Kara & Jason
Things To Do
Arlington National Cemetery
Few places can tell the story of America like this one.
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
You don't have to be Catholic to enjoy a visit to the Basilica, one of the largest churches in the world. Located on the campus of the Catholic University of America (where Kara worked in the Graduate Admissions office from 2011-2013), the Basilica welcomes tourists and worshipers alike with guided, audio, or self-guided tours, two gift shops, a cafeteria, and multiple masses a day. Breathe in the incense, pick out your favorite chapel from the dozens located throughout, and be sure to descend into the Lower Level to visit the Crypt Church. The Basilica is a quick walk from the Brookland-CUA Metro Station, or there is free visitor parking right across the street. It is the tallest habitable building in Washington, DC at 329 feet, so it's easy to find!
Dupont Circle
Tons to do here: Phillips Collection, Kramerbooks, Dupont Underground. Our second date was a yummy dinner at Thaiphoon, beer and Battleship at the Board Room, and gelato in the Circle itself. We love the area's historic mansions such as: - Heurich House: "Brewmaster's Castle," largely unchanged from the Victorian era, features German hand-carved wood paneling, stained-glass conservatory, and basement bierstube. - The Mansion on O Street: Interconnected Victorian brownstones containing over 100 rooms, dozens of secret doors, filled to the brim with memorabilia and knickknacks, suites that housed the likes of Rosa Parks and J. Edgar Hoover's G-men, a two-story log cabin...oh, and everything inside is labeled for sale. - Anderson House: Stunningly beautiful Gilded Age mansion, winter home of diplomat Lars Anderson and his wife, author and Red Cross volunteer Isabel. Now the international headquarters for the Society of the Cincinnati (male-line descendants of Revolutionary War officers).
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The Kennedy Center is the U.S. National Cultural Center and the city's premier performing arts center, picturesquely perched on the banks of the Potomac River. Here you can find theater, dance, opera, and music, including free Millennium Stage performances each evening at 6:00 p.m. In the Theater Lab, the hair salon whodunit Shear Madness is the second longest-running play in the history of American theater (second only to Boston's production of the same play). September 7, 2019 will mark the public debut of the REACH, the first major physical expansion of the Kennedy Center since it opened in 1971, granting public access to rehearsals, works-in-progress, festivals, outdoor films, and art installations, and for the first time a direct connection via pedestrian bridge to the Kennedy Center from the National Mall. There are also free shuttle buses to the Kennedy Center every 15 minutes from the Foggy Bottom-GWU-Kennedy Center Metro Station.
Museum Day
September 21 is Museum Day! Sign up at the website, and get free admission to one museum (for yourself and one guest). Participating museums in the DC area include the National Building Museum, National Law Enforcement Museum, Newseum, and more!
National Harbor
The giant Capital Wheel is just one of the attractions of this waterfront development just south of the city in Oxon Hill, MD. Kids will love the Peeps store and the Carousel, while adults might enjoy a trip to the MGM National Harbor casino or the Tanger Outlets. Check out the wide selection of restaurants in the area or have a swashbuckling adventure aboard the Urban Pirates ship. There is no Metro stop here, but it is easily accessible by car or bus, and the Wharf Water Taxi service connects National Harbor with the District Wharf, Georgetown, and Old Town Alexandria.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
The newest Smithsonian museum has been one of the hottest tickets in town since it opened in 2016. Visitors move through the galleries chronologically from the earliest origins of race-based slavery to the culture of modern African Americans. In the history galleries, the experience is complex, difficult, and compelling. Patterns emerge as progress ebbs and flows. The upper levels contain profiles of present-day African Americans, art galleries, interactive exhibits, and a cafe. Advance tickets are released online a few months in advance and go quickly. A limited number of same-day tickets are released online each morning and walk-in entry is now available on weekdays. Tips: Dress in layers as the temperature varies significantly between the lower and upper levels. Due to emotionally powerful subject matter in the history galleries, we recommend that families with young children focus on the upper levels. Adults and teens should allow at least 3-4 hours for a comprehensive visit.
National Portrait Gallery
Paintings of America featuring each President! What's not to love? A fun game to play in the Presidential gallery is try and name the President only by the painting, not the information sign. It gets tricky in the late 1800's.
"The city's ugliest statue"
Originally there were more of these scattered around. The thought was to offer free, refreshing water for folks to drink instead of alcohol. Why not both? If you are looking for another nearby oddity, the world's oldest operating elevator is next door in the Potbelly Sandwich shop.
Woodrow Wilson House
Final home of our 28th President, Woodrow Wilson. He was rare not only for living in DC after he left office, but he is also the only former President buried in Washington DC proper at the National Cathedral.