There are always great reasons to visit Washington, D.C. The capital city is filled with beautiful architecture, powerful cultural sites, and historic neighborhoods.
It’s also a dynamic metropolis whose residents take pride in their green spaces, diverse dining and drinking options, a strong LGBTQ community, and ever-evolving arts and music scenes. The past year brought many memorable events, from momentous protests for equality and justice to the women’s suffrage centennial. In 2021, travelers will be able to explore the city’s parks, markets, restaurants, and more. So whether you’re heading there to visit great museums, spot cherry blossoms, join a food tour, or sip cocktails with friends, here are 10 amazing places you must experience when visiting Washington, D.C.
Black Lives Matter Plaza
Photo: Allison C Bailey
BELMONT-PAUL WOMEN’S EQUALITY NATIONAL MONUMENT
Top among Washington’s herstoric women’s-rights landmarks is the Belmont- Paul National Monument, established by President Obama in 2016. Built on Capitol Hill in 1800, the house served as the National Woman’s Party headquarters and was key meeting place for women’s suffrage leaders for nearly a century. It’s located near the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court, as well as the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The Belmont-Paul house may be temporarily closed, but its virtual tours are always open.
District Wharf Area
Photo: Sean Pavone
BLACK LIVES MATTER PLAZA
Capitol Hill’s newest attraction arrived on June 5, 2020, when Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser renamed a twoblock segment of 16th Street NW as Black Lives Matter Plaza. The plaza’s new street sign is posted on the corner of 16th and H Streets, just outside St. John’s Episcopal Church and one block from the White House. As part of the city’s Public Works Department’s Murals DC program, volunteers painted “BLACK LIVES MATTER” in yellow capital letters on the roadway of 16th Street. You can even see it now with aerial images on Google Maps.
Dupont Rainbow Art
Photo: DDOT-Mario Sessions
DISTRICT WHARF
One of D.C.’s newest destinations is the 10-acre District Wharf, which began welcoming visitors in 2017. Occupying a swath of Potomac River shoreline, the wharf is a big draw for restaurants, parks, piers, and seasonal activities like ice skating and kayaking. It’s also an easy spot to catch a Potomac Riverboat water taxi or sightseeing cruise to charming Old Town Alexandria, Virginia; historic Georgetown; and other waterfront sites.
Eastern Market
Photo: cdrin
DUPONT CIRCLE
The LGBTQ community stretches across the city and into areas like the U Street Corridor and Logan Circle, but the Dupont Circle neighborhood is still the historic hub of gay activity. Since the post-Stonewall 70s, queer locals could rely on this gayborhood’s busy bars, bookstores, and other progressive businesses. These days, it’s marked by Frank Kameny Way (at 17th and R Streets) and rainbow-colored crosswalks, plus the Capital Pride parade, the annual June Pride celebration that is a must-see event in D.C.
EASTERN MARKET
Though D.C. has become a hotbed of food halls like Union Market, Tastemakers, and The Yards, only Eastern Market can proclaim National Historic Landmark status. Open on Capitol Hill since 1873, the indoor/outdoor market has long been a go-to for fresh produce, meat, cheese, and baked goods. It’s also the place to head for browsing stalls selling flowers, spices, prepared foods, and handmade crafts. And even if there’s a line, don’t miss the famous blueberry-buckwheat pancakes and other hot dishes at the Market Lunch counter.
Mary Mcleod Bethune Council House National Historic Site
Photo: NPS Photo
MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE COUNCIL HOUSE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
A short walk from the White House is the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historicv Site, the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). Born in 1875, McLeod was a great American educator, stateswoman, philanthropist, humanitarian, and civil-rights activist. She established the council in 1935, and from her home just off of Logan Circle, McLeod developed ways to advance the interests of African-American women and the black community. Check their website for onsite and virtual tours, as well as archived stories and photographs about this unique national historic site.
Caiptol Building National Mall
Photo: lunamarina
NATIONAL MALL AND MEMORIAL PARKS
Whether or not you’ve traversed the National Mall before, it seems there’s always more there to discover. Even in a difficult era, the sights of America’s domed Capitol Building to the east and the Lincoln Memorial at the west seem to radiate patriotic vibes. Across the mall’s 1,000 acres are many striking and somber sights, including the World War II Memorial and fountain, the brilliant Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, commemorating his famous 1963 I Have a Dream speech.
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Photo: bakdc
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE
One of Washington’s most powerful experiences awaits at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Opened in 2016 in a ceremony led by President Obama, the museum is spectacular inside and out. Its eye-catching architecture is laden with symbolism that incorporates both African and American history. Inside, visitors can absorb its extraordinary collection of stories, artifacts, art, interactive exhibits, and more, including Harriet Tubman’s shawl and personal hymn book, Rosa Parks’s dress, a South Carolina slave cabin that was dismantled and rebuilt here, and 36,000 more incredible pieces of U.S. history.
National Museum of American History
Photo: V.E.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY
Several of the Smithsonian’s institutions have reopened with timed-ticket entry, including the marvelous National Museum of American History. The museum is always a favorite for its treasures that showcase the scientific, cultural, technological, and political development of the United States. Of course, the original Star-Spangled Banner is on display there, as are Dorothy’s ruby slippers, Prince’s yellow guitar, and other dazzling artifacts. In spring 2019, the special exhibit Illegal to Be You: Gay History Beyond Stonewall opened with LGBTQ-related historical gems, including original 1960s protest signs, the first transgender-pride flag, and other artifacts dating back to the 19th century. It’s on display until spring 2021 (no closing date yet announced). LGBTQ representation is also part of the Girlhood (It’s Complicated) special exhibit exploring women’s history, heroes, and social shifts, past and future. See it here, or when it tours the country through the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service from 2023 through 2025.
US National Arboretum
Photo: Courtesy of washington.org
U.S. NATIONAL ARBORETUM
Located on the east side of D.C. near the Maryland border and Anacostia River is one of the city’s great unsung green spaces. The U.S. National Arboretum’s 450 acres of lush gardens showcase collections of flowers, trees, bushes, and herbs, plus the fantastic National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, with its own unique exhibits and gardens. There’s also the DC Eagle’s Nest and webcam, the National Capitol Columns that once supported the old U.S. Capitol, and a picnic area in the National Grove of State Trees.
