This Weekend in Washington, DC

Planet Word Museum

Penn Quarter

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.

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Mall

African American history from slavery through civil rights to today. Upper floors cover music, sports, and food and are especially engaging for older kids and teens. Free but timed-entry passes required. They release monthly and go fast. Same-day passes sometimes available at 10am.

National Gallery of Art

National Mall

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.

The Yards Park

Navy Yard

Splash park on the Anacostia River with dancing fountains, a waterfall, and a wading pool under a foot deep. Free year-round. Friday evening concerts in summer. Near Nationals Park and Navy Yard Metro.

Smithsonian American Art Museum & Renwick Gallery

Penn Quarter

Massive collection of American art from colonial portraits to contemporary work. Shares a building with the National Portrait Gallery. The Kogod Courtyard between them is a glass-covered atrium worth seeing on its own. The Renwick Gallery (one block from the White House) is a satellite space for craft and decorative arts. All free.

National Archives Museum

National Mall

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.

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens

Forest Hills

Marjorie Merriweather Post's 25-acre estate with the most comprehensive collection of Russian imperial art outside Russia — Faberge eggs, imperial portraits, porcelain. The 13 acres of gardens include a Japanese garden, a French parterre, and a greenhouse with 5,000+ orchids. Free admission (timed tickets required). One of the best-kept secrets in DC.

Jazz in the Garden (National Gallery Sculpture Garden)

National Mall

Free jazz every Friday evening, Memorial Day through Labor Day, in the National Gallery's Sculpture Garden. Bring a blanket. Sangria and snacks from the garden cafe. 5-8:30pm. Get there by 5 for a good spot.

Eastern Market

Capitol Hill

A Capitol Hill institution since 1873. The indoor market has butchers, bakers, and produce vendors. Saturdays add an outdoor farmers market with local farms. Sundays transform into a flea market with antiques, art, and crafts. Free to browse. The blueberry buckwheat pancakes at Market Lunch are the move.

National Gallery Sculpture Garden Ice Rink

National Mall

Outdoor ice rink in the National Gallery's Sculpture Garden, open late November through early March. $15 adults, $12 for seniors, kids 12 and under, students, and military. Skate rental $7. Sessions are 45 minutes and start on the hour. Free lockers on a first-come basis. Right between 7th and 9th streets on Constitution Ave. Less chaotic than Georgetown and you're skating next to Claes Oldenburg sculptures.

Westpost Ice Rink (Pentagon Row)

Arlington, VA (10 min from DC)

The largest outdoor ice rink in Northern Virginia, 7,200 square feet at the Westpost (formerly Pentagon Row) shopping plaza. $11 online, $13 walk-up for adults. Kids 12 and under $10. Skate rental $6. Open November through March, daily 10am-10pm (11pm Fri-Sat). Outdoor dual-sided stone fireplace right next to the rink. Steps from Pentagon City Metro. Shops and restaurants surround the plaza.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

National Mall

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.

East Potomac Park Mini Golf

Southwest Waterfront

Built in 1931. Oldest mini golf in America still running, and the only outdoor course in DC. On the Potomac with views of the monuments. $8 a person.

National Building Museum

Penn Quarter

Architecture and design museum. The Great Hall alone is worth walking into (free). Galleries have rotating exhibits on building and engineering. They run building workshops for kids regularly. Under 3 free.

International Spy Museum

Southwest Waterfront

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.

The Carousel on the National Mall

National Mall

Historic carousel on the Mall near the Smithsonian Castle. Reopened April 2026 after three years of restoration with new accessibility features. $6 per ride, any age. Card and tap payments accepted.

Black Cat

U Street

Indie rock since 1993 on 14th Street. Mainstage holds 400-500, the Backstage room is smaller with DJ nights. Co-founded by a former bandmate of Dave Grohl. Tickets $15-35. The Red Room bar is free to enter and open late.

St. Vincent Wine Sunday Jazz

Park View

Wine bar in Park View with live jazz Sunday afternoons from 3-5pm. Natural wines, small plates, and a mellow neighborhood atmosphere. Free — just buy a drink. The Sunday afternoon session is the perfect low-key thing to do when you don't want a full brunch production.

Kennedy Center

Foggy Bottom

Home to the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and touring Broadway. Several venues inside, from 2,400 seats down to small rooms. Student rush tickets start at $20; prime orchestra seats run $150+. Free show every day at 6pm on the Millennium Stage.

Blagden Alley

Shaw

A narrow alley in Shaw lined with street art, murals, and a cluster of bars and restaurants that feel like a different city. The Dabney (Michelin-starred, open-hearth cooking) and Columbia Room (cocktail bar) are both here. Free to walk through anytime. The murals rotate regularly.

Pearl Street Warehouse

Southwest Waterfront

250-capacity room at The Wharf for Americana, roots, rock, blues, and singer-songwriters. Every seat is close to the stage. Full bar and food. Tickets $15-35. If The Anthem next door is too big for your taste, this is the antidote.

Black Cat

U Street

Indie rock since 1993 on 14th Street. Mainstage holds 400-500, the Backstage room is smaller with DJ nights. Co-founded by a former bandmate of Dave Grohl. Tickets $15-35. The Red Room bar is free to enter and open late.

St. Vincent Wine Sunday Jazz

Park View

Wine bar in Park View with live jazz Sunday afternoons from 3-5pm. Natural wines, small plates, and a mellow neighborhood atmosphere. Free — just buy a drink. The Sunday afternoon session is the perfect low-key thing to do when you don't want a full brunch production.

Kennedy Center

Foggy Bottom

Home to the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and touring Broadway. Several venues inside, from 2,400 seats down to small rooms. Student rush tickets start at $20; prime orchestra seats run $150+. Free show every day at 6pm on the Millennium Stage.

Blagden Alley

Shaw

A narrow alley in Shaw lined with street art, murals, and a cluster of bars and restaurants that feel like a different city. The Dabney (Michelin-starred, open-hearth cooking) and Columbia Room (cocktail bar) are both here. Free to walk through anytime. The murals rotate regularly.

Pearl Street Warehouse

Southwest Waterfront

250-capacity room at The Wharf for Americana, roots, rock, blues, and singer-songwriters. Every seat is close to the stage. Full bar and food. Tickets $15-35. If The Anthem next door is too big for your taste, this is the antidote.