Things To Do

Your Home Base for Visiting Washington DC Attractions

Your Washington DC vacation will enable you to see some of the best visitor attractions in the country. Here is some info about things to do in Washington DC to help you make the most of your visit with us.

Washington DC Colleges and Universities

Washington DC Conventions

  • LinkedIn Events – Here is a list of conventions taking place in Washington DC and surrounding areas.
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center – Beautiful facility with capacity for thousands of people.
  • Schedule of Conventions  – Check out the schedule for conventions at the DuPont Circle Washington Hilton Hotel, Omni Shoreham Hotel, Wardman Park Marriott Hotel in Woodley Park and others. We update this list daily.

Washington DC Courts

  • Supreme Court – Chief Justice and 8 associate justices make up the Supreme Court, the highest judicial authority in the U. S. This court decides whether actions of Congress, the President, the states and the lower courts follow the principles of the Constitution. Only about 100 cases are heard. Curious about how it functions and operates, take a tour here.

Washington DC Libraries

  • Library Of Congress – Beautiful architecture, worth seeing it. This is more than a library, collections, art, and much more.  Make sure to have a picture ID with you when visiting.

Washington DC Newspapers and Magazines

Washington DC Shopping

  • Old Post Office Pavilion – Specialty shops, food court and entertainment – near the White House and Smithsonian Museums
  • The Shops at Georgetown Park Mall – This shopping mall with a variety of mid and high end stores in a beautiful setting is located in the middle of Georgetown almost at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street.
  • Macy’s – Everything in one place
  • Leesburg Premium Outlet – This designer outlet center has 110 stores – 35 miles away
  • Mazza Gallery – High end shops such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store and more.  Friendship Heights Red Line Stop.
  • Marshall’s Store - Fashion Outlet Store with great prices on designer clothing near this Washington DC Inn.

Washington DC History & Museums

Washington DC, as our nation’s capital, is filled with history and historic places. Here is a brief list of places to see and museums to visit while you are in town staying with us. In addition to this list, you may want to read our more detailed reviews on our Washington DC Activities Blog.

History in Washington DC

Washington DC Museums

  • Air and Space Museum – A favorite amongst all of the museums.
  • Museum of Natural History – This is a must see for the whole family.
  • Smithsonian American Art Museum – All forms of art from the 18th century to modern day.
  • Museum of American History – This is such a wonderful place to visit time and time again, a place where you can see and compare how much progress we have made as a people, society and as a country.
  • Textile Museum – This museum expands public knowledge and appreciation of the artistic and cultural importance of textiles and it is located a short walk from the American Guest House
  • Newseum – This place is amazing but be ready to spend to pay and spend at least 3 hours here.
  • Lincoln’s Cottage – President Lincoln’s seasonal home from June – November 1862-64.
  • National Postal Museum – Served as Washington, D.C. post office from 1914 through 1986.
  • Bureau of Engraving and Printing – This is where the U. S. Dollar is printed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Holocaust Museum – Hitler’s horrific acts against the Jews, and many others.
  • Corcoran Art Museum – It opened in 1869, the oldest art museum in Washington, DC and a place to see American art.
  • Jewish Museum – The Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington and its Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum.
  • The Pentagon – Is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. It employees about 23,000 military and civilians and it is the largest office building in the world.
  • Mount Vernon Estate – George Washington’s home for about 40 years – You will enjoy seeing how the First American President lived. About 14 miles from American Guest House.
  • Octagon Museum – Oldest Museum in the U.S. Watch out for the resident Ghosts…
  • National Cathedral – Is the sixth largest in the world and is used for all sorts of national purposes, such as President Wilson’s funeral. Free tours to U.S. citizens, ask your congressman to arrange it for you. Beautiful stained glass windows and best view of the city from its observation deck on the 7th floor.
  • The Anderson House – A 50-room mansion owned by Larz Anderson III born into one of Cincinnati’s most prominent families.
  • National Museum of African American History – To be located on a prominent area of the Mall in Washington DC and expected to open in 2015.
  • Botanic Garden – Located on the National Mall near the Capitol and National Museum of the American Indian.  Here you can enjoy the beauty of exquisite orchids, fruit plants from all over the world and endangered species.  No gift shop, no food shop.

Washington DC Paid Attractions and Activities

  • National Geographic – 10 new species discovered in 2010, one being a pink fish that can ‘walk’ and it has ‘hands’?
  • Madame Tussauds – Impress your friends, take a picture next to Obama and the First Lady.
  • Tidal Basin Paddle Boats – Take a break from touring and do some paddling, enjoy the Jefferson Memorial and the Cherry Blossoms from a water view on your own paddle boat.
  • Spy Museum – Very popular with the boys.
  • Museum of Crime & Punishment – My boys, husband and 15 year old loved this place.
  • Newseum – This is a great place to visit, plan to spend at least 3 hours here because there is just too much to see and lots of interactive stuff.

Washington DC Monuments

  • Franklin Delano Roosevelt – The monument is on reclaimed land from the Potomac River
  • George Washington Monument – Dedicated to the First U.S. President. Awesome place to visit, fantastic view of the city, specially the White House, however it is not easy to get a tour ticket during the busy spring and summer months, but not impossible.
  • DC War Memorial – World War I took the lives of 116,516 Americans who died in defense of democracy overseas and 26,000 of those were local DC residents.
  • Vietnam Veterans Memorial – Or the ‘Wall’ in honor of the men and women who fought in the Vietnam War.
  • Lincoln Memorial – Dedicated to the 16th president of the United States whose calling was to end slavery in this country. This is also the site from where Martin Luther King delivered his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech.
  • Martin Luther King Memorial – $114M of the $120M required to begin construction has been raised, site has been chosen and ground breaking ceremony happened in October 2011.

Historical Neighborhoods in Washington DC

  • Kalorama – Has been home to presidents, senators, secretary of defense, embassy Row and ambassadors and much more.
  • DuPont Circle – Historical district is primarily residential and houses beautiful mansions built around 1895 and 1910.
  • Capitol Hill – The construction of the majestic Building started in 1793. The building was originally designed by a Dr. William Thornton, a Scottish-trained physician living in the British West Indies, not an architect at all.

Washington DC Parks

Washinton DC Kayaking

  • Atlantic Kayak Company – offers kayak instructions, rentals and guided tours of Georgetown and Piscataway Creek, situated across the river from George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate.
  • Potomac Paddle Sports – This kayak school offers lessons, trips, and skill clinics in the Potomac River and C&O Canal on the Maryland side of the Potomac River
  • Jack’s Boat House – Located in Georgetown, tours and rentals.

Washington DC Art Galleries

  • National Gallery of Arts – A special place for art lovers, plus free live music on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm. Concerts feature opera music, choral, Afghan, and lots more. Presentations are done in the West Building (6th St. & Constitution Ave, NW entrance). Seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis starting at 6pm. You cannot get in after 6:30pm.
  • The Phillips Collection – Modern Art, concerts, programs, events, and special exhibitions
only 10 minutes by foot from the American Guest House.
  • Corcoran – Gallery of Art, enjoy free Saturday admissions during May 28-September 3, 2011
  • Aaron Gallery – This art gallery is located in DuPont Circle and it displays the finest Abstract Expressionist paintings and sculptures.
  • Freer & Sackler Galleries – Asian Art at the Smithsonian.
  • National Portrait Gallery – Portraits of famous Americans, President’s Hall of Fame.
  • Marsha Mateyka Gallery -  A leading contemporary art gallery for paintings, sculptures, photography and art on paper.

Washington DC Theaters

Washington DC Musical Entertainment

Washington DC Movie Theaters

Washington DC Public Transportation

  • Washington DC Metro/Bus planner – Use this to find out which bus/metro/subway to take, how much the trip will cost and how long it will take.
  • Metro/Subway – Tips and Tricks to ride the metro stress free.
  • Taxi Rates – Know before you go.
  • Capital Bike Share – This is a great way to know the city and visit the sites. Rent a bike and enjoy your stay. There is a bike station just a couple of blocks away from the American Guest House and the rate is about $7 per 24 hours.
  • Bus 42/43 – Buses stop a few feet from this Washington DC Bed and Breakfast, every 5 to 10 minutes and also stops at DuPont Circle Subway Station, Adams Morgan, Farragut North station. Farragut West station. McPherson Sq station. Metro Center station, Gallery Pl-Chinatown station.
  • Bus H1 – Bus stops a few feet from the American Guest House and service these locations: rookland-CUA station, Columbia Heights station, Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle station, Foggy Bottom-GWU station, Potomac Park/State Dept.
  • Bus Line X3 – Serves these locations: Minnesota Ave station, Benning Rd. N.E., Hechinger Mall, H St. N.E. (X1), Government Printing Office (X1), Federal Triangl(X1), Potomac Park/State Dept. (X1), Foggy Bottom-GWU station (X1),
    Gallaudet University (X3), New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U, station (X3), U St/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/, Cardozo station (X3), Reeves Center (X3),
    Adams Morgan (X3), Woodley Park-Zoo/, Adams Morgan station (X3),
    McLean Gardens (X3)
  • Capital Bike Share – This is a great way to go explore DC and you only pay $7 per 24 hours.  Please don’t ride your bicycle without a helmet, we may have some for rent at the American Guest House.

Washington DC Airports

  • Reagan National Airport (DCA) – This is the closest airport to Washington DC, about 3 miles to the White House and Smithsonian museums and monuments and 5 miles to the American Guest House. Ground transportation options are taxi, mini van shuttles, metro/subway and sedan/limousines.
  • Dulles International Airport (IAD) – 26 miles to Washington DC. Most international flights land here and there are plenty ground transportation such as: taxi, mini van shuttles, sedan/limousines, and express bus/metro connection.
  • Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) – 32.3 miles to Washington DC. Ground transportation options are: taxi, mini van shuttles, sedan/limousines, train and bus/subway.

Washington DC Bus Service to Philadelphia & New York

  • MegaBus – Tickets as low as $1 from DC to New York and New York to DC. Free wifi service.
  • DC2NY – $30 one way/$60 round trip from DuPont Circle and Union Station to Penn Station in New York. Free Wi-Fi service, clean bathrooms.
  • Chinatown – $20 one way, $35 round trip. Washington DC to New York and New York to DC.

Washington DC Tourist Itinerary

  • 1 Day Itinerary – One day is definitely not enough to enjoy all DC has to offer but we have put together a list of some of the things that you could enjoy on the run.

Washington DC Tours

  • Cultural Tourism DC – List a broad range of activities and special events for all ages and interests.
  • Hop-On-Hop Off – Open Top, Double Decker Bus – The easiest and best way to see Washington, DC. There is a stop just a few feet away from American Guest House at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
  • Trolley Tours – The tour conductors are passionate about history and Washington DC and pretty entertaining, making for a great tour.
  • White House Tours – The White House is only 1 mile from the American Guest House. For tours, if you are an American citizen please contact your congressman for tickets and if you are a citizen of a foreign country, please contact your embassy in Washington, DC for assistance in submitting a tour request.
  • TV and Movie Sites Tour – Would you like to see the mall where No Way Out was filmed and much more, then this tour is for you.
  • Walk of the Town – This is a great way to see all the sites in Washington, DC.
  • DC Metro Food Tours – Food lovers be aware! Don’t eat before the tour, there will be plenty to eat as you tour the neighborhoods.
  • Tour the U. S. Capitol – Plan your visit and book a tour online – Watch senators debate and vote on pending legislation.
  • Monuments at Moonlight – This tour will give you a night view of Washington DC.
  • Old Town Trolley – Fully narrated tours that entertain and provide very interesting facts about Washington, DC and the United States history.
  • Chocolate Tour in DuPont Circle – Do you love chocolate or perhaps wants to know how it is made, then this is the tour for you.
  • Dinner Cruises – Wine and dine in elegance while you enjoy 3 hours of unique Washington DC sightseeing.
  • Segway Tours – This is really the best way to see DC specially if you like being outdoors but either can’t walk long distances or don’t really enjoy long walks.
  • FBI – No more tours until further notice, but there is a lot of great information about crime prevention awareness and Scams in general.
  • CIA – The CIA museum is located inside the CIA compound, and it is not open to the public, but there is a Virtual Tour available on the web site.
  • Capital Segway Tours – This is a great way to tour Washington DC but you must be at least 16 y.o.

Special Events in DC

  • White House Easter Egg Roll - If you have young children, if you don’t, borrow 1 from a neighbor, because this event is really neat.  You will be rubbing shoulders with a lot of celebrities and of course the First Family will all be there to host the celebrations, read to the children and head many attractions.  About 35,000 people join together on the South Lawn of the White House every year for this wonderful celebration.  To attend of course you’ll need to apply and win the lottery, so keep on checking back for the Lottery date which normally starts around the 1st of March and last about 5 days.
  • Cherry Blossoms –  Bloom Watch will begin on March First, click on the link to see the best time to visit. Come enjoy the beauty of the blossoms, the festival, the parade and ultimately DC.
  • Pink Tie Party – This is a great event to kick off the Spring Season and it happens in March before the Cherry Blossom blooms.
  • White House Spring Garden Tour – It normally happens at the beginning of April – We will keep you updated.
  • National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony -This is really a great treat for the whole family. Great music and entertainment. It is really a great way to start the Christmas season. It happens in early December so watch out for the date. Tickets are required. (202) 208-1631.
  • Saint Patrick’s Day – It’s Green and it’s fun for the whole family
  • National Shamrock Festival – A March event. The largest Saint Patty’s Festival on the East Coast at RFK Stadium Festival Grounds in Washington DC
  • Fourth of July – There is no better place to celebrate Independence Day than the Nation’s Capital City.
  • National Marathon – Run for a cause or just run for the fun.
  • Marine Corps Marathon – October 28 2012 in Washington, DC – Voted the best marathon in the USA.
  • Run Amuck – Quantico, VA  in June -  4 mile challenge, fun, dirt, obstacles, through the trails and hills.  Run Amuck is open to participants 8 years old and older.
  • New Year’s Celebrations – Washington, DC is a party town, visit our Blog for more options to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
  • Presidential Elections – Who will win the elections in 2012?
  • Washington DC Calendar – Check it out, there are plenty of reasons to visit Washington DC anytime of the year.
  • Labor Day – Plenty of celebrations going on all over the city – Washington, DC is the best place to celebrate Labor Day.
  • Memorial Day Concert – Beautiful live concert on the Capitol’s ground
  • Memorial Day Parade – In honor of our soldiers.
  • Smithsonian Folklife Festival – International exposition of living cultural heritage on the grounds of the National Mall.
  • National Capital Barbecue Battle – Annual competition between Washington DC area restaurants and around the country – Not only you can savor the best barbecues in the country but there are many activities for the whole family including live rock, R&B, jazz, and blues bands.
  • President’s Day – Is celebrated since 1971 on the 3rd Monday of February with many festivities throughout the Washington DC and Virginia.
  • DC Filmfest – This is an yearly event and it is loved by Washingtonian movie buffs.  Large array of International Films and political comedies.

Washington DC Embassies

Click Here to view area restaurants.