan and George Washington Carver.

National Archives Museum

⏰ 10:00 – 17:30
📍701 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington
💰 Free
🎟️ You can book or walk in on the day. Reservations between March – September are recommended here.
♿ Enter on Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Street. All facilities are accessible by elevator. ASL interpreters are available with at least seven business days’ advance notice.
🎧 Bright Lighting.

The Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution all allow non-flash photography but there is no line to view so although you may go around clockwise, other people will just come in and view it. I went to this museum just covid and it wasn’t hectic – but the reviews all advise that now there are just so many people without any form of system to crowd control.

I mostly went to see the Declaration of Independence that Nicolas Cage stole. The gift store here was top quality, albeit slightly expensive.

National Museum of American History

⏰ 10:00 – 17:30
📍1300 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington
💰 Free
🎟️ Does not require timed ticket entry. Bags are searched.
♿ All levels of the museum are accessible by elevator, including exhibition spaces and all public facilities. The museum offers Aira Access mobile information and verbal description service onsite, free of charge.
🎧 December, January, February, September, and October are usually less busy, quieter times of year to visit. Light, noise, and crowds vary widely throughout the building.

They have a range of permanent exhibitions as well as changing ones. Entertainment Nation, which holds Lin Manuel Miranda’s green coat from Hamilton and Captain America’s shield, is popular. The First Ladies makes note of the outfits, politics and the roles they played. The American Presidency, The Price of Freedom, Many Voices / One Nation, American Democracy and Within These Walls are all interesting aspects of American history. The Food Exhibition shows Julia Child’s kitchen.

While interesting, unless you are a Julia Child fan or wish to see the First Ladies, I’d recommend other museums.

Hirshhorn Museum

⏰ 10:00 – 17:30 | Monday: 12:00 – 17:30
📍Independence Ave SW &, 7th St SW
💰 Free w/ timed Guided Tours.
🎟️ Does not require timed ticket entry. Bags are searched.
♿ All levels of the museum are accessible by elevator. They offer ASL tours with the recommendation of at least a fortnight’s notice.
🎧 Light and noise vary depending on the exhibitions.

You don’t need an abundant amount of time for this contemporary gallery set in a hollow-shaped drum. The Yayoi Kusama pumpkin in itself is a sight to see! I recommend checking out what exhibitions are on, and if you’ve got time to visit, grab a coffee, lounge in the gardens and take a quick tour around either two floors.

PAY AS YOU WISH / FREE DAYS

The Phillips Collection

⏰ 10:00 – 17:00. Closed Mondays.
📍600 21st St. NW, Washington – take the Metro to Dupont Circle and. walk 5 minutes.
💰 $20 | Tickets are pay as you wish from 4pm – 5pm | Third Thursdays of the month- closure at 8 pm, with free admission from 4 pm to close.
🎟️ pay as you wish tickets are recommended to reserve.
📝 You cannot take your water bottle into the museum. Ticketed bag storage at reception. The cafe closes at 4pm.
♿ Wheelchair Accessible with escalators between floors.
🎧 Crowded for pay-as-you-wish admission.

A sandstone Georgian revival townhouse built in 1897 is the original museum with two additions later on. The Phillips Collection was America’s first museum of modern art. It now holds mostly impressionist and modern art.

WORKS TO SEE:
– Luncheon of the Boating Party by Renoir
– Dancers at the Barre by Edgar Degas
– The Peaceable Kingdom by Edward Hicks
– Entrance to the Public Gardens in Arles by Vincent van Gogh
– The Rothko Room which holds Orange and Red on Red, Green and Maroon, Ochre and Red on Red, Green and Tangerine on Red – (photos aren’t allowed)

National Museum of Women in the Arts

⏰ 10:00 – 17:00. Closed Mondays.
📍1250 New York Ave NW
💰 $16 | Free admission on the first Sunday and second Wednesday of every month.
🎟️ First Sunday / Second Wednesday reserve here.
♿ Wheelchair Accessible with escalators between floors.
🎧 The video presentation is in a closed, separate room and not loud. The lighting is bright, and it’s not crowded.

Originally a Masonic Temple, the inside of the NMWA is marble architecture with curving stairways. The second-floor hallway holds a Frida Kahlo. Its mission is to bring recognition to the achievements of women artists through all periods and nationalities. It holds more than 6,000 works dating from the late sixteenth century through today made by women and non-binary artists.

Museums that Cost.

The Spy Museum

⏰ 9:00 AM – 19:00. Weekends: 09:00 – 20:00
📍700 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington
💰 $29.63 – $34.93
🎟️ Buying in advance can save you up to 30% – here.
📝 limited amount of lockers available.
♿ Wheelchair Accessible, however crowded so may limit mobility.
🎧 a lot of excited children running and yelling.

The Spy Museum is an interactive, self-guided museum. You start from the top and make your way down, either completing your individual mission or just exploring the museum itself. It holds close to 1,000 different spy artifacts. It takes you through different themes such as Loyalty, Risk, Seduction/Stereotypes, Spies & Spymasters – diverse talents and tools, Deception, and Trust. It blends historic and present-day elements. A section noting the spy films/TV shows such as 007, Austin Powers, Spy Kids, Salt, and Sterling Archer. The most interesting aspect I found was detailing how other countries and individuals set out to steal industry secrets. For example, in the 18th/19th century – a spy entered China to learn how to make porcelain, tea, and silk. leaving with the secrets that allow us to access these in the modern day.

I went to this museum because my partner is interested in espionage. If you are not interested, I probably wouldn’t recommend this while in a city of free museums. If they had a free/discounted day, then yes, I would recommend it.

Monuments

Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool & World War II Memorial.

⏰ 24 hours.
💰 Free
♿ All wheelchair accessible.

In 2026 an accessible undercroft containing a theatre, store and exhibitions will be available. This means it may be under scaffolding from 2024 – 2026.

From the World War II Memorial, you walk past the reflecting pool (and ducks!!) to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (he does not come alive.) You are able to view the Washinton Monumet (not the Pentagon.)

The White House.

⏰ 24 hours.
💰 Free
♿ Wheelchair accessible.
There are a few streets where you can view the White House – the most common is through the President’s Park (the Back) and then Lafayette Square (the front.) There are tours, you can reach out to a member of Congress to set up a tour for you. Read more here. You can read a blog post about it here.

Recommendations

The Best Sandwich Place

⏰ 9:00 AM – 19:00
📍1250 New York Ave NW
📝 Near: National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Gets super busy around lunchtime, huge servings, and you have the option of the menu board sandwiches/wraps/salads or making your own. If you get your food to go, there is Franklin Park to sit on the grass/benches.

Lincoln’s Waffle Shop

⏰ 6:00 – 14:00
📍504 10th St NW, Washington, DC 20004
🌱 vegetarian options (eggs) no vegan options outside fries/grits but kitchen pans etc would have been used with the meat options.
📝 Near: National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, National Archives Museum.

A family-run diner going on 30 years which offers no-fuss diner staples, breakfast served all day with a classic interior to match.

Old Ebitt Grill

⏰ 6:00 – 14:00
📍504 10th St NW, Washington, DC 20004
🌱 vegan and vego options avail.
📝 Near: National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, National Archives Museum.

Founded in 1856, the second erection was placed in 1862. Majority of the original heirlooms have been preserved, with the bar being a direct replication. The atmosphere of the Grill is why you come, and while my cousin and I only had desert and mocktails at the bar – the food passing us looked pretty spectacular. The reviews seem to match.

Oyamel Cocina Mexicana

⏰ 11:30am – 22:00 Sun/Mon | -21:00 Tues-Thurs | – 00:00 Fri / Sat.
📍401 7th St NW, Washington
🌱 vegan and vego options avail.
📝 Near: National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, National Archives Museum.

A DC local recommended this restaurant, and it didn’t disappoint. The guacamole was incredible – made to order and while slightly expensive, worth it. Complimentary nachos and salsa while you wait for your meal. We opted for the tacos and their fish tacos were *chefs kiss* almost perfection.

China Boy

⏰ 9:30am – 17:00pm | Closed Tues.
📍401 7th St NW, Washington
🌱 vegan and vego options avail.
📝 – CASH ONLY.

I haven’t actually managed to eat here – the first time it was takeaway only due to COVID-19 and the second time it was closed. It’s a very recommended Chinese place in DC and third time will be the charm.

1921 Biergarte at the Heurich House.

⏰ 16:00 – 20:00 | Closed Sun – Tues.
📍1307 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington
📝 Non-alcoholic options are available but were sold out at the time of the visit. Long bathroom queue due to one bathroom. You can view the house certain times!

” From 1863 – 1956, a 83 year span that encompassed two centuries and three wars, the CHR. Heurich Brewing Co. was a DC. household name. At it’s peak, the brewery was the largest non-governmental employee in the city. People heard Heurich ads on the radio, saw them in baseball programs, and glimpsed them on the bus ride home.

WATCH:

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

scoobert doo, letterboxed reviewed this 3 stars and stated “these movies are like a fun, no strings hook up i can call upon when I’ve got a history boner but don’t want to watch something heavy & 100% historically accurate.”

National Treasure

Cody on letterboxed reviewed this 3 stars and stated “Nicolas Cage is a man of his word. He said he was going to steal the Declaration of Independence, and that’s exactly what he did.

READ

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling – a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths…all under the watchful eye of Brown’s most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, DC., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale. – Goodreads.

Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation’s Capital – Authored by Chris Myers Asch, George Derek Musgrove.

View an audiobook preview on youtube here.
Tracing DC’s massive transformations—from a sparsely inhabited plantation society into a diverse metropolis, from a center of the slave trade to the nation’s first black-majority city, from “Chocolate City” to “Latte City”—Asch and Musgrove offer an engaging narrative peppered with unforgettable characters, a history of deep racial division but also one of hope, resilience, and interracial cooperation.

DIARY

2022: My partner and I took the Amtrak (worst coffee of my life) to Union Station, and upon walking out, you instantly feel that grandeur of the architecture people talk about. It’s big, it’s there. It’s Washington DC baby. We stayed at Hotel Harrington (now closed), which was, at the time, the oldest running continuous hotel in Washington DC. The bathroom door didn’t fully shut, sinks didn’t drain fast enough but the beds were comfy, so still a win. It was definitely haunted. Even bigger win. It was nearing 5:30pm so we opted for The National Portrait Gallery before trying to catch the sunset over the Washington Monument.

Day 2 saw us heading towards the National Museum of American History because of Julia Child. Nothing makes you want a kitchen more than seeing her set up. What a woman. Eating too big a salad at The Best Sandwich Place fueled us to go see the big boi (Abraham Lincoln) and monuments after a nap. Day 3 was a diner breakfast followed by a run around the Spy Museum. Walking back through the park, we stopped in at the Smithsonian Institution Building and realised this is what we should have checked out on day 1 not day 3. You live, you learn, you prosper. Before leaving Washington we tried to steal the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives Museum.

2024: My cousin and I took the flexbus – no real complaints, we got there. We checked out National Postal Museum, found out we are not cut out for a career in sorting mail and looked through some old stamps. Quick check-in at the hostel for a nap, we groggily ventured out to The National Portrait Gallery. The second time was still impressive – having an exhibition called ‘Forces of Nature” – voices that shaped environmentalism!!! Took my cousin to see the big guy (Abraham) (still not coming to life) before we found ourselves at the Old Ebbitt Grill for dinner. It was cake and mocktails, the dinner of serious people. We also met a Super Bowl winner who had just come from the White House with his family? Odd time.

Day 2: After a free pancake breakfast in Hostel Duo, we took the bus down to Hirshhorn Gallery, grabbed a coffee and got told off by the gift store for having drinks. My partner joined for the National Museum of African American History & Culture, which starts from the beginning of slavery until the current day. This was the museum that taught us we required timed tickets. Luckily, it wasn’t that busy. The way you learn about the segregation, the activists and the timeline really showcases their experience in the USA. After 2.5 hours, we felt we couldn’t digest anymore so went for lunch at Oyamel Cocina Mexicana for some of the best guac i’ve had, i’m serious. guac city!!!

A metro later, we stopped by the indie Kramers Bookstore. The set-up was fantastic – recommendations, themed months, calendar events and should you need a caffeine refill – have a cafe/restaurant on sight. My uncle recommended The Philips Collection for the Luncheon. It’s a pretty spectacular Renoir, but I really enjoyed the Rothko room. I did not enjoy the Wax Room (Bunch of beeswax melted and applied to the room kinda smelt weird? wasn’t about it.)

We googled a bar to go have a drink, which turned out to be 1921 Biergarte at the Heurich House in which Heurich beer was available. We met some locals who told us there were some Georgetown fleamarkets on Sunday (you know we love a good flea.) We got back to the hostle, napped for far, far too long before setting off to see if we could grab a glimpse of anyone at the White House before treating G (my cousin) to a very American dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

Day 3: We set an alarm to see if we could get earlier tickets to the Air and Space when they were released at 8 – with success for 3:30, giving us 2 hours instead of 1. Grabbing once again a delightful free pancake breakfast we got an uber to Georgetown. Coffee from Jani Cafe we walked around the flea markets and Georgetown Streets. The National Museum of Women in the Arts. Seeing Frida Kahlo works in person is inspiring as she only did around 200 paintings many being in Mexico. There is something so valuable in the way she paints for herself and not the viewer. I was disappointed by the National Air and Space Museum (so much so i wrote a feedback email) with the lack of female and poc representation. While historically a male field, this wasn’t due to women not wanting to be in it – women were still there. I hope that while there are only 8 exhibitions, the renovated ones will have more representation. I will say that learning about the planets and seeing the space suit was cool. We are just so small in the sense of the universe!

We got dinner at the Dubliner, an Irish Pub that as established in 1974. I once again forgot that entree is main and nearly cried at the size of the chicken pot pie (I was very tired at this point). My partner and cousin made fun of this for the rest of dinner. We took a flexbus home, arriving into NYC at midnight.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

The O Museum – There are 112 rooms and nearly 90 secret doors. You can read a blog post the O Museum here
Georgetown – you could spend a whole day here if you had the time! View a blog post here.
Rock Creek Park – view an article about it here.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Have you been?
What did you see / eat / do?
Let me know.
As always, stay cool.
– Sarah.

ARTICLES:

Author: Sarah

My only direction in life seems to be going around the world. View all posts by Sarah

The Capitol aka Washington DC.

TO NOTE:

THE BASICS