Best Washington DC

The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., is a Smithsonian Institution museum offering a comprehensive exploration of Black history and culture within the United States. It showcases artifacts, artworks, and exhibitions detailing experiences from slavery throug...

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, opened on September 8, 1971, serves as the national cultural center of the United States in Washington, D.C. The facility features multiple performance venues including the 2,465-seat Concert Hall, the 2,300-seat Opera House, and the 1,100-seat Eis...

Founded in 1987, the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition is organized by the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, formerly the Thelonious Monk Institute. It is held in Washington, D.C. and rotates focus among different instruments and vocals. The competition has awarded prizes to performers...

Georgetown University is a prominent private research institution located in Washington, D.C. Established in 1789, it’s the nation's oldest Catholic university. The university focuses on Jesuit values and offers robust academic programs across various disciplines including law, international relatio...

The Lincoln Memorial stands as a prominent neoclassical monument within Washington, D.C. Constructed primarily of marble, it honors Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. Completed in 1922, the memorial’s design and iconic seated statue offer a lasting tribute to his leadership an...

Georgetown Historic District is a nationally significant urban area in Washington, D.C., preserving architecture dating from the late 1700s to the early 1900s. It features over 1650 buildings including Federal-style homes and waterfront structures. The district primarily serves residents, visitors,...

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands as a prominent monument in Washington, D.C., honoring those who served during the Vietnam War. Designed by Maya Lin, it features a stark wall of black granite inscribed with the names of approximately 58,000 American and Vietnamese service members and more than 3...

Rock Creek Cemetery is a historic burial ground in Washington, D.C., associated with St. Paul's Episcopal Church and dating to the colonial period. The landscaped grounds contain mausoleums, family plots, mature trees, and notable works of funerary art. Its best-known monument is the Adams Memorial,...

Arena Stage is a prominent nonprofit theater company based in Washington, D.C., founded in 1950 by Zelda Fichandler and Edward Mangum. It is widely recognized as a foundational institution in the American regional theater movement, pioneering the concept of permanent professional repertory companies...

The Marine Corps Marathon is an annual 26.2-mile race held in the Washington, D.C. area since 1976. Organized by the United States Marine Corps, the event is known as "The People's Marathon" because it does not offer prize money and maintains a relatively open registration policy. The course passes...

Bad Brains is an American rock band originating from Washington D.C. in 1977. They are recognized for their unique fusion of hardcore punk and reggae music, a sound developed during a period of significant musical experimentation. The group’s intense performances and HR's distinctive vocals have ear...

Oak Hill Cemetery is a historic garden cemetery in Washington, D.C., founded in 1849 on land overlooking Rock Creek. Its landscape combines winding paths, mature trees, monuments, and structures associated with architect James Renwick Jr., reflecting the rural cemetery movement of the nineteenth cen...

Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., is the site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. Originally constructed in 1863 by theatrical producer John T. Ford, the building was converted to government use after the assassination and served various functi...

The Spa at Four Seasons Washington DC is the in-house spa of the Four Seasons Hotel Washington DC in Georgetown, a property recognized for Forbes Five-Star distinction and a loyal following among government and diplomatic guests.

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park is a leading research zoo operated by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Established in 1889, it provides opportunities to observe diverse animal species including giant pandas, contributing significantly to global conservation efforts. The park’...

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is a nonprofit theater founded in Washington, D.C., in 1980 by Howard Shalwitz, Roger Brady, and Linda Reinisch. It specializes in provocative new work, including plays that address American politics, identity, and social conflict, and has supported emerging and underr...

Rips is the 2014 debut studio album by Ex Hex, a Washington, D.C., rock trio led by guitarist and singer Mary Timony, formerly of Helium and Wild Flag. Released by Merge Records, it features Timony with bassist Betsy Wright and drummer Laura Harris. The record combines concise power-pop songwriting,...

Congressional Cemetery, established in 1807 in Washington, D.C., is a historic burial ground situated in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. It was the original resting place for many early members of the United States Congress who died while serving in the capital, utilizing cenotaphs designed by archit...

The Washington Monument stands as a tall, slender stone obelisk in Washington, D.C. Constructed in memory of first President George Washington, it reaches a height of 555 feet. Designed as a national memorial, the monument is a significant landmark and a place of reflection for visitors interested i...

The United States Court of Federal Claims is a specialized federal court based in Washington, D.C., that adjudicates claims for monetary damages against the United States government. Established by Congress in 1855 as the Court of Claims, it possesses jurisdiction over a variety of financial dispute...

The United States Tax Court is a federal court of record established by Congress in 1924 under Article I of the U.S. Constitution. It was originally created as the Board of Tax Appeals to provide taxpayers with a forum to resolve disputes with the Internal Revenue Service prior to paying the dispute...

Live at Blues Alley is a double live jazz album by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, released in 1988 and recorded at the Blues Alley club in Washington, D.C. It documents Marsalis with a small acoustic ensemble performing extended interpretations of original compositions and jazz repertory, with substanti...

Oak Hill Cemetery is a historic 19th-century garden cemetery located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., founded in 1849. Its landscape was designed by the prominent architect Andrew Jackson Downing, offering a park-like environment featuring Gothic Revival architecture and winding p...

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is a presidential monument located in West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., along the southern shore of the Tidal Basin. Designed by the landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, the memorial was dedicated by President Bill Clinton on May 2, 1997. It is organized...

Fort McNair is a historic U.S. Army installation in Washington, D.C., established in 1791, that serves as headquarters for U.S. Army Military District of Washington and home of the National Defense University.

The Washington National Opera is an American opera company based in Washington, D.C. Originally founded in 1956 as the Opera Society of Washington, it eventually became the resident opera company of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The institution is dedicated to presenting classi...

The Kennedy Center Opera House is a major performance auditorium within the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Opened with the center in 1971, it presents opera, ballet, musical theater, and other large-scale stage productions. It is the principal performance home of...

The Jefferson Memorial is a domed neoclassical monument beside the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., dedicated in 1943 to Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. Designed by architect John Russell Pope, it draws on classical forms that Jefferson admired and contains a bronze statu...

The United States Naval Observatory is a federal scientific institution in Washington, D.C., founded in 1830 as the Depot of Charts and Instruments. It performs astrometry, measures Earth orientation, maintains astronomical reference data, and contributes to precise timekeeping for navigation, commu...