Hi. For the local DC area flyertalkers, I thought it might be helpful for visitors to our area to let them know where you take your visitors when they come to D.C.

Perhaps you can list places and events separately
So much to do and see, this is only a beginning.....

Events:
all of ones below are free:

Cherry Blossom Festival
Fourth of July Fireworks
Summer Service Band Concerts (given several times every week in various locations)
June Carter Barron Shakespeare Festival
September/October National Book Festival
National Christmas Tree Pageant


Places to see:

Smithsonian (downtown venues as well as Dulles)
National Gallery of Art, (particularly if there is a special show)
Capitol and if Congress is in session, visiting their rep or Senator and getting tickets to sit in the gallery
Library of Congress, including lunch in the Montpelier room
Drinks/lunch on the Hotel Washington rooftop restaurant in summer (lovely view and overlooks the White House)
Tour on the D.C. Ducks/ Tourmobile/ Trolley
Other key monuments: Lincoln, Washington, Vietnam Memorial, WW2, Holocaust, FDR,
Walking through Georgetown, eating there, going to clubs


One of the nicest things (and we residents are spoiled) most of these places are free as they have already been paid for by your taxes!

Please add to these lists....

One place that I like to take/send visitors to is a little off the beaten path - Hillwood Museum (http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/) ... you need to make advance reservations (they're great at refunding if you can't make it); they have a fabulous russian art collection including a number of faberge pieces plus more; japanese gardens and they offer a tea in their cafe that's pretty good.


Experience the world of Russian imperial and French decorative arts displayed in the grand setting conceived by Hillwood's founder, Marjorie Merriweather Post, heir of the Post cereal empire. Surrounded by woodlands in the heart of Washington, D.C., the twenty-five acre estate boasts a variety of pleasure gardens

One place that I like to take/send visitors to is a little off the beaten path - Hillwood Museum (http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/) ... you need to make advance reservations (they're great at refunding if you can't make it); they have a fabulous russian art collection including a number of faberge pieces plus more; japanese gardens and they offer a tea in their cafe that's pretty good.

Great idea--it is particularly lovely in the Spring and an advance registration for lunch makes a lovely day!

Well maybe not 'classly' but Hard Times Cafe and Five Guys, both in Alexandria. Also a drive by TC Williams because of Remember the Titians movie is cool.

Harrys is Arlington. National Geo. The Mayflower hotel. Gravally Point near National (and it will never be Reagon National, sorta silly when you think about it)

Well maybe not 'classly' but Hard Times Cafe and Five Guys, both in Alexandria. Also a drive by TC Williams because of Remember the Titians movie is cool.

Harrys is Arlington. National Geo. The Mayflower hotel. Gravally Point near National (and it will never be Reagon National, sorta silly when you think about it)

You list events for all ages--National Geogrpahic Hall TC Williams, the National Airport overlook and Five Guys for kids and teens, plus the Mayflower (for afternoon tea, is my recommendatino) and Hard Times cafe for the good chili for adults. All (except the tea) are inexpensive or free.


What about a splurge event--(special experience that is usually not cheap)? Anyone have any suggestions?

Local institutions:
1) Tastee Diner on Wisconsin Ave. across from Chevy Chase Chevrolet (I spent many a weekend night here during high school, sopping up gravy fries served by my fave blue-haired waitress).

2) Ben's Chili Bowl. A must.

3) The Uptown Theater on Connecticut Avenue. Coolest movie theater I've ever seen.

As a teen visiting Washington, I enjoyed checking out the scene in Woodley/Cleveland Parks, Old Post Office Tower, Georgetown, Einstein statute and associated fun facts, and many of the other areas previously mentioned. Of course, if you can get a White House tour, particularly West Wing, do it.

As a teen visiting Washington, I enjoyed checking out the scene in Woodley/Cleveland Parks, Old Post Office Tower, Georgetown, Einstein statute and associated fun facts, and many of the other areas previously mentioned. Of course, if you can get a White House tour, particularly West Wing, do it.
Einstein memorial is especially nice at night.

> Iwo Jima, specially at night, overlooking the monuments

> Air and Space museum. Surprised nobody has mentioned it yet!

> I especially like the view of the Capitol from Pennsylvania Ave. SE/ Eastern Market area. Some restaurants around there, including an OK Cuban place off 8th St. SE

> Nightlife in Dupont and Adams Morgan

> (Not-too-authentic) Mexican food in an interesting building at at Lauriol Plaza-- 18th St. near T St. NW. Very popular with the young professional crowd.

> Salvadorean food. It's all around DC. A different experience for folks who haven't tried it.

If riding the metro, the Yellow line between L'Enfant Plaza and the Pentagon has a great view of the Jefferon Memorial, National Airport, the Washington Monument, and the Potomac River.

>The Tidal Basin from the Jefferson Memorial steps, is a great view over the city;
>The Einstein Statue at the National Academy of Science, sort of tucked away just north of the Linconl Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial, across Constitution Ave from the mall. The stautue reflects all the sound back to you, and you can climb into hos lap for a Kodak moment;
> Statuary Hall in the Capitol - visitors are often amused by which "leader" of their state is there;
>National Arboretum, especially the old Capitol Columns, which add a touch of the surreal to the intown bucolic;
> I take some guests on a death and destruction tour -- Watergate, Tidal Basin - site of Wilbur Mills and Fanny Fox's wet fling, Ford Theater, Surratt House on H Street in Chinatown (recently a chinese restaurant) where Booth and co-conspirators plotted,
>And for Silver Springer and neighbors, I always drive visitors out of town on Beach Drive, which feels like a country road, but eventually explodes with a great view of the Mormon Temple, aka the Martian Embassy.

>The Tidal Basin from the Jefferson Memorial steps, is a great view over the city;
>The Einstein Statue at the National Academy of Science, sort of tucked away just north of the Linconl Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial, across Constitution Ave from the mall. The stautue reflects all the sound back to you, and you can climb into hos lap for a Kodak moment;
> Statuary Hall in the Capitol - visitors are often amused by which "leader" of their state is there;
>National Arboretum, especially the old Capitol Columns, which add a touch of the surreal to the intown bucolic;
> I take some guests on a death and destruction tour -- Watergate, Tidal Basin - site of Wilbur Mills and Fanny Fox's wet fling, Ford Theater, Surratt House on H Street in Chinatown (recently a chinese restaurant) where Booth and co-conspirators plotted,
>And for Silver Springer and neighbors, I always drive visitors out of town on Beach Drive, which feels like a country road, but eventually explodes with a great view of the Mormon Temple, aka the Martian Embassy.


Rock Creek Parkway is amazing to me that it exists in the middle of the city. This obviously brings up the zoo, right off the parkway. Also the Kennedy Center which has a great backstage tour, free 6pm entertainment and a nice restaurant and views from the roof.

VJ--I thought I covered Air and Space when I listed Smithsonian venues in DC and Dulles. Air and Space is part of the Smithsonian, but people may not know that.

Forgot to mention, I also always liked lunch on the D street SW waterfront on the docks on a beautiful day - sort of a different scene, but great fun.

My visitors enjoy the night time driving tours around DC.

The Spy Museum is well worth a visit.

I, too, like the Uptown Theater.

Also like taking out-of-towners from less urban areas to Adams-Morgan for some different food.

And an interesting find is the Post Office museum!

I strongly second all the recs- esp. the Uptown theater.

Also the National Archives- the Bill of Rights on display, Constitution.

I tend to forget how lucky I am to have the Uptown a few blocks up the street...

I like the Building Museum - impressive building, great gift shop, can have some really interesting exhibits.

Portrait Gallery should be nice when it reopens - the neighborhood (Chinatown) sure has changed.

For those who like gardens, Dumbarton Oaks in upper Georgetown is a nice place for a walk in the springtime, also the National Cathedral is an architectural masterpiece of craftsmanship with some nice grounds too.

I love being from the DC area :-) I can't wait until some friends from England come over.

Anyway I would add:
Great Falls Park
Kennedy Center/Ford's Theatre (a show somewhere, but Ford's is historic)
Chinatown
Vietnam Memorial
Supreme Court
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Constitution Hall
Pandas at the National Zoo
National Cathedral

Also not to forget Baltimore

A great side trip not too far from D.C. is Mt. Vernon. Then dinner in Old Town Alexandria.

Depending on the ages/interests, the normal round of monuments and museums and normally some sporting events.

Typically I'll take them to either Arlington Cemetary and Arlington House there or to Mt. Vernon. If the weather is nice, the paddle boats on the Tidal Basin are always nice, as is the outdoor sculpture garden near the National Gallery. My dad used to walk up to the Einstein statue and eat lunch there every day when he worked at State, so I include that for family members.

The Spy Museum is great fun for all ages, and a perfect stop before a game at the Phone Booth.

If they're outdoorsy and the weather is OK, walking the Great Falls area, either the C&O Canal on the MD side or the Patowmack Canal on the VA side. I prefer the MD side, but the Matildaville ruins in VA are pretty neat too.

If you get the chance, a show at the Kennedy Center is always nice (I recommend parking at the Watergate complex: less crowded and it used to be cheaper, may still be). Have a few drinks or a snack at the restaurant at the top on a clear day and the view of the city is great.

If you have hard-core shoppers and a vehicle, a trip out to the Leesburg outlets may satisfy them. Old Leesburg has some neat little antique shops too, a great source for old books, magazines, maps and posters.

The National Zoo is great (now with bonus pandas!) and you can pick up one of the ubiquitous "FONZ" bumper stickers.

Dinner at the Orleans House in Rosslyn is a must: great prime rib, relatively casual and a NoVA landmark.

For longer visits, a day trip to Philly, Baltimore, Richmond, Annapolis, the beach or the Shenandoah are all simple and well worth the effort.

For those who like gardens, Dumbarton Oaks in upper Georgetown is a nice place for a walk in the springtime, also the National Cathedral is an architectural masterpiece of craftsmanship with some nice grounds too.

Local DC'ers coming through on advice again. :) I had a visitor in town that I planned to take to Dumbarton Oaks but unfortunately it was closed for the season.

Wondering if I should put it on my summer to visit list when it reopens?

How good is the art collection at the house??

Everything above +

1. American Indian Museum -- Take the tour, especially from a guide named "Sharon." She's Navajo and carries a copy of her Navajo identity card and a copy of the treaty between the US and the Navajo Nation. She wasn't bitter at the treatment the US gave the Indians, just extremely proud of her heritage. As for me, I was ready to run up to Capitol Hill and stand on somebody's desk after listening to her for the 90 minutes.

2. National Archives -- See the Constitution and the Bill of Rights while they still exist.

3. Mt Vernon -- George Washington's home. It's right at the end of the George Washington Parkway

4. Great Falls Park -- I prefer the VA side

5. Potomack Landing Restaurant -- Just south of DCA along the GW Parkway

6. All of the above posters' recommendations!!!

7. Within a couple of hour's drive -- Lots of Civil War stuff; Harper's Ferry, Baltimore, Annapolis

I'll add Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, but there wasn't an easy way to get there from the Rosslyn metro when I went there a number of years ago.

Library of Congress!! My number one favorite. An absolutely beautiful building, wait for the free tour which is worth every minute.

I was brought up in McLean and recently returned by myself for a look around DC for old times sake.

Library of Congress ^ ^
VietNam memorial ^ ^
Hirschorn Scultpure Garden for jazz and a glass of wine ^ ^
Tried Five Guys (on H?) took bag to Building Museum bench to eat. ^
Building museum was a dissapointment :td: , but gift shop ^ ^
Sitting on steps of Lincoln Memorial viewing the view ^ ^
(there's an elevator up and on the left side of the steps) ^ ^
National Cathedral ^ ^
Indian Museum required reservations :td:
New Smithsonian interactive exhibits, not my style :td: :td:

Has anyone mentioned The Phillips Collection? I think it's quite wonderful.
http://www.phillipscollection.org/html/history.html

The collection includes Renoir's great masterpiece Luncheon of the Boating Party, along with other outstanding Impressionist paintings by van Gogh, Monet, Degas and Cézanne. The comfortable galleries are a perfect setting for Vuillard's intimate canvases; color-filled Bonnards; and works by Braque, Picasso, Matisse, and Klee. American works are equally celebrated, including examples by Homer, Eakins, Ryder; the American Impressionists; modernists O'Keeffe, Marin, and Dove; and such mid-century masters such as Mark Rothko, Jacob Lawrence and Richard Diebenkorn.

:D Now on the road, thse posts are making me homesick. Ready to get back to DC! Great ideas above, I would add/emphasize my faves:

1. Hirshhorn Museum and National Gallery - both amazing
2. Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria
3. Dupont Circle - then walk Connecticut Ave north across Rock Creek Park to the Woodley Park, keep going north to Cleveland Park (great), or take a right and go across another bridge to Adams Morgan.

and much, much more.

The Metro!!! Gorgeous! And it's good transportation.

I reserved online for the Washington Monument, but missed the moment. Ah well. Loved the many teams playing what? on the Mall. Looked like a cross between softball and soccer.

Didn't care for the old Post Office food court, but it was definitely old time Washington when you were alone up in the bell tower looking through the bars and checking out the bell ringing patterns. I mean alone. So old time it was freaky. Concrete, concrete steps/and or old elevator, then suddenly a brass trimmed glass elevator. down to the food court. What were they thinking?? Definitely a government building. BTW, Washington is flat and low rise, so there's little point in looking for a view tower 4 stories tall.

Alexandria is historically interesting, George Washington-wise, and I'd never been there as a child/teen. Torpedo Factory was not happening early :) Sunday morning.

I wanted to revisit the (Navy?) medical museum (Walter Reed? or somewhere off Constitution?) to see if it was as scary as I remember. Jars and jars of interesting stuff. :eek:

Back on track, for visitors, the Supreme Court, ask your senator to get you a tour of the Capitol, White House, VIP tour of Library of Congress.

Great thread! I knew nothing of the Phillips Collection, but will check it out next spring.

Nobody has mentioned side trips to White's Ferry or Williamsburg? I will need a car next trip.

I reserved online for the Washington Monument, but missed the moment. Ah well. Loved the many teams playing what? on the Mall. Looked like a cross between softball and soccer.



That's the DC Kickball league! Loads of young professionals in the area play many weeknights on the mall, then adjourn to area bars for happy hours that cater to the football teams. Good times.

http://dckickball.org/

Good news! The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery (http://www.npg.si.edu/) and American Art Museum (http://americanart.si.edu/) are re-opening July 1 '06 after a very long renovation (both are housed in the same building)

In the time since they've been closed, the neighborhood (right above the Gallery Place metro stop) has taken off, with good restaurants, attractions (spy museum, MCI - er Verizon - Center), and even hotels in close proximity.

In recognition of this -and to give people a place to go once the Mall museums close - they'll be keeping late hours: 11:30-7 p.m. daily. And, of course, they're still free.

Union Station is one of my favorite places. I often take visitors to the restaurant at the front of the station (I think it's called "America"). The food is only ok, but the view of the Capitol is great, especially from the 2nd floor. The menu is also very diverse, so everyone can find something that meets their needs.

In addition to all the places mentioned above, I also like to take people to the Roosevelt Memorial (over by the Tidal Basin).

Don't forget Five Guys in Georgetown, a Flyertalk favorite (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5564006&postcount=162)

A great side trip not too far from D.C. is Mt. Vernon. Then dinner in Old Town Alexandria.


They have free bus service on Friday through Sunday. Take METRO to king street station and when you come down the escalators the bus stop is to your left. The bus is called the DASH About..........

http://www.dashbus.com

The Dandy is also really nice to take at night along the Potomac............

http://www.dandydinnerboat.com/

- Kreeger Museum (art)
- Textile Museum
- Walking (or driving) tour of embassies, such as walking up Massachusetts Avenue
- The National Academy of Sciences building itself is a museum that can be visited (on Constitution Avenue)
- Going to an embassy event. Many embassies have public programs, including some free programs

Did no one mention The Phillips Collection?! The Boating Party was just reinstalled, although I'd much rather see the Van Goghs, Bonnards, and Diebenkorns...
http://www.phillipscollection.org/

Also, there's a fabulous Anselm Kiefer exhibit in the Hirshhorn (only until September 10). I highly recommend that if you are into art. ^
http://www.dcist.com/archives/2006/06/22/between_heaven.php
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/30/AR2006063000297.html

Besides that just get off the metro at Dupont Circle and walk...you will find something. Avoid all the annoying tourists on the mall. :mad: ;)

I find walking through the Embassy Row on a nice sunny day and grabbing a bite to eat to be a nice afternoon spent with visitors from out of town...and then they're off on their own :D

Lots of great suggestions in this thread; a great deal of ground has already been covered.

Personally, I love the National Gallery's sculpture garden. In the winter you can ice skate there. Of course, the National Gallery itself is marvelous, too.

And I just love people watching on the Mall -- you see the locals, you see the tourists from around the world, you see the Washington Monument on one end, the Capitol on the other - just fabulous.

Can't recall if anyone mentioned the National Museum of Women in the Arts (http://www.nmwa.org/). While it's not free of charge, it does have some great exhibits. And it's the only one of its kind (by exhibiting works by female artists of all nationalities and periods).

For visitors who are F. Scott Fitzgerald fans - did you know that his (and Zelda's) grave is in Rockville?
F Scott Fitzgerald's gravesite (http://www.peerlessrockville.org/peerless_places/peerless_places_fitzgeralds_gravesite.htm)

And for book/bookstore lovers, the two DC institutions for visitors to go bookshopping at would be Kramerbooks in Dupont and Politics & Prose in Upper Northwest.

As many of my friends are from smaller cities in the Midwest or from Eastern Europe, I like to take them to Ethopian or even Indian restaurants. DC has so many great ethnic restaurants. Re: Ethopian - don't know which ones are currently considered the best - maybe the one on U Street, although there are a couple in Adams Morgan, as well as in other areas. And re: Indian - the DC area has lots of great Indian places; I live in Bethesda, so I can recommend that if you're ever here both Haandi and Passage to India in the downtown Bethesda restaurant area are excellent. Come to think of it, there are also a couple of very good Peruvian restaurants; I've been to one in Arlington and one in Gaithersburg. Sorry, may have gotten a bit OT here with the food, but every tourist needs a good meal, right?

If we start talking about daytrips, that's a whole 'nother ballgame, but I've always liked Annapolis, particularly in nice weather. Recently I had the opportunity to sail on a schooner - it departed from downtown Annapolis and went out til the Bay Bridge. The company (www.schoonerwoodwind.com (www.schoonerwoodwind.com )) has 2 schooners, one of which was featured in the Wedding Crashers. Be forewarned, however, that they do sail in all sorts of weather - we lucked out on a gorgeous day with sun and few waves, but my sister-in-law and nephew had once sailed in rather stormy weather....and they actually ended up having to help sail the thing!

The Dandy is also really nice to take at night along the Potomac............

http://www.dandydinnerboat.com/

I would like to second this reccommendation. Great fun for the family with dinner, dancing, and scenic views. Well worth the money.

For a novel way to tour DC landmarks, I highly recommend a nighttime Segway tour: http://www.citysegwaytours.com/washington/ (http://www.citysegwaytours.com/washington/ ) Even if you're a jaded local, this tour will give you a new view on downtown architecture and monuments. Plus there's the cool factor of learning how to ride a Segway. “Segs in the City” is another company with a similar offering, but at a higher price for a shorter tour.