About Washington DC

Washington DC is a great city for visitors. It's easy to get to, served by two major airports, major highways, and trains. The subway system, the Metro, is clean and easy to use. Many of the popular attractions are clustered along the Mall, a long green park that runs through the center of Washington, so it's easy to walk around. There's plenty of good food in Washington's restaurants.

A patriotic and inspiring symbol of American freedom, Washington DC is a great city to visit with plenty of historic landmarks worth visiting, and is one of the most affordable tourist destinations worth visiting across the United States.

DC has more inspiring and unusual attractions than you can imagine. But one of the best things about visiting is the major attractions are free. In a three or four days, you can see the Hope Diamond, tour the Capitol, and visit the baby panda at the National Zoo, all for free. Or you can look at dinosaur skeletons, see the original Star Spangled Banner, and go into the Washington Monument. Again – all for free.

However you choose to spend your time, DC will not disappoint; we think there’s something here for everyone.

The Omni Shoreham Hotel has provided this list of 25 things to do in Washington, DC

Visit the Arlington National Cemetery, the serene resting place of war veterans. Stroll past rows and rows of solemn white gravestones and follow the path of the masses to the grave site of President John F. Kennedy. Not far away is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where visitors may watch the changing of the guard at regular intervals throughout the day.
Hear the sounds of the Washington Opera and National Symphony Opera at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Guided tours of the massive complex are available daily.
Stroll the National Mall. The vast green space bookended by the Capitol and the Washington Monument is a hub of activity. The mall has hosted concerts, festivals and more, while hundreds of joggers prowl the big rectangle every day. It's a refreshing oasis in the middle of a bustling city, and the ideal place for a nice quiet rest between stops at the various Smithsonian Museums around its edges.
The Omni Shoreham Hotel is within four blocks of the National Zoo, where you can see incredible animals from all over the globe.
Enjoy the beauty of the thousands of lotus blossoms growing in ponds along the Anacostia River at the Kenilworth Acquatic Gardens. It won't cost you a cent. This is the last natural marsh in Washington, D.C. and is home to dozens of species of birds.
Tour the Smithsonian Institution's 16 museums and art galleries. Each of these buildings could easily take you a day or more to see. They house everything from the Fonz' leather jacket, to the Hope Diamond, to actual spaceships.
Take a free guided tour of the U.S. Capitol and get an up close look at the workings of the government. You can see where the senators and representatives shape policies, admire the spectacular rotunda, and see things like the original Supreme Court Chamber.
Observe the Supreme Court in session. All of the sessions at the majestic Supreme Court building are open to the public and are absolutely free. And if there isn't something going on the day of your visit, you can still enjoy a lecture in the courtroom. There are also exhibits and a film to explain the workings of justice at the country's highest court
Enjoy a monumental vacation. There's the towering Washington Monument, the regal Lincoln Memorial and the moving Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Most of the monuments are within a short walk of each other, near the Reflecting Pool. All these sites are fun things to do in Washington, D.C., and best of all, they are all free
Touch a tornado or take a simulated flight high above the earth's surface at the National Geographic Society's Explorers Hall. Here, you can experience interactive educational exhibits. These permanent and changing exhibits are open to the public, free of charge.
Visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This extremely moving museum is a popular destination for visitors. It's free, but you should reserve tickets in advance to be guaranteed admission. The museum chronicles the rise and fall of the Nazis and the horrible treatment inflicted upon Jews and others during the Holocaust.
Catch a ballgame at Nationals Park located just south of the Capitol adjacent to the Navy Yard. This new park redefines modern sports facility architecture and is the cornerstone of the new mixed-use Capitol Riverfront.
Get rich at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. There's lots and lots of money here, but you won't need to part with any of your own to enjoy it. Visitors take a free self-guided tour past the moneymaking machines that grind out the nation's currency. And no, there are no free samples at the end of the tour.
Enjoy a walk or a bicycle ride along the banks of the C & O Canal. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal traces a route 185 miles long, through Maryland and the District of Columbia. It was completed in 1850 and used as a shipping link to the Potomac River. Visitors to Washington's trendy Georgetown section need to just take a quick detour down one of many side streets to spy the canal up close.
Explore over 400 acres of plants, trees, shrubs and more at the National Arboretum. You can marvel at the unique Bonsai collection, or enjoy a picnic amidst the blooms.
Relive the past at Ford's Theatre, the site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Today, the National Park Service operates a museum in the theater, which features artifacts and photos. Park Rangers give regular talks about the night the President was shot. Across the street is The Peterson House, where Lincoln was carried after the shooting, and where he died. While you'll have to pay for the privilege of seeing a play in the historic theater, a look inside the theater or the house where Lincoln died, a ranger talk and admission to the museum are all free.
Honor our law enforcement at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Visitor Center. More than 14,000 law enforcement officials killed in the line of duty are honored here. Their names are inscribed on marble walls, and interactive video displays tell some of their stories. Free children's activity packets, maps and brochures are available.
Take a boat ride on the Potomac River. This is always an exciting Washington, D.C. attraction.
See JFK's old house. Before he moved into the White House, John F. Kennedy lived in the Red House, a historic brick building in Georgetown. While it's not open to the public, it costs nothing to take a stroll down JFK's leafy old street and gaze at the place that was once home to the Camelot family.
Browse through history at the National Archives. You can research your family history, examine government documents, view the original Declaration of Independence and marvel at more than three billion records at the National Archives. Group tours are available by appointment.
Stroll the streets of Georgetown. You can browse through shops offering everything from house wares to clothing, or enjoy the view from a sidewalk cafe. The hustle and bustle of the main thoroughfare disappears when you venture down one of the narrow side streets. There, you'll find the regal old mansions and townhouses of the political and social elite, or of the just plain rich.
Shop and dine at Union Station, one of the most spectacular railway terminals you’ll ever see anywhere.
View European and American works of art at the National Gallery of Art. There are paintings, sculptures, and other features. And the museum regularly hosts exhibits from around the world.
Visit the NEWSEUM where five centuries of news history meet up-to-the-second, interactive technology at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue. Dedicated entirely to the First Amendment of the US Constitution, the Newseum’s 14 major galleries and 15 theaters immerse you in the world’s greatest news stories
Enter into an authentic rain forest, a desert, a jungle, or a spice garden in the series of massive domed conservatories of the United States Botanic Garden just next door to the Capitol building.