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Ten Washington, D.C. Must-Sees

In honor of AMU and APU‘s graduation ceremony tomorrow, I thought, that as a DC native, I might put together a quick post with some to-dos and must-sees in Washington, D.C. — so if you’re in the area for graduation, here are my personal top ten favorite things to do (in no particular order)!

  1. Visit the Capitol – You can either purchase a ticket at the kiosk just outside the building (for an official, guided tour),  or admission is free, so you can just wander in (after a security screening) and people-watch.
    • Hours: 8:30am – 4:30pm
    • No backpacks permitted
    • More information here
    • List of restaurants in this area here
  2. Check out the Smithsonian/The National Mall – Both the Blue and Orange Metro* lines go to the Smithsonian (the Smithsonian stop is on the Mall).
    • The Mall stretches from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and is dotted by Museums, cafes & restaurants and more
    • You can also find the National Museum of the American Indian, the WWII Memorial, and an old-fashioned carousel in front of the Arts & Industries Building.
    • Restaurants on/near The Mall
  3. Visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – Located at the west end of The Mall, this memorial is absolutely a must-see while you’re in the area.
    • Henry Bacon Drive NW, Washington, DC 20037; 202-426-6841
  4. Visit the Holocaust Memorial Museum – Located just outside the mall, this museum is a sobering experience, but one of the best (IMO) museums DC has to offer.
    • 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, Washington, DC; 202-488-0400
  5. Say hi to Mei Xiang and Tian Tian (our giant pandas) at the National Zoo – It’s free and open from 10:00am until 6:00pm daily.
    • 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; 202-633-4800
  6. Visit the Newseum– Accessible by Green, Yellow and Red lines on the Metro* the Newseum is an awesome museum (sadly, not free… tickets are around $20/person) featuring front page news from around the world.  Here you’ll have access to 15 theatres and 14 galleries – and I promise a really great, interactive and informative experience.
    • 555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., 888-639-7386
  7. Walk around Penn Quarter & China Town– If you hit the Newseum, you’ll already be in this area, and the following attractions are all within a 15-20 minute walk:
    • Museum of Crime & Punishment
    • Ford’s Theatre (very cool)
    • International Spy Museum
    • Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
    • The U.S. Navy Memorial
    • The Verizon Center
    • E Street Cinema (eclectic movie theatre)
  8. Eat some chili on the U Street Corridor– Home to DC’s famous Ben’s Chili Bowl (1013 U St. NW), the 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW), and plenty of bars, shops, cafes and night clubs.
    • More Food on U St.
  9. Take a stroll through Georgetown – Unfortunately, the nearest metro stop (Foggy Bottom) is about 8-9 blocks away, but Georgetown is worth the trip if it’s a nice day.  Here, you’ll find tons of restaurants and shops (from boutiques to big name stores) and it’s just a really beautiful, cute little town that backs up to the water.
    • Georgetown’s main thoroughfares are M Street and Wisconsin Avenue (located right at the end of Key Bridge)
  10. Visit Dupont Circle– Accessible by the Red line on Metro, Dupont boasts several posh restaurants and bars, as well as a variety of museums and parks:
    • The Textile Museum
    • Woodrow Wilson House
    • The National Museum of American Jewish Military History
    • The National Geographic Museum at Explorers Hall
    • Embassy Row (pretty cool)

Obviously, I’ve given you a TON to do.  And let me put a disclaimer out there: it is highly unlikely that  you would be able to accomplish all of this in one day, so pick and choose, visit the websites I’ve linked to for you above, compare your list to a map and enjoy yourself! Washington, D.C. is really an incredible place (perhaps I’m a bit biased)!

Since this is Nicole’s Corner, and I’m the Social Media Guru here on Online Learning Tips, here are a few apps (iPhone mainly, but I believe some are available on Blackberry and Droid platforms) to facilitate your DC visit:

  • Urban Spoon (to help you find good food nearby)
  • Yelp (find restaurants, attractions, and events nearby— all rated by locals)
  • DC Metro Map (a convenient way to have a Metro map in your pocket at all times!)
  • UStream Broadcaster (set up a live streaming video channel online to share your graduation and DC visit with friends and family back home)

Congratulations, grads, and best of luck in your future endeavors…

Cheers, and happy downtown wandering!

*Metro Map

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