Unique Things to Do in Washington DC
DC's most unique experiences include Dupont Underground art exhibitions in an abandoned 1949 streetcar station, Planet Word Museum's interactive language exhibits (free), Room 808 speakeasy, the National Bonsai Museum, and Discovery Theater performances inside the Smithsonian.
10 places · 7 free · Updated Oct 2026
Has the Hope Diamond, a T. rex, a live butterfly pavilion ($1 extra), an insect zoo, and an ocean hall. The Discovery Room lets kids touch things. Free, no tickets. Go at 10am sharp or the crowds pile up.
Wright Brothers' 1903 Flyer, Apollo 11 command module, and Space Shuttle Discovery (at the Udvar-Hazy annex in VA). About half the museum is open during a multi-year renovation, but the new galleries and planetarium are worth it. Free, but you need timed-entry passes. Book up to 2 months ahead.
Smithsonian theater for kids in the Ripley Center. Puppetry, storytelling, music, dance, ages 3-10. Weekday shows at 10am and 11:15am. They sell out, so book ahead.
You get a spy identity, then work through missions based on real espionage history. Disguise galleries, code-breaking, a laser-beam obstacle course. Best for 7+. Kids 6 and under free. Timed-entry tickets required.
Free museum about language and words. Karaoke, poetry creation, word-origin games across multiple floors. Free with a suggested $15 donation. Reserve a pass online to guarantee entry. Closed Tuesdays.
Two buildings connected by an underground walkway kids love running through. 141,000 works, all free. Daily guided tours, weekend film screenings, family programs. First Saturdays have free art-making for kids. Sculpture Garden has wading in summer, ice skating in winter (~$10). Friday evening jazz with a sangria cart in summer.
300+ miniature trees inside the 446-acre National Arboretum. Kids activity pamphlet available. The grounds also have 22 original Corinthian columns from the US Capitol, a koi pond, and open meadows. Rarely crowded. No Metro access, so drive or rideshare. Bring food. Pair with Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (also free) for a full day.
The actual Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights are here. Older kids who've studied them in school lose their minds. Discovery Center has interactive stations on how government works. Free, but $1.50 timed-entry passes recommended on busy days. Walk-up when capacity allows.
Abandoned streetcar tunnels under Dupont Circle, turned into an art and performance space. Rotating installations, immersive theater, comedy. Tickets $10-25. The tunnels themselves are the main attraction.
Free stand-up multiple nights a week at Hotbed in Adams Morgan. No tickets, no cover. Just show up early to get a seat. Casual bar setting, rotating lineup of DC-area comics. A lot of these people end up at the bigger clubs.