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Home > United States > 16 Free Things To Do in Washington, D.C.

16 Free Things To Do in Washington, D.C.

By Dymphe / November 19, 2022

Looking for the best free things to do in Washington, D.C.? In this article, you'll find 16 things to do without spending anything in the capital of the United States!

Table of Contents

  • 1. See a collection of art
  • 2. Tour the White House
  • 3. See a free concert
  • 4. See portraits of famous Americans
  • 5. Visit a cathedral
  • 6. Walk through a botanic garden
  • 7. Enjoy a free jazz festival
  • 8. Learn about natural history
  • 9. See an amazing library
  • 10. Go to a free zoo
  • 11. Learn about African American history and culture
  • 12. Attend a tour of the Capitol building
  • 13. Another great museum
  • 14. See the Lincoln Memorial
  • 15. Attend a hearing at the Supreme Court
  • 16. Do a free walking tour

1. See a collection of art

One of the best museums in Washington D.C. is the National Gallery of Art.

At the National Gallery of Art, you can find a beautiful collection of drawings, prints, paintings, and much more.

Furthermore, artists featured here include Van Gogh, Monet, and Picasso.

Moreover, it is one of the most visited museums in the United States, so you will probably enjoy it very much! Also, the museum can be entered for free!

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram

Een bericht gedeeld door National Gallery of Art (@ngadc) op 2 Mei 2020 om 5:45 (PDT)

2. Tour the White House

The White House, where the president lives and works, can be toured for free.

It is a great way to experience one of the most important places in the world. Furthermore, for more information, you can check out this page!

The White House

3. See a free concert

At the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, you can enjoy a free concert every day of the year at 6 PM.

Performances are done on the Millennium Stage.

Also, for more information regarding the schedule of events, you can have a look at their website!

4. See portraits of famous Americans

For a great collection of portraits of famous citizens of the United States, go to the National Portrait Gallery!

For example, you'll find here portraits of George Washington, Charlie Chaplin, and Frederick Douglass.

Furthermore, you can see all of it for free! Therefore, definitely one of the best free things to do in Washington, D.C.!

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram

Een bericht gedeeld door National Portrait Gallery (@smithsoniannpg) op 4 Mei 2020 om 7:03 (PDT)

5. Visit a cathedral

The Washington National Cathedral is a beautiful cathedral to visit.

Furthermore, it is one of the largest churches in the United States.

Also, you can see the beautiful decorations and objects inside.

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram

Een bericht gedeeld door Washington National Cathedral (@wncathedral) op 12 Apr 2020 om 6:22 (PDT)

6. Walk through a botanic garden

At the United States Botanic Garden, you will find the oldest botanic garden in the United States.

You'll see a large collection of all kinds of plants, flowers, and fruits.

Furthermore, the garden is open every day of the year, so whenever you are in Washington, D.C., you can always go here!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by U.S. Botanic Garden (@usbotanicgarden)

7. Enjoy a free jazz festival

Listening to free jazz music is always great! At DC Jazz Festival you can do this for about two weeks every year in June in Washington, D.C. Therefore, if you love jazz music, be sure to check this out!

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram

Een bericht gedeeld door DC Jazz Festival (@dcjazzfest) op 24 Feb 2020 om 2:47 (PST)

8. Learn about natural history

The National Museum of Natural History is a very popular museum and one of the most visited in the world.

You'll find here almost 150 million specimens of all kinds of animals, rocks, plants, animals, and many other types. Moreover, this museum is free as well!

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram

Een bericht gedeeld door Smithsonian's NMNH (@smithsoniannmnh) op 6 Mrt 2020 om 7:51 (PST)

9. See an amazing library

At the Library of Congress, you will find one of the largest libraries in the world.

Its collection includes almost 40 million books, almost 15 million photographs, 70 million manuscripts, and many more items! Therefore, it's one of the most fun free things to do in Washington, D.C.

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram

Een bericht gedeeld door Heloísa (@heloisa.bolsonaro) op 26 Feb 2020 om 12:23 (PST)

10. Go to a free zoo

The Smithsonian National Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the United States and can be visited completely for free!

You will find here almost 3000 animals of almost 400 different types of species.

For example, you'll find here pandas, birds, apes, elephants, reptiles, and many other animals.

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram

Een bericht gedeeld door Smithsonian's National Zoo (@smithsonianzoo) op 21 Apr 2020 om 1:24 (PDT)

11. Learn about African American history and culture

Go to the National Museum of African American History and Culture to learn a lot!

You will find here many historical objects and a lot of information.

For example, the collection includes a sunken slave ship and Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves.

However, much more can be seen here, so this museum is definitely worth your time!

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram

Een bericht gedeeld door NMAAHC (@nmaahc) op 19 Mrt 2020 om 12:31 (PDT)

12. Attend a tour of the Capitol building

You can tour the Capitol building for free! Here you'll find where the United States Congress is located.

Furthermore, you can find many artworks and the Crypt here, which are both seen during the tour.

Also, for more information, you can check out this link.

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram

Een bericht gedeeld door Kaylee Tatum (@tired_tatum) op 22 Feb 2019 om 7:19 (PST)

13. Another great museum

Another great museum is the National Museum of American History.

You can go here to learn about the story of the United States, through a variety of exhibitions.

For example, you can find the Original Star-Spangled Banner here.

Furthermore, like all other museums in Washington, D.C., there is no admission fee.

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram

Een bericht gedeeld door American History Museum (@amhistorymuseum) op 9 Mrt 2020 om 1:56 (PDT)

14. See the Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is an impressive memorial to honor Abraham Lincoln.

The monument is located on the National Mall. Furthermore, it features a large statue of Abraham Lincoln.

15. Attend a hearing at the Supreme Court

Another great activity is attending a hearing at the Supreme Court. This is very interesting. Also, this is a free activity.

Here you'll find the highest court in the judiciary system of the United States.

Furthermore, for the frequently asked questions about visiting the Supreme Court check out this page.

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram

Een bericht gedeeld door Michelangela (@theunicornwhosurvived) op 17 Feb 2019 om 6:05 (PST)

16. Do a free walking tour

A great way to experience Washington, D.C., is through doing a free walking tour.

During such a tour that is lead by a local guide, you can learn more about the city, its history, and its culture.

For example, you can do this tour, which will take you to the National Mall!

People in Washington, D.C.

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Categories:
  • North America
  • United States
Tags: Things To DoWashington
  • Hi there! I’m Dymphe, a travel blogger and content creator with a passion for exploring beautiful destinations and travel photography. I’ve been traveling for years and I decided to start this blog to help you do the same in Europe, the United States, and beyond. More about me.

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