What's New in Washington, DC
Thursday, July 16
Boo at the Zoo Runs Oct 16-18 at the National Zoo. Altair Opens First DC Location Downtown. Plus 4 places open right now with real prices and hours.
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink is open late. Sun-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm.
Worth knowing this week
Boo at the Zoo Runs Oct 16-18 at the National Zoo
Trick-or-treating, a kids dance party, pumpkin patch photo ops, and nighttime animal house visits at the Smithsonian's National Zoo from 6-8:30pm.
Washingtonian · 2026-10-12
Altair Opens First DC Location Downtown
New York import Altair opened October 15 with a New American menu featuring hyperseasonal dishes like honeynut squash ravioli and charred scallops.
City Cast DC · 2026-10-15
Bajo Opens in Shaw: Spanish-Japanese Fusion in Blagden Alley
Chef Max Rivera (ex-minibar) and Sarah Montell bring tapas, yakitori, and crudos to a listening bar in Blagden Alley with Spanish wines and sake.
City Cast DC · 2026-10-15
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Spot the fake venue. Guess which opened first. Name the neighborhood.
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Recently verified listings in Washington, DC.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
National Mall — Hope Diamond and a T. rex, completely free
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
National Mall — Actual Wright Flyer and Apollo 11 capsule, free
Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
Woodley Park — Giant pandas and 2,100 animals, totally free
National Children's Museum
Penn Quarter — All hands-on, all for kids 0-12
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
National Mall — Ruby slippers, Julia Child's kitchen, all free
Open right now
National Archives Museum
Daily 10am-5:30pm, closed Thanksgiving and Dec 25
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Daily 10am-5:30pm
The Wharf Ice Rink
Wed-Fri 4-10pm, Sat 12-10pm, Sun 12-8pm (closed Mon-Tue)
Eastern Market
Indoor: Tue-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat 7am-6pm, Sun 9am-5pm; Outdoor: Sat-Sun 10am-5pm
Daily challenge: How well do you really know Washington, DC?
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69 places tracked in Washington, DC · Updated daily